After weeks of speculation over who would take over the head coaching duties at PHC following the departure of Jack Castle, it was confirmed on Monday night that Castle predecessor, Eve, would be returning to the job.

"It's always a pleasure to work with PHC ... it's my club,'' said Eve yesterday. "They needed help and I was glad to be able to give it and provide a service.'' Many thought they had seen the last of Eve patrolling the sidelines after he had surrendered the position to his then assistant, Castle, at the end of the 1991-92 season.

Castle had been groomed and touted as PHC's "coach of the future'', but his tenure came to an abrupt end after he and management squabbled over salary and other terms of employment.

Thus rather than moving forward with a young coach the old guard has been forced back into the picture.

In fact there will be a double-dose of coaching "legends'' sitting on the bench once the 1993-94 campaign gets underway next month, with the once highly successful Leroy Lewis assisting Eve in his duties. Previously Eve was Lewis' assistant. Ellie Wilson having been retained as the team trainer.

The Lewis-Eve team have gathered mountains of silverware over the years, including seven league championships and triumphs in numerous other trophy competitions.

Eve went out a winner in 1992, with the Charity Cup, FA Cup and league trophies as his team's haul.

His fondest memory, he said, was winning the FA Cup after years of failure in that particular competition. Winning the Dudley Eve Trophy, which was put up in memory of his late father, a former BFA director, also gave Eve great satisfaction.

"There have been so many highlights that it's hard to pin-point just one, but I guess winning the FA with PHC after being expected to do so for so long stands out,'' said Eve, a one time player and coach at Social Club during the glory years of the 1960s and `70s.

However, the squad Eve inherits this time is a far cry from the dominating one he left behind, as indicated by their travails last year when fifth place in the league and a Charity Cup victory was all they could muster.

The club is in a transition period with an influx of young, relatively inexperienced players and Eve admitted that he may only be a "stop-gap measure'' until a senior player can be groomed for the position.

Senior players Sammy Swan, Ty Williams and skipper Mike Dill remain, but surrounding them are promising youngsters such as Ottis Steede, Raynell Lightbourne and Dano Outerbridge, who have barely gotten their "feet wet'' in the First Division and are still learning.

Still Eve aims to return them to prominence, which means winning titles ...

and many of them.

"We're working towards the standard PHC is used to and once we achieve that success rate everything will fall into line,'' he said. "It is a team that can be successful and will be successful, but the coaching staff has a lot of work to do and has to accept the challenge.

"Once they understand the system and know what we're looking for it should be no problem.

"The results may not be immediate ... but there will be some results.

"I never really think in terms of trophies. Instead my philosophy has always been that whatever competition we enter we should attempt to win.'' OLD AND NEW -- Alfie Eve (right) has returned to take over the PHC coaching job from Jack Castle (left).