Market Drayton Town announced a sweeping shake-up on and off the field yesterday in a dramatic move to arrest the club’s sudden plunge into crisis after the shock resignation of yet another manager, Matt Burton.
They now have a new chairman and vice-chairman, a new manager - their fourth in two months - and on the field welcome two new players.
This is how the comings-and-goings ended up after an emergency meeting of the club’s committee on Wednesday night:
l Julian Parton, a prime-mover in forming the club eight years ago, returns to the chairman’s job he vacated to Alex Mutch, who steps down after steering Town to an historic Midland Alliance double last season.
l Stuart Holloway, who joined the committee at the start of the season, takes on the new post of club vice chairman, adding to duties he has already picked up as programme editor and team coach driver.
l Andy Pryce, the club’s captain and one of their longest-serving players, becomes manager for the rest of the season, with Mick Murphy continuing as first team coach.
lAshley Burd and David Andrewatha, signed from Bridgnorth to strengthen a squad weakened by the loss of six players to a variety of clubs in the last two months.
Both Burd and Andrewatha go into the Town squad for tomorrow’s derby visit to Greenfields of UniBond League South form team Kidsgrove.
New manager Pryce, in his first interview, told the Advertiser his appointment was designed to bring about some much-needed stability.
He said: “I’ve taken the job of manager to the end of the season to help add some stability to the set-up.
“Since Simon Line left for Hednesford we’ve had nothing but change.”
Burton’s shock resignation, after just three weeks at the helm, was handed in after training on Tuesday night and was forced by business commitments.
He said: “I just couldn’t give them the time they deserved.
The more I looked at it, the more I realised it would never get any better for a manager at that level of football so I thought the fairest thing to do was to go quickly, rather than stay and not able to justify my position.”
