AFC Sudbury Announce New Managerial Appointment

AFC Sudbury have announced that Marc Abbott has been appointed as the new manager of the Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central new boys.

Abbott was appointed as manager of St Neots Town in February 2018.

The former Cambridge City midfielder had only been in management for 15 months, guiding Haverhill Rovers to safety in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division in 2017/18 as player boss before taking them into the top half the following term.

He stepped down from the Saints` post in December 2019.

The 37-year-old will hold the AFC Sudbury role alongside his full-time job as Cambridge United’s elite scholarship manager, where he heads up the education programme for 16-19-year-olds who have not yet won themselves professional contracts.

AFC Sudbury chairman Andrew Long told his club’s website: “Firstly our thanks to everyone who applied for this exciting opportunity to lead our first team into our three-year plan. We had an exceptional, and diverse, short list and a hard decision to make, but we are confident that Marc is the right manager at the right time.

“Marc’s experience with St Neots Town and his day job with Cambridge United are among numerous factors that we consider beneficial. Both help to shift our geographic scope towards the Southern Premier League’s region, thereby helping to address that aspect of the challenge we face.”

Head of football Danny Laws added: “Our plan is underpinned by the club’s ability to attract the most ambitious senior players in the area to play at this high level, supported by the pipeline of homemade talent coming through our academy into adult football. Given Marc’s easy rapport with Craig Power and his academy colleagues, plus his network of players attracted to prove their ability to compete and win at Step Three, I can think of few managers better qualified.”

Abbott said: “I am incredibly proud to be asked to join AFC Sudbury at this point in time when we have an exciting vision, realistic ambition and a solid plan to achieve it. I am looking forward to meeting all the volunteers and supporters at the heart of the club, and not least to my first pre-match interview with young Isaac who seems to epitomize the way that the club provides young talent with every opportunity to grow and shine”.