Month: December 2021

INTERIM MANAGER APPOINTMENT

Tuffley Rovers have moved quickly to appoint Neil Mustoe, the former Gloucester City captain, who had a successful career as a professional footballer, as their new manager on an interim basis until the end of the 2021/22 playing season.

Ritchie Warden – who was yesterday confirmed as holding a caretaker role following the departure of Rich Cox on Sunday – will take charge of the squad in their fixture against Longlevens on 27 December, when Mustoe will have a watching brief and the new manager’s first match in charge will be the home game against Brimscombe & Thrupp on 3 January.

Rovers’ Head of Football Development, Ken Blackburn, worked with Mustoe when they were both involved at Gloucester City and moved quickly to canvas his interest when Cox stood down but hadn’t necessarily anticipated to be in a position to appoint so quickly.

“I’ve kept in touch with Muzzy (Mustoe) on a regular basis and when Rich Cox stood down he seemed the perfect candidate, so I got in touch”, Blackburn confirmed. “I wasn’t necessarily expecting him to be in a position to help now, so it was a really pleasant surprise to find he could take on the role from the New Year.”

Chairman Dan Boon also welcomed the appointment.

“I’m pleased to announce that Neil has agreed to take the role on an interim basis until the end of the season”, he said. “The pedigree and leadership qualities that Muzzy will bring is exactly what the squad needs right now.”

Mustoe started his professional career at Manchester United, playing in the 1995 FA Youth Cup winning side, before spells at Wigan Athletic, Cambridge United, Stevenage Borough and Yeovil Town. He then moved to his home town club, making almost 350 appearances for City before his retirement in 2014.

Warden, who served as the Assistant Manager to Cox, will remain as part of Mustoe’s coaching team.

Following the resignation of Rich Cox on Sunday, Tuffley Rovers’ committee have asked Assistant Manager Ritchie Warden to take charge of team affairs, on a caretaker basis, pending the appointment of a new first team manager.

Ritchie, who joined the club last season, will take charge of the team for our 27 December fixture against Longlevens and he will be supported by our U18s manager and Development Squad coach, Craig Darkin, in the immediate short-term.

The club will be looking to appoint a new manager in the near future. Anyone interested in the vacancy should contact the club via admin@tuffleyroversfc.co.uk.

Club statement

Tuffley Rovers have today accepted the resignation of our first team manager, Rich Cox.

Chairman Dan Boon confirmed “It is with great disappointment that we have accepted Rich’s resignation from his role. Coxy has been with the club for almost four years and has been an incredibly loyal and committed member of the club, both in his original role as an Assistant Manager to Mark Pritchett and more so since his appointment as manager.”

“In accepting Coxy’s resignation we acknowledge that our current form and league position is not where he or the club would like to be in and after ten consecutive defeats in all competitions a change of manager may benefit the club.”

Cox has stepped down from the role he was appointed to ahead of the 2021/22 season. Before his appointment as manager, Cox had also held the role on a caretaker basis during the aborted 2020/21 campaign after Mark Pritchett had resigned in July 2020 and prior to that he had served as Pritchett’s assistant since 2018.

All at the club would like to place on records its sincere gratitude for what Rich Cox has done for the club and he will always be welcome back to Glevum Park at any time.

The club will look to make an interim appointment imminently, ahead of a our 27 December game against Longlevens and a recruitment process to appoint Rich’s successor will start straight away.

Tuffley Rovers will host Corsham Town in a Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division fixture at Glevum Park on Saturday (3pm KO) looking to end an abysmal run of form which has seen them lose their last nine competitive fixtures, including a run of eight consecutive league defeats.

Manager, Rich Cox, has had time to reflect as his side have had a  two week break from action since their last defeat, against Lydney Town on 4 December, and he will hope that the time between fixtures will give his young squad a chance to regain their poise and recover their form.

Jamal Lawrence, who last played and scored the winner when Rovers won, away at Westfields on 26 October, is set to return after injury but Rovers most experienced player, Warren Mann, is ruled out of the game. Cox has added Scott Nicholls to his squad during the gap in play and another new signing, Jurek Marszalek, is fit to play after recovering from an injury picked up shortly after he signed for the club. Brennan Denness-Barrett and Sam Mendes are suspended, so Matt Butler has been called up from the Development Squad, after scoring nine goals in eleven games this season.

Corsham Town arrive at Glevum Park having already recorded one victory over Cox’s men this season – a 2-0 victory when the teams met on 14 August – and sitting seventh in the table, with 42 points from their 22 league games. Much of their recent success has been founded on an impressive defensive record which has seen them concede just 20 goals in the league.

For Rovers that presents a particular challenge, as they have currently gone 450 minutes without scoring in the league (when a 90th minute own goal offered little consolation in the defeat at home to Thornbury Town) and it is now a little over six weeks since Joe Shutt was the last player to score a Hellenic League goal for the team.

Cox will definitely be hoping for some Christmas cheer as he side play their penultimate game of 2021.

The official match-day programme is, as ever, available online and printed copies will be available at the turnstiles.