The Managers - Division One South

Meet the men in the dug-out.

AFC TOTTON

Glenn Howes

Appointed manager of the Stags in April 2020.

Howes joined the Stags from neighbours Blackfield & Langley after they decided to drop down two levels.

Howes was appointed as the Watersiders boss at the age of 31 in May 2015, taking over from the vastly experienced John Robson when the club had just finished fifth in the Sydenhams Football League (Wessex) Premier.

He was a highly rated midfielder with Eastleigh, Basingstoke Town, Newport IoW and Gosport Borough. But his career was cruelly cut short in distressing circumstances in 2013 when, playing for Poole Town, he fell victim of a nasty challenge against Merthyr Tydfil at Penydarren Park.

Following a number of consultations with specialists, Howes discovered he had ruptured medial and posterior cruciate ligaments, damaged cartilage and fractured the knee joint.

After taking over at Blackfield & Langley, he led the team to back-to-back promotions from the Wessex League in 2017 to the Southern Premier Division in 2019 and was involved in several cup finals.

BARNSTAPLE TOWN

Dean Edwards

Edwards (right) was appointed manager of Barnstaple in late September 2019.

He took over from Aaron Harper-Penman following the Barum legend’s decision to quit.

As a player, Edwards was a forward who started out at Shrewsbury Town and made 13 appearances for the senior side and scored 2 goals before spending two years in Finland with Kuopion Palloseura and then Vaasan Palloseura.

In 1983 he returned to England and had a successful spell in the Conference with Telford United, where he scored 24 goals in 54 games, before earning a dream move to home-town club Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1985.

He spent two years with Wolves and played 31 times, netting 10 goals, before moving to the West Country for the first time with Exeter City.

He played 54 times for the Grecians with 17 goals and moved down the A380 to Torquay United, then managed by former Spurs legend Cyril Knowles.

Edwards played 116 times and scored 30 goals for the Gulls before returning briefly to Exeter in December 1991.

Short spells with Northampton Town, Maltese side Sliema Wanderers and Hong Kong Rangers followed before embarking on his managerial career.

Edwards managed neighbouring Bideford in the Toolstation Western League from 1996 to 1998 and was in the dug-out at then-Northern Premier League Premier Division side Hednesford Town from 2008 to 2009.

In between, the now 58-year-old was also player-manager at both Pelsall Villa and Willenhall Town.

In the summer of 2015, he was appointed as director of football at Torquay United after leading a takeover consortium of local businesses.

He resigned days after the exit of manager Paul Cox a few months later in September 2015.

BASINGSTOKE TOWN

Dan Brownlie

In September 2019, Brownlie finally got his “dream job” as Basingstoke manager after serving the previous three bosses as their number two.

Brownlie succeeded Martin Kuhl having worked under him, Jason Bristow and Terry Brown as number two.

Brownlie previously managed Hartley Wintney where he enjoyed great success.

A former Reading youth team player, Brownlie spent nine seasons with Hartley Wintney as a player, coach and joint-manager, enjoying back-to-back promotions from the Sydenhams Football League (Wessex) Premier to the Southern Premier Division.

BIDEFORD AFC

Sean Joyce

A former League professional, who played for Cambridge United, Doncaster Rovers, Exeter City; Torquay United and then non-League football with Elmore and Taunton Town.

He made 200 League appearances and took over as Bideford manager during the 1998/99 season.

Bideford were at that time a struggling Western League Premier Division side and, since then, he has taken the club from success to success during his 16 years as manager, gaining promotion to the Southern League South & West and then up to the Southern League Premier.

BRISTOL MANOR FARM

Lee Lashenko

The start of the 2013/14 season saw the beginning of a new era at Bristol Manor Farm when Lee Lashenko took over the manager’s job.

Fresh from winning the Western League title with Bishop’s Sutton, who weren`t able to take their promotion place, Lashenko quickly made an impact with Manor Farm.

His first season saw the club finish second in the Western League but 2016/17 saw the club finally secure that elusive promotion to the Southern League in emphatic style, amassing 102 points and scoring over 100 goals on the way to being crowned as Western League champions.

Manor Farm`s first season at Step 4 level saw them finish in a respectable ninth place but they dropped to a fifteenth-place finish in 2018/19 and were in that same spot last term before the campaign was declared null and void due to the coronavirus.

CINDERFORD TOWN

Stephen Cleal

One of the newer managerial incumbents in the division, having joined the Foresters in July.

Cleal, known to most as `Sooty`, was previously in charge of Hellenic League Premier Division side Bishops Cleeve where he was first-team manager for six years.

A former player with Cleeve as well as EFC Cheltenham, Cleal managed Gloucestershire Senior League outfit FC Barometrics from 2009 until 2014 having played for them before.

CIRENCESTER TOWN

John Brough

Brough (left) was appointed to the manager`s role at the Corinium Stadium in December 2019.

Brough started his career with Notts County but failed to make the first team at Meadow Park.

His Football League debut came with Shrewsbury Town, for whom he totalled 16 games and one goal.

The centre-back then had spells with Telford United and then Hereford United, for whom he played 112 times, scoring 7 goals.

Cheltenham Town was his next port of call in 1998 and he stayed until 2004, making over 150 appearances with 6 goals.

He then turned out for Aldershot Town and Newport County before joining Bishop's Cleeve, where he was player-manager before taking up coaching at Cheltenham.

He went on to manage Cinderford Town, Lydney Town and North Leigh, who he left in May 2018.

EVESHAM UNITED

Neil Hunt

Hunt was born and bred in Evesham but spent several years on the books of Cheltenham Town before injury curtailed his career.

The 49-year-old stepped up from running Evesham's youth team to take on the first team job following the departure of Carl Abbott in March 2020.

Hunt previously managed Pershore Town, Stourport Swifts and Malvern Town and had an earlier stint with Evesham as assistant manager under Paul West and was also number two to Matt Gardiner at Redditch United in 2010.

FROME TOWN

Danny Greaves

In April 2020, Greaves signed a new two-year extension to his contract which will keep him with Frome until the end of the 2021/22 season.

That was reward for helping produce a new approach and style of play full of passing football and attacking flair to win football matches and also entertain supporters.

He was appointed Frome boss in May 2018 after a hugely successful two years with Bradford Town, where he guided the Trowbridge Road outfit to their two consecutive highest finishes in the Western League Premier Division, as well as an extended run in the FA Vase in 2017/18.

A former goalkeeper in his playing days, he started out at Bristol Rovers and also played for Forest Green Rovers as well as Mangotsfield United, Clevedon Town, Cirencester Town, Bridgwater Town and Frome.

After totalling more than 400 appearances in his playing career he had a spell as assistant manager at Bristol Manor Farm before joining Bradford.

HIGHWORTH TOWN

Ross Adams

LARKHALL ATHLETIC

Phil Bater

At 65, Bater (right) is one of the more senior and experienced managers in the league and one who has twice taken charge of Bristol Rovers on a caretaker basis.

He enjoyed a fine playing career, which took in over 220 games for Bristol Rovers where he started his playing days in 1974.

He moved to Wrexham in 1981 and added 73 games to his tally before re-joining The Gas, adding another 100-plus games to his tally with them.

A season with Brentford preceded a two-year spell with Cardiff City, for whom he appeared 76 times.

He won two Wales under-21 international caps and many though he was unfortunate not to have been capped at full international level.

He has been a successful manager and coach at a number of clubs, notably Bristol Rovers, Mangotsfield United, and Clevedon Town.

He joined the Larks as first team manager in January 2017, amazingly replacing his son Geraint!

MANGOTSFIELD UNITED

Glyn Ashton

Ashton was appointed as first team manager in February 2020 following the sudden departure of Ollie Price.

Ashton had been managing the Mangos` youth team and was left with only a handful of senior players to see the 2019/20 season out with, relying on his under-18 players to make up the squad.

MELKSHAM TOWN

Richard Fey

Fey was appointed as manager of Melksham in May 2019.

He switched from former league rivals Street after they had decided to drop down a level to return to the Western League.

Richard, a former goalkeeper like his father, respected ex-Clevedon Town manager Steve Fey, was on Bristol Rovers books as a youngster before playing for the likes of Bristol Manor Farm, Mangotsfield United, Bitton, Chippenham Town, Bridgwater Town, Paulton Rovers, Frome Town, Bath City, Gloucester City and Clevedon Town in non-League football.

He managed Bridgwater, taking them to a respectable tenth and twelfth place in the Southern League South & West Division - their highest two positions for eight years - and was previously assistant manager at Chippenham. Before that he was in charge at Western League side Bitton for two and half years and was runners-up two years in succession.

He went on to take charge of Paulton Rovers and Street – leading the latter to win the Western League Premier Division and finishing eighth in their first season in the Southern League.

MONEYFIELDS

Dave Carter

Former Horndean boss Carter guided Moneyfields into the Southern League from the Wessex League for the first time in their history as runners-up in 2016.

In 2018/19, Moneys made the play-offs after narrowly missing out on a berth in their first season following promotion.

In October 2019, Carter actually resigned as Moneys boss but had a change of heart a month later and swiftly returned to the helm.

PAULTON ROVERS

John Rendell

Rendell was a goalkeeper in his playing days and started his career as a professional at Cardiff City.

He went on to play for Paulton Rovers where he was involved in the 2004 promotion season into the Southern League and then gained promotion in similar fashion with Bitton and has also had spells with Cinderford Town, Mangotsfield United and Yate Town.

He re-joined Paulton as manager in June 2017 after being on the coaching staff at Yate.

SHOLING

Dave Diaper

Diaper (left) joined the Boatmen as manager in 1999 from B.A.T.

A former Southampton schools and Hampshire representative player, Diaper`s former clubs include Cadnam, BHC (IoW), Pirelli General, AC Delco, Otterbourne & Netley Vics.

Now with over 1,100 games as manager under his belt for the Boatmen, with eleven major honours, capped with the FA Vase victory at Wembley in 2014.

SLIMBRIDGE

Lee Driver-Dickerson

Was appointed as the Swans manager in the summer of 2018.

After a hugely successful spell at Gloucestershire County League club Frampton United, Driver-Dickerson joined the Swans as assistant manager in July 2017.

When local boy Driver-Dickerson took over at Frampton 11 years ago, they were in the Stroud League, but he oversaw three successive promotions between 2010 and 2012 as they went up from both divisions of the Northern Senior League at the first attempt.

There were also several charity cup triumphs along the way.

After starting out as a youngster with Frampton, the midfielder's playing days took in spells with Shortwood United and Tuffley Rovers, but his playing career was cut short by a knee injury.

THATCHAM TOWN

Jamie Leacock

Leacock (right) was appointed as Thatcham`s manager in May 2020 following the departure of Danny Robinson and several key players to Vanarama National League South neighbours Hungerford Town.

As a player, Leacock started out in the Crystal Palace academy and went on to enjoy a fourteen-year career in non-League football that took in clubs such as Kingstonian, AFC Newbury, Burnham, Thatcham and Hungerford Town.

He coached at Reading and then Thatcham before being part of the Hungerford team that got promoted up into the National League South working as the assistant to Bobby Wilkinson.

When Wilkinson left the club for Wealdstone in 2017, Leacock went across with him where they reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy in their first season and also led the Stones to the National League play-offs.

Having left Wealdstone in 2019, Leacock then sought the opportunity to try and become a number one and was approached to take over at Northwood, who had a disastrous start to the Isthmian League South Central season and were bottom of the table.

After a string of wins initially and jumping off the foot of the table, the side went into a difficult period around Christmas and whilst still outside the relegation zone, the club decided to part with Leacock.

WILLAND ROVERS

Russell Jee

Jee had a long and successful playing career before turning his attention to management.

He played for Exeter City, Tiverton Town and Bideford in the past. He took over as manager at Willand in 2016 and has had incredible success ever since.

His knowledge of the league and local football is second to none.

In the 2018/19 season Jee led the club to a historic quarter final of the FA Vase, the Les Phillip Cup final and promotion from the Western League Premier Division as champions into the Southern League.

WINCHESTER CITY

Craig Davis

Davis joined the Citizens initially as a player from Fleet Town after relinquishing his position as player-manager with them.

He took over as City`s interim manager until the end of the 2016/17 season before taking over the reins permanently.

His playing career started off as a professional at Cardiff City before spells at Bashley, Salisbury, Gosport Borough and AFC Totton.

He has won both the Southern League South & West and Premier as a player.

He has had several opportunities to move on from City, including an opportunity at a higher level, but he has shown his commitment and loyalty to the club.