News

Gray joins Rovers after stepping down from his successful tenure at neighbouring club Ashby Ivanhoe. His appointment comes after a challenging period for Rovers, who secured their league status on the final day of the season under interim manager Gary Norton, who managed to transform the club's fortunes following an eight-game losing streak that led to Jepson's departure. Gray will be joined at the Moat Ground by his long-time assistant Pete Dunn.

The new manager faces the significant challenge of revitalizing the club's on-field performance after three seasons of difficulties, a challenge he has enthusiastically embraced.

Speaking on his appointment, Gray said: "I'm delighted and honoured to become the first team manager at this great club. While recent years have been challenging, I can assure you that my staff, the players, and I will work tirelessly to stabilize and improve our on-field performance.

"We look forward to working with Gresley's excellent Junior section and our, U18, and Reserve sides, supporting their development. I'm equally enthusiastic about engaging with our thriving women's and girls' program, and I'm committed to supporting their continued growth and success.

He added " I can’t wait to get started and I hope everyone associated with the club will join us in driving the club forward in the coming seasons.
"I'm excited to meet the volunteers, coaches from all sections, and of course the clubs incredible supporters in the coming weeks as we begin this new journey together."

Club Chairman Gary Norton commented on the appointment: "I'd like to thank Vice Chairman Stuart Bonser for managing the recruitment process, which allowed me to focus entirely on securing our league status. Given the critical importance of this appointment, we departed from our traditional approach of using a small selection committee and instead involved all available board members in the decision-making process. Following a comprehensive interview process with several exceptional candidates, the board reached a unanimous decision that Andy was the right person to lead the club forward."

He added: "In the interest of transparency and maintaining the strong relationship between our clubs, I want to emphasize that Andy had already made the decision to step down from his position at Ashby Ivanhoe prior to his interview. This decision was made independently and regardless of the outcome of his application with us. While Andy's reasons for leaving Ashby are private, we feel it's important to clarify this point to avoid any misunderstandings that might affect the very good relationship we have with them."

"Andy's impressive track record at Ashby, particularly in developing a hardworking, energetic team culture, aligns perfectly with our vision for Gresley Rovers. We certainly witnessed these qualities firsthand during our final day encounter this season when they beat us convincingly. As fate would have it, thankfully that defeat didn't end up sending us down - that could have made for quite an awkward start!"

Vice Chairman Stuart Bonser outlined the club's broader vision: "Gresley Rovers stands at a crucial crossroads. Andy's appointment represents a key step in our strategy to rebuild the club's on-field performance sustainably. This aligns with our off-field initiatives, including our transition to a Community Interest Company (CIC) structure and plans to enhance our facilities across all teams."

He concluded: "While we acknowledge the challenges facing clubs at our level, we're confident that our approach of building solid foundations, both on and off the pitch, will create a sustainable future for Gresley Rovers."