Grantham Town appoint former boss Paul Rawden as first team manager
Grantham Town have confirmed that they have turned to former boss Paul Rawden to support the club as first team manager for the upcoming season.
The club were in advance negotiations with a management team but unfortunately due to the magnitude of the task, having to rebuild a complete 16-man squad on a significantly reduced budget, and time not on their side, they decided to withdraw their interest – although the club said they have not closed the door.
Interim chair Sophie Cope said it was a massive blow to not get it over the line.
She said: “Given the timescale available and conscious of other teams being very proactive this year, announcing retention lists and new signings very early, it was very clear we needed to be proactive.
“I approached two guys who are currently without a club since leaving their previous club on the conclusion of the 2022/23 season at Step 4.
“The duo had done a remarkable job on a similar budget, building a team from scratch and finishing in the top 10 but unfortunately it just wasn’t the right time for them.
“Having then spoke to three other candidates, it became clear very quickly that it is just too big a task given the timescales.
“Someone like Paul has been in and around the game for a number of years and has a lot of contacts, which became the deciding factor in the end.”
There will be further updates in the coming days regarding coaching staff and players.
Sophie added: “For now all I can hope is we can get back to enjoying winning some football matches and get behind the team whoever is in the dugout”
Paul Rawden said: “It’s been a busy 24 hours on the phone, making sure we hit the ground running, but I’m looking forward to the challenge again.
“It will be great to see the supporters who have been through so much recently. I hope we can get the smiles on their faces quick.”
Rawden was originally appointed Gingerbreads joint manager in February 2019, along with Russell Cousins and Adam Smith. The trio parted company with the club a 12 months later.