Halesowen Appoint New Number Two

Experienced help for Paul Smith at The Grove.

Pitching In Southern Football League Division One Central club Halesowen Town have announced the appointment of Martin Sockett as their new assistant manager, replacing John Snape, who is leading an engineering project abroad for twelve months.

Sockett, who was featured in the `Focus On` series on this website Click to visit Southern League web site is one who can be correctly described as being `well-travelled` as both a player and in management and coaching!

He was most recently involved in the Southern League as assistant manager to one of his former players, Guy Hadland, at Premier Division Central club Barwell where he was appointed in December 2018 to help Hadland in his first managerial post.

As a teenager, Sockett had trials with Bristol Rovers and Arsenal before moving into the non-League game.

He is well known for his sheer enthusiasm for football and his wide-spanning network and knowledge of the Southern League.

After a long, and much-travelled career as a player, he embarked on an equally long spell in coaching and management.

He had no less than four spells with Rugby, both as VS and as Rugby Town as a manager, assistant or coach.

In between his spells at Butlin Road, Martin had management experience with the likes of Coleshill Town, Kenilworth Town, Bedworth United, Stratford Town, Brackley Town, Racing Club Warwick, Rushall Olympic, Bromsgrove Sporting, Daventry Town and Leicester Nirvana.

Manager Paul Smith told https://www.ht-fc.co.uk: “I’m delighted Martin is joining the club. I’ve worked with him for a number of years previously. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and most importantly he is someone I can trust. He will come in now and work alongside myself and the coaching staff, he will then take on the full role once John Snape leaves us at the end of May.’’

Sockett added: “I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to work again with Paul, having had successful times working with him previously at Bromsgrove and Redditch. He is one of, if not the best managers around. We have had a great working and personal relationship for a number of years. Added to that the opportunity to work together at such a great club as Halesowen is unbelievably exciting, and with the momentum which has already been created over the last two seasons.

“I hope I can bring my experience and knowledge to add to what has already been created, to get the club back in the upper echelons of non-league football where they belong”.

Halesowen Town Web Site