Derek Forrest and Tony Fawcett have been unveiled as the new joint-managers of Northern League Whitley Bay.
The duo were named as the new management team at Hillheads Park on Thursday night after Nathan Haslam stood down on Monday to join Whitby Town as a first-team coach.
Fawcett left Ryton & Crawcrook Albion after three years at the helm to team up with Forrest at The Seahorses. Like his opposite, he's already been working with the Northern League Division One club's Whitley Bay Juniors.
Forrest, a football development officer with the youth section, had been assistant manager at Newcastle Benfield before the season was suspended and subsequently abandoned.
We are pleased to announce that Derek Forrest and Tony Fawcett have been appointed joint managers of Whitley Bay FC following the departure of Nathan Haslam on Monday. The club has acted quickly to make the new appointments…..
— Whitley Bay FC (@WhitleyBayFC) April 23, 2020
Vastly experienced, he's also worked for more than at decade at Newcastle United Academy, Tyne Met College and Newcastle United Foundation. During a spell at Northumbria University, he helped take Team Northumbria into the Northern League's First Division.
Whitley Bay chairman Paul McIlduff told the club's website: “Both are dedicated, experienced managers in the Northern League, with tremendous skill sets, which the board believe will complement each other. They are aware of the values of Whitley Bay FC, both being involved in coaching at the club.”
Whitley fan Fawcett told club's website: “I'm really excited about this job, I've known Derek for a long time, we get on really well together and it was a no-brainer to accept the job. We'd like to build on what Nathan has put in place over the last year. He's started to build a really exciting young team and we want to continue with that.
“There are a lot of good players here and I can't wait to get working with them. We're both involved in the Junior teams and I think continuing to build a pathway from the juniors through to the seniors is massively important.
“I think the youngsters will see that with their coaches becoming managers of the first team. I'm quite a stickler for preparation and I often use YouTube to research opposition players. I've been a Whitley fan for a long time and I've been watching the videos that you've been putting on from the big Vase games.”
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Images courtesy of @WhitleyBayFC/Twitter
