Caretakers win succession race at Autoworld

Dave Rushbury and Martin Foster have been handed the managerial reins at EVO-STIK Northern Premier League Matlock Town.

The caretakers were named by the Gladiators on Wednesday night as the successors to the departed Mark Atkins. His six year tenure at the Premier Division club ended earlier this month following a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Halesowen Town.

Since taking charge, the duo have guided the Gladiators to three wins, a draw and two defeats in six games played. Ironically, the pair, pictured, travel to the West Midlands on Saturday to take on the Yeltz in the FA Trophy in their first outing as permanent joint managers.

Foster is Matlock's most senior player and was appointed on his 37th birthday while on holiday in Scotland. The midfielder has been at the club for two seasons having spent most of his earlier career in the Conference with the likes of Forest Green Rovers, Halifax, Oxford United and Tamworth.

Rushbury, 58, made over 400 Football League appearances in a playing career that included spells at West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday before moving into management as Chesterfield boss and director of football at Alfreton Town. He is currently a sports lecturer at Chesterfield College and arrived in the summer to replace Mick Cunningham as physio.

In a statement confirming the duo’s appointment at the Autoworld Arena, chairman Tom Wright said: "We've had a good set of candidates but Dave and Martin interviewed very well and have made an excellent impression so far. There seems to be a real buzz in the camp and we hope everyone will give them their full support in achieving the priority of moving up the league."

Rusbury said: "We're very pleased and very happy and are accepting the job on the premise that we will move forward as a club and get out of the relegation zone. We also look forward to developing the players we have throughout the club and that excites us.

"In the short term we need to consolidate towards mid table and then we need to maintain that for the rest of the season and then move forward next season. We've inherited a good bunch of players and that's a tremendous credit to the previous regime.

"Moving forward, we want to stamp our own philosophy and identity on the club and we hope that the players take on board what we tell them so for them it's a case of either sink or swim. Hopefully, it'll be swim for they've been fantastic for us so far."

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