St Ives Pair Handed New Roles

Saints academy bosses take Cooks reins.

Craig Adams and Lloyd Groves, Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central club St Ives Town`s head coach and assistant coach at their academy, have been appointed as the new management team at Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division side Cogenhoe United.

Adams, who is an UEFA A Licence coach, will be supported in his roll by Lloyd Groves, a UEFA B coach and assistant coach at the St Ives academy, who will move to Compton Park as assistant manager.

Adams stepped aside as assistant manager of St Ives in July 2020 to concentrate on his academy role.

He originally joined the Saints in the summer of 2018 from league rivals Biggleswade Town where he enjoyed a successful two years as assistant manager to Chris Nunn.

A former player with West Bromwich Albion, Northampton Town, Dunstable Town, King`s Lynn, Rugby Town and Leicester United before having to quit playing early due to injury, he went on to manage United Counties League Premier Division side Wellingborough Town as well as at Southern League outfit Bedford Town, and as a coach and assistant-manager at Rugby Town and Biggleswade as well as having a spell as coach of Peterborough United`s under-16s.

He achieved his UEFA A licence and also took over the running of St Ives`s successful academy in July 2019.

Groves, who is expected to sign playing forms with the Cogenhoe, having been on the books at Isthmian League Division One North outfit Soham Town Rangers this season and was a regular in the Greens` side until lockdown.

Groves re-joined Soham at the start of the 2018/19 season, initially on dual registration from St Ives.

He previously played for the Greens during the 2016/17 season, scoring a late winner on the final day of the season as the club escaped relegation.

He also played for Newmarket Town and Great Shelford.

Adams and Groves will be looking after first-team affairs at Compton Park with an emphasis on developing the club`s young players that have been nurtured through its youth system and its future `Pathway of Development`.

Cogenhoe chairman Nigel Wagstaff told the club`s website: “Craig is an outstanding candidate and someone I have known from my coaching days at Northampton Town Football Club. We wish them both success as they guide the club through the next transition period of its future development”.

St Ives Town Web Site