New boss set promotion target

The director of football at West Midlands Regional Premier Division outfit Stone Old Alleynians last season, Askey succeeded Scott Dundas at the Lyme Valley Stadium a day before his predecessor's appointment as the new manager of EVO-STIK NPL First Division South rivals Chasetown on Tuesday.

Appointed last season as the successor to his brother-in-law Ivan Lodge, Dundas guided Castle to a seventh placed finish in April before standing down earlier this month.

Askey, the brother of Macclesfield Town manager John Askey, is being tipped to take the club up by general manager Geoff Eccleston who was delighted to make an early appointment in order to give their new manager the best chance of shaping his squad.

Eccleston told stokesentinel.co.uk: “We are happy Bob has accepted the job. Now he has plenty of time over the next couple of months to get a squad together, although I don't anticipate too many players leaving.

"It's was disappointing we didn't quite make the play-offs this season. We were so close for the best part of the season but then didn't finish too well. Hopefully Bob can come in and put together a squad capable of making another push for the play-offs."

Stone Old Alleynians also wished Askey well after his departure, posting on Twitter: "Congratulations to Bob Askey on his new role at @NewcastleTownFC He's done a hell of a lot for this club and we wish him the best."

Images courtesy of Twitter

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