IAN White has thanked Terras’ fans for their overwhelming support for his Wessex Fantasy Football game which helped the club capture midfielder Chris McPhee on Tuesday night – but insists it is not the end of his endeavours to strengthen the playing budget.

White was present on the pitch as the deal became a reality before Weymouth’s 3-1 victory over Torquay United, and he believes it is the start of something special for the club.

He told Echosport: “I had known about the deal before he (McPhee) signed and obviously the club had contacted me to make sure that the contract was acceptable and we had enough money to fulfil it, which we did, and it was unbelievable.

“I want to thank all the fans that have signed up. I had the idea and created the game but without the fans I could never have done it and there have been a lot of them that have joined in.

“This is the first time the game has been so involved with the funding of a single player.

“We have done it a couple of times before for three or four months at a time, but not for the whole season.

“What also helped, I think, was Chris McPhee being there in pre-season, it was sort of an advertisement on the pitch for everyone.”

And with the deal for McPhee secured, White believes the game could help player-manager Jason Matthews again during the season.

“This isn’t the end,” he added. “This is the first goal completed and I want to put together a bit of a chest that Jason can use to bring in loan players.”

White is still striving for more people to sign up and play the game, and you can now do so online by logging on and making your selections at wessexfantasy.co.uk.