Marc Nash ready to go as Blyth Spartans appointment confirmed

Northern Premier League East Division strugglers Blyth Spartans have confirmed interim manager Marc Nash has been handed a permanent role at Croft Park.

The former Whitley Bay, North Shields and Newcastle Blue star boss took interim charge of the Croft Park club following the departure of Colin Myers last week and was in the dugout for a hard-earned draw at North Ferriby on Saturday afternoon.

Nash brings experience of life in Step 4 after he guided North Shields into that level as Northern League champions in 2022 and led the Robins to a more than credible seventh-placed finish in their first season in the East Division.

However, Nash, assistant manager Anthony Woodhouse and trusted club medic Graeme Scott left the club after they were relegated back into the Northern League over a ground grading issue.

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Progress

The trio have spent the last two years in charge of Northern League club Newcastle Blue Star and came close to taking them into Step 4 last season when they suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat in their Northern League Division One play-off final with Blyth Town.

After leaving the Tyneside-based club last month, Nash has made a quickfire return to the dugout and will now aim to guide Spartans away from the bottom end of the East Division table and avoid a third consecutive relegation.

The NLP understands two other candidates were interviewed for the role this week – but it is Nash that was chosen as the man to take the club forward and his permanent reign got underway with a narrow home game against Brighouse Town on Saturday.

Nash is relishing the opportunity he has been handed – but stressed his full focus is on ensuring his side are ready to get their “heads down and graft” as his reign gets underway.

Focus

He told the club website: “It feels good, I’ve had a little taste of it in the last week, I’ve been impressed with the things that I have put in place and the help and support that has been provided.

“The focus is to continue the work that has been briefly started, and it’s all about getting our heads down and grafting.”

Chairman Kevin Miles added: “We’re delighted to welcome Marc into the permanent position here.

“We’re very grateful for what he’s done standing in for the short-term, but also for the work that’s been done in the academy, which means we have cemented an even further pathway for young players coming through into the first team.

“We have every confidence in Mark and his team’s ability to tackle the tricky situation that the club is facing in terms of the league table, but there’s only one direction of travel.”

International

Meanwhile, Spartans have also confirmed Paddy McClafferty and Jeremy Perera have been included in the Gibraltar squad for their upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifying double-header against Montenegro and

Young midfielder Jesse Gomez (pictured) has also received an international call-up as he takes his place in the Gibraltar U21s squad for their European Championship qualifiers with their Scotland and Azerbaijan counterparts.