Ian King Departs

Rugby Town FC can confirm that Ian King has left his position as First Team Manager, following the final game of the season against Sutton Coldfield Town on Saturday.

Ian joined the club in December following on from predecessor Carl Adams but unfortunately could not keep the club in the division.

Director Neil Melvin said: "We thank Ian and his assistant, Brian [Borrows], for their commitment and professionalism throughout the season which has been fantastic.

"We are absolutely gutted to not keep our status this season but all we can do now is plan to come back stronger.

"From the outset in December, our objective was to steady the ship and stay in the division and everyone involved gave their best — unfortunately we ultimately fell short.

"Ian and Brian leave with our best wishes and will always be welcome back at Butlin Road. Ian has ambitions of managing at a higher level, and I have no doubt he'll achieve that from what we've seen in his short time with us.

"For us moving fowards our clear objective now is to appoint a new manager who can lead us back to Step Four at the earliest opportunity."

Ian reflected on his time with the club: “We tried our utmost to keep us in this league, so it’s disappointing that we just couldn’t make it over the line in the end.

"The intention was to get more organisation and structure into our play, and I think we achieved that.

"With only a few exceptions, we generally kept ourselves in games and when we lost, it was often by a single goal.

"I hope everyone could see what we were trying to achieve and the improvements that were made in our time here, and also that the players were giving it their all out there.

"Unfortunately we just ran out of fixtures in the end - the form and points gained in the final quarter of the season was pretty decent to be fair, and perhaps with a few more games, we could have achieved the aim of avoiding relegation.

"There were three or four matches that ultimately proved costly I suppose – including the home draws against Lye and Grantham, where we just couldn't capitalise on the opportunities that were there for us.

"The fans have been brilliant throughout though, and I would like to thank them for their support – especially in the last game against Sutton Coldfield when they were urging me to stay on.

"I just feel that the challenge ahead for the club next season would be better suited to someone who has the experience and contacts needed to manage at that level.

"I appreciate the club asking me to stay, but realistically I don’t think I've got the network necessary to succeed in that landscape, and perhaps it's a job for someone with more of a Step Four/Five background already.

"I'd also like to thank the players and my backroom staff for their efforts over the past four and a half months, and also acknowledge how accommodating those running the club have been – especially Neil [Melvin] for what has been a positive working relationship.

"The backing and resources were there for us to bring in the players we needed, but even with that in place it was difficult to attract the right type of player to a team that was struggling near the foot of Step Four.

"I wish the club well next season and hopefully they can bounce straight back up at the first attempt."

Applications for the position of First Team Manager are now being accepted.

We are seeking a candidate with the necessary experience and contacts at this level to build a strong and competitive squad capable of securing promotion back to Step Four at the first attempt.

Interested candidates should send their CV and covering letter to football@rugbytownfc.com.