AS A player who enjoyed promotion success at both clubs, Alan Connell would have taken a keen interest in Swindon’s visit to Valley Parade last week.

But while 12,486 witnessed the Wiltshire side inflict City’s third home loss on the bounce, the former Bantam and Robin was otherwise engaged for his latest club – in front of a grand audience of 790.

Connell has joined Havant & Waterlooville in the Vanarama South division, the regional equivalent of the level of Guiseley and Park Avenue.

Westleigh Park, just north of Portsmouth, is no Valley Parade or County Ground – and certainly not Wembley, where the shot of Connell swigging champagne from the League Two play-off trophy remains one of the endearing images of that famous afternoon.

So it’s a fixture-list filled with names like Farnborough, Hemel Hempstead, Basingstoke and a trip this afternoon to Maidenhead United.

At 31, it seems a premature decision to drop down the football pyramid but for Connell it was more about geography – and he has no complaints.

After the nomadic lifestyle of professional football, Connell wanted to get back to his southern roots. The call from Havant manager Lee Bradbury, a former team-mate at Bournemouth, gave him that opportunity.

“A fan only sees 90 minutes a week on the pitch of a player’s life,” said Connell. “But there’s a lot more to consider when deciding on where you’re going to play.

“It was time to come home. I’m living in Bournemouth again, which suits me fine.

“I played with Bradders before and he’d been on to me for a while. I didn’t have a great summer in regards to getting a league contract so I eventually came round to the idea.

"It ticks a lot of boxes. I’m living back where I want and I’m getting into different things so it gives me that added time.

“Brian Stock also joined and Warren Cummings is here. They are two of my best mates in football so it just felt right in the end.”

Connell left City in January after growing frustrated at his bit-part status in Phil Parkinson’s plans. As part of the Northampton exodus with Ricky Ravenhill and Matt Duke, he helped Chris Wilder’s Cobblers stave off the threat of relegation from the Football League.

But while Ravenhill, the club captain, and Duke remain in a team now pushing at the right end of the table, Connell was released after failing to get on the score sheet in 11 starts.

“I enjoyed it there. I played quite a few games but we were fighting for our lives and weren’t a team full of confidence.

“We had to stay up by any means necessary and at times it wasn’t pretty to watch.

“That would have been ideal to stay but the manager made up his mind. I felt a little hard done by but ultimately you’re judged on your goals as a striker and it didn’t work out for me there.”

A frustrating off season brought little in the way of offers from other clubs. But then Grimsby, where Connell had scored for fun in his first spell, came in with the chance of something short term.

His debut on the opening day was at recently-relegated Bristol Rovers, where the 7,000-plus crowd topped every attendance in the bottom division and half of League One.

Connell said: “Grimsby had a few injuries, Ross Hannah was one, and a few suspensions. I was training at Bournemouth at the time but got an offer of a week-to-week deal to go up.

“I played three games and we drew them all but I didn’t really have a chance in any of them.

“Then the Injured players started coming back and the club said they weren’t really in position to offer me anything longer term.

“To be honest, that probably suited me because I’d wanted to stay down south. It has opened the Havant route for me, which I’m more than happy with.”

Not that Connell, who has signed for the Hawks for the season, has completely ruled out the chance of a return to the pro ranks. But for now, being nearer his roots is a higher priority.

“If I was offered a League Two deal away from the Bournemouth and London area, then I don’t think I would take it – especially in the current financial climate.

“Obviously if someone like Portsmouth came in and offered me two years it would be a no brainer to go there. But otherwise I’m happy with how things are.

“I’m hoping to take some coaching badges and my agent wants me to get involved with him. I should have enough going on to keep me busy.

“I’m a little bit apprehensive but I’ve had to re-evaluate things a bit.

“Havant are a club with ambition and we’re winning at the moment. There are some good players here and I think we can do well this season.”