Rugby Town are pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Sockett as their new first team manager.

By Jon Venner

Sockett replaces Lee Colkin in the Valley hot seat, after Colkin’s seven month spell in charge came to an end by mutual consent.

The appointment sees Sockett return to the club for a second spell in charge, having previously held the position for two and a half seasons between 1998 and 2001.

Town Chairman Brian Melvin welcomed the new boss to Butlin Road, highlighting his long track-record within the non-league pyramid. He said : “Martin has extensive experience at non-league football, especially at the level we are likely to find ourselves at next season. We have worked together before, as he was manager here when I first came to the club in 1999, and we have maintained a good relationship in the interim years too.”

He continued : “I would like to thank Lee Colkin and Michael Love for their efforts last season, but unfortunately the results did not go as we had hoped. We all felt that it was the right thing to do to make a change at this point. 2009-10 was of course a difficult season all round - both on the pitch and also off the pitch for Lee and his family.”

“I am confident that Martin has the right pedigree, contacts and enthusiasm to turn things around next season. The regional division of the Southern League is a tough league, and Martin has a reputation of developing strong, competitive sides, and we are hoping that will be the case again.”

Since leaving Butlin Road at the beginning of 2001, Sockett has worked in a number of managerial and scouting roles – including spells in charge at Bedworth United and Coleshill Town, and assistant manager positions at Brackley Town, Stratford, R.C.Warwick and his most recent club Unibond League South side Rushall Olympic.

With Olympic still facing a senior cup final before their season is completed, Sockett will see out his responsibilities there before joining Town, although he is already looking forward to the challenges ahead of him next season.

He said : “I am really looking forward to returning to the club. When I look back with hindsight, I was wrong to leave in the first place and wish I had stayed on to finish the job that we had started then.”

“I have been back to Butlin Road many times in the mean time, and the club has developed a great facility which is one of the best in non-league football. It’s up to us now to develop a team to do credit to this facility.”

“I have already talked to a number of players about the possibility of them coming to the club next season, and the initial responses have been encouraging. There will be a clean sheet of paper in terms of the existing players that want to be here too though – and it’s up to them to prove to us in pre-season that they want to be part of the club.”

Sockett also confirmed the appointment of ex-Valleyite Dave Stringer as his assistant for the 2010-11 season. Stringer made 38 appearances for Rugby between 1999 and 2001, and spent last season as manager at another Unibond League South side – Shepshed Dynamo.