A MYSTERY new director is about to become Dorchester Football Club's major shareholder in a move that will give the Magpies a playing budget on a par with any of their Conference South rivals next season.

Chairman Chris Pugsley said the board had given the new man their "total backing" when he announced the development to fellow directors at their monthly meeting.

"Everybody is very excited about it," said Pugsley today. "The new investor is a Dorset businessman who is buying a substantial number of shares in the club.

"Everything has been agreed and at the moment I am talking to his solicitors and producing the relevant paperwork. He wants to remain anonymous until we have crossed all the Ts and dotted the Is but we should be in a position shortly to release further details.

"We are talking about an initial six-figure investment and that will be on-going with the intention of getting us into the National Conference. Once we do that we will see how far we can go.

"Next season it will give us a playing budget that should be comparable with anyone else in the league and then it is up to the manager Mick Jenkins to see what he can do."

Pugsley said he had not previously known the prospective new director until he contacted him after hearing that he had been searching for new investors to take the Magpies forward.

"He had been keen to get involved in a football club and after looking into the club and the way it is run he liked what he saw and approached me," he added.

"If it all goes through it will certainly give the club a realistic opportunity to go forward. That is the way the new guy wants to see us go and he is quite happy to fund it in a substantial way."

He said that from conversations they have had, he did not think the new director wanted to get involved in the day-to-day running of the club at the moment.

"He is happy with the job I am doing as chairman and wants me to carry on," he said.

"But if he wants to become chairman that is his prerogative and I don't have a problem with that because the club is bigger than any one man."

Magpies' boss Mick Jenkins, who revealed he was instrumental in introducing the new man to the club, said his decision to make a major investment was "great news."

"Dorchester are a progressive club in waiting," he said. "We have the facilities to stage league football and now is the time to put our house in order on and off the field and put a side together that can begin to go places.

"Last season was one for buying a bit of time and now we are ready to push on.

"Hopefully things will be finalised quickly so I can go close in on the quality players I have targetted to bring in.

"We start back in training in less than eight weeks so there is no time to lose."

Jenkins said striker Steve Fletcher, who was released by AFC Bournemouth this week, was the type of player he would like to bring to the Avenue Stadium.

"He is certainly somebody who interests me, " he said. "I don't know whether he plans to continue playing or if he would consider dropping down to our level, but I would like to be in a position to ask the question and hopefully this new investment will at least make that possible."

Jenkins revealed that out-of-contract pair Mark Jermyn and Scott Morgan are considering new deals he has offered them for next season, but said he has not yet spoken to skipper Alex Browne, Matt Groves or Justin Keeler whose contracts have also expired.

"I will be doing that in the next week or so when financial things become a little clearer," he added.