Bexhill appoint new joint managers

New Bexhill United Football Club joint managers Nigel Kane (right) and Ryan Light (left) with chairman Bill Harrison. Picture courtesy Mark Killy

Pirates chairman Bill Harrison confirmed their appointment yesterday (Saturday) after an almost month-long search for a successor to Marc Munday, who resigned at the end of the 2015/16 season.

Harrison said: “They’ve got good track records and I’m sure we will have a good season. I think they’ll give everyone a chance and I think they’re youth-minded as well, not that that’s the be all and end all, but there are some good young lads coming through.

“They won’t just be first team managers; they will be football club managers, which will mean the under-21s, under-18s, right the way through to the youngsters.”

Kane, originally from the Newcastle area, has the more managerial experience of the two. He led Hastings United to promotion from Ryman Football League Division One South via the play-offs in 2007 during his first spell in charge and kept the club in the same division during a four-month second stint at the helm last year.

Known for his attention to detail and fondness for statistics, Kane has also been head of football development and manager of the development squad (under-21s) at Hastings.

Light is widely regarded as a very good coach and most of his work at senior level has come in a coaching capacity at clubs such as St Leonards, Rye United, Eastbourne United AFC, Eastbourne Town and Hastings, whom he was with until the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Light did, however, enjoy a pretty successful stint as manager of Rye in 2004, leading them to a second place finish in Sussex County League Division One, as the league as then known, matching the highest finish in the club’s history.

Bexhill will again line up in Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One next season and will be aiming to improve on their fourth-from-bottom finish last term.

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