The new partnership of Terry Brown and Stuart Cash could be a dream ticket for Aldershot Town.

Brown was unveiled as the new manager at a press conference on Saturday morning and, good news for Aldershot supporters, popular caretaker boss Cash has agreed to stay on as right-hand man to the very experienced former Hayes man.

Brown's appointment is something of a surprise. His name had not been mentioned in connection with the short list and his departure has apparently come as a nasty shock to Hayes who are deep in trouble at the bottom of the Conference.

Hayes chairman Derek Goodall has publicly criticised Brown for his abrupt exit. But Karl Prentice, Aldershot's chairman, insisted that everything had been above board. "Terry approached us. There was no question of us going behind their backs to talk to him."

Despite Hayes' perilous position, Browne, 49, leaves the Middlesex club with an impressive record. During his nine years as manager, he took Hayes to the Isthmian (Ryman) League Premier Division championship and, in 1999, guided them to a best ever third place in the Conference.

The Aldershot position, said Brown, was one he just could not resist. "I'm honoured to have got the job because Aldershot are the biggest non-League club in the south. I'm leaving Hayes in not too healthy a state and I'm not happy about that. But I'm delighted to be on board here."

After a six-hour meeting last Friday, Brown, who will be a full-time manager, and Cash found they were on the same wave-length.

Brown said: "I didn't know Stuart that well, but I found that my ideas mirror his in the type and calibre of player we want – identical in some cases because we found ourselves talking about the same players. And there is the advantage of working with someone who knows the club."

Cash added: "I've enjoyed being caretaker and I've learned a lot. I welcome Terry and feel I'm lucky to be working alongside him. Our meeting was good and positive and we'll be building for next season. Whether I'm assistant manager or coach is irrelevant to me."

Browne is a highly respected non-League manager, as was George Borg before him, but where he differs to the Londoner is in his passionate belief in an infrastructure for the development of young players.

"It's difficult to build a family when all your players come from London," was a telling remark by the new manager.

Expect then, more of an accent on youth and local talent, with a closer relationship between the first and reserve squads.

Brown said he was delighted that a PASE government scheme was already up and running at Aldershot. "It's an integral part of the future. I set up a similar scheme at Hayes and that's how you tap into local young talent."

Hayes was a 'selling club', he said, and he established a reputation for producing young players. "I see a new era for Aldershot where we bring on our own players, sell some on and keep some. You don't want to hold them back if they're good enough to go professional."

What about his team's style? Brown is a firm believer in 4-4-2 and the use of specialist wingers, but insists that he can adapt. "I'm fully aware of the expectations here.

"Hayes won the Ryman on a limited budget, but on a very strong side. In the Conference, you have to play a bit more football. I like to play with wide players who can cross the ball and players in the middle who can knock the ball in. But I know you also have to be able to dig out results and deal with scrapping sides."

And he remains confident that he can attract the players that Aldershot need. "It's not just about money with players. They want to play in front of crowds and on a good surface and they get that here."

Brown said all the right things and he and Cash received a rapturous welcome before kick-off on Saturday.

But everyone knows that only one thing will really matter next season. Aldershot have to win promotion to the Conference.