Cottesmore AFC have appointed a new management team at the Leicestershire Senior League club
A trio with a strong allegiance to Cottesmore have been appointed as the new management team at the Leicestershire Senior League club.
Alex Brown and Rich Giblin have taken on the joint management role at the Premier Division side with club captain Aaron Ridout completing the team in a player-coach capacity.
Giblin has been a club stalwart at Westray Park and previously managed the team during their club record-breaking FA Vase run.
Brown returns to the Cottesmore ranks where he started his senior playing career in the Under 18s before having higher level spells with Bourne Town, Barrow Town and Holwell Sports where he spent last season in the United Counties League.
Ridout has also featured for Yaxley and Blackstones before returning to Cottesmore for the past couple of campaigns.
It is their affinity with the Rutland club which Giblin hopes will stand Cottesmore in good stead for next season.
He said: "We have all been around the club for a long time and that was part of the attraction.
"The ethos is about getting back to what we're about and trying to focus if we can on local lads from the area and move things forward.
"We've had good success previously but it's now a reset and we want to put something in place which is going to see us through the next few years rather than just trying to chase something for one season.
"It's a competitive league and we need to build that squad first off and focus on getting lads in who want to be involved with the club."
The trio take over from John and Will Rawdon who stepped down last month after one season at the helm.
Giblin added: "John and Will did a great job and we want to keep as many players as we can from last season and then we will add as and when around that.
"We have tried to move things along as quickly as possible because pre-season is only four or five weeks away and this gives us a bit of time to put some feelers out so we can get off on the right foot.
"We did get interest from elsewhere but all of the bits just fell into place and we feel that the local element is good for us at this particular time."
Both Brown and Ridout will remain as players as they take their first steps into senior football management.
Giblin commented: "Alex's interest did come a bit out of the blue because he has just finished a good season with Holwell Sports.
"He's still got offers on the table to go and play but he sees it as a great opportunity to get involved in the club.
"He asked if I would be interested in helping him out. We need someone else on the sidelines because Alex will still have a playing role as well.
"We needed Aaron as part of that group as well but he has other commitments which made the manager's role not really right for him but being a player-coach and being part of the management did fit well for him.
"They both have a lot of contacts with people they have played with over the years.
"As with everybody now, I think it's a case of needing more than one person doing it because of other commitments.
"You need a good core group all pitching and hopefully that's what we've got. We've got lads who have been in and around the club for a long time and hopefully know the pros and cons of Cottesmore."
Chairman Steve Duffy concluded: "I am very excited with the appointment - I think we have put together a very good management team who have the potential to take the club forward."
