Hume installed to secure survival

Former Bradford Park Avenue assistant manager Mark Hume has been unveiled as the new manager of EVO-STIK Northern Premier League Matlock Town.

Hume, pictured, took charge at the Autoworld Arena 24 hours after the departures of joint managers Dave Rushbury and Martin Foster. The pair left by mutual consent on Wednesday with the Premier Division's Gladiators fourth from bottom and in a fight against relegation.

Doncaster-based Hume, 36, left the Horsfall Stadium in October after nearly five years as number two to manager John Deacey to pursue his own managerial ambitions. In 2009-10, the former no nonsense defender helped Deacey guide the club to promotion to Conference North via the EVO-STIK NPL's Premier Division play-offs.

As a player, Hume kicked off his career as trainee at Barnsley before moving on to Doncaster and Gateshead. He was also part of the Eastwood Town side that reached the third round of the FA Cup in 2008-09 and were Northern Premier League champions the same season. His other clubs include Alfreton Town, Barrow, Stalybridge Celtic, Buxton and Harrogate Town.

In a statement released by the Gladiators at lunchtime, officials said Hume hopes to confirm his backroom team before his first game in charge, Ashton United at home on Saturday.

Matlock's new manager is under no illusions about the tough task he faces but believes safety can be achieved over the second half of the campaign.

Hume said: "It's a tough job but it can be done. We can rescue this and get the club on a more even footing. I've a couple of players in mind already to bring in.

"I recognise it's been tough for the fans trying to support the team when things haven't been going well but they're still there.

"I want to give them a good team with good morale so they can see we're all in this together. I want to play attractive football so people enjoy it, I want to entertain, but also we've got to be hard to beat, especially at home."

Chairman Tom Wright welcomed Hume to the club and asked fans to give him their full support and pull together behind him.

Wright said: "We're delighted to bring Mark here, he's very enthusiastic and keen to get on with the job in hand. Hopefully it'll be a new dawn for the club.

"He has a tough job on his hands but he'll get the committee's full support as every manager has got, but we need everyone together pulling in the same direction."

He added: "It'd be nice to see a good crowd for the Ashton game on Saturday so we can hopefully crack on with improving our league position."

Rushbury and Foster were installed at the end of October after an initial six games in charge as caretakers following the resignation of Mark Atkins in the wake of the Derbyshire club's disappointing start to the campaign.

As temporary managers, they guided the club to three wins, a draw and two defeats. But after taking over on a permanent basis, results slumped with just one win in the league since and a meagre five points accrued in ten outings.

Image courtesy of www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

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