Trio all set for touchline debut

Reserve team boss David Hoole will be assisted by club skipper Adam Yates and top scorer Shaun Harrad, currently out of action following ankle surgery, when the Gladiators host Stourbridge at the DCJ Group Insurance Arena.

The trio have agreed to hold the fort until a successor or successors are found for former joint bosses Glenn Kirkwood and Craig Hopkins following their weekend exit by mutual consent. The Gladiators have also confirmed that coach Danny Cox, goalkeeping coach Adam Sollitt and sports therapist Mark Mullins have agreed to continue in their roles.

Matlock Town chairman Tom Wright urged fans to get behind the players and Hoole, whose second string have won many admirers this season for the style of football they've been playing, in a statement confirming their appointments.

Wright said: “We are delighted that David, Shaun and Adam have stepped in. All of our supporters will no doubt wish them the very best of luck and we hope that a big crowd can come down to the DCJ Group Arena and get behind the team against Stourbridge.”

The Gladiators formally launched the hunt to fill their vacant hot-seat at Causeway Lane on Monday following the departure of former Gladiators players Kirkwood and Hopkins on Sunday after nearly two years at the helm.

Officials at the EVO-STIK League Premier Division club have not set a deadline but are looking for a manager or joint team with touchline experience in the National League System. All applications, which should include a detailed CV, should be sent to both chairman Tom Wright at tom.116@hotmail.com and chief executive Keith Brown at keith61brown@yahoo.co.uk.

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