Workington manager Gavin Skelton moves north of the border

WORKINGTON have suffered a big blow with the news that manager Gavin Skelton is leaving to join Scottish side Queen of the South.

Skelton, 34, enjoyed a successful first season in management by guiding the Reds to the Evo-Stik NPL Premier play-offs.

However, his stay at the club is now over after he accepted an offer to join the Scottish Championship side as a player-assistant manager.

He teams up with Queen of the South manager James Fowler, who he played with at Kilmarnock, after the Scottish side finished fourth last season.

Fowler said: “Having made the step up to manager so quickly during last season, I wanted to take my time choosing an assistant, as I think it’s vital you find the right person.

“It has to be someone you trust and someone you know that you can rely on. Gavin and I were team-mates at Rugby Park and for me he fits that criteria.

“He was a model professional as a player and has an impressive record as a coach. He’s still young with fresh ideas and I believe he’ll prove to be a valuable member of my coaching team.”