Joyce Has A New Role as Biggleswade Clubs Come Together

Former Kempston boss in new post.

Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central club Biggleswade Town and neighbours Biggleswade United are joining forces with the appointment of a head of recruitment whose main brief will be to build stronger squads at both of the town’s clubs.

Tony Joyce joins the clubs after recently resigning as manager of Southern Division One Central side Kempston Rovers following a disappointing pre-season.

The 49-year-old took over as manager at Kempston in November 2018 following the resignations of Jimmy Stoyles and Gary Flinn.

He had been part of the Kempston coaching staff since 2016, joining after the club’s promotion to the Southern League.

His playing career saw him representing clubs such as Queens Park Rangers, Aldershot, Woking, Staines Town, Stevenage Borough, Boreham Wood, Wealdstone, Thame United and Buckingham Town.

Joyce began his managerial career as player-manager at Thame before a spell at Buckingham Town and then, in October 2009, Aylesbury United, where he earlier had three playing spells.

He eventually left Aylesbury some six years later in October 2015 and is the second longest-serving manager in the club`s history – with over 300 games in charge - and led them to promotion from the Spartan South Midlands League in 2013.

After stepping down from the Ducks` hot seat he joined Kempston`s backroom team.

He will start in his new post with immediate effect.

One of his first tasks will be to look to steady the ship at United after the departure of practically the whole of its first-team squad following the FA’s decision to move the club from the South Midland Spartan League into the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South.

In addition to looking to strengthen both first-team squads at Town and United he will also oversee a new collaboration that will see the clubs join together to form a joint under-23 side that will play under the Biggleswade United banner but comprise current players from both clubs.

United chairman Guillem Balague described it as a landmark day for both clubs. He said: “I have been talking to Town`s chairman Maurice Dorrington for some time now and I know that we had a lot of common ground, and this is a fantastic opportunity to show the town that we can work together.

“I have enjoyed my conversations with him and know that he is a football man through and through and I am delighted to be able to start up on this joint venture with him which will be good not just for both clubs but also for the town itself.”

Dorrington added: “We’ve had extensive conversations with Guillem about how we can work together to our mutual benefit, and we soon realised that working with somebody like Tony was the logical step for our two clubs.

“He has a wealth of experience at this level of football and with his help and expertise and between our two clubs we have the facilities and the infrastructure that can ensure that the people of Biggleswade can enjoy the best possible standard of football in the town”.

Biggleswade Town Web Site