(2010) Gary Bickerstaffe > Lee Riley > Iain Dyson > Jimmy McBride > Lloyd Morrison > Gary Bickerstaffe > Ian Granite > Ian Price > Alan Gillespie and Nick Matthews > Alan Gillespie > Lee Jenkinson > Dave Platt (2019)

Gary Bickerstaffe was appointed in March 2009 and was in charge at the start of the new decade. His team secured the club’s safety with some ease recording six victories from the final eight games of the 2008-09 season. Bickerstaffe’s fine form as manager continued throughout 2009-10 with early success in the FA Cup and a League Cup semi-final spot and the thoughts of relegation put aside very early in the campaign, eventually finishing in 9th place in the NWCFL top flight. Gary stepped down at the end of the season and his last game in charge saw Town record a 2-4 away win at Padiham on the 5th May 2010 – goals from Pitts, Evans, Fargher and Hanley

Lee Riley stepped up from assistant manager following Gary Bickerstaffe departure at the end of the 2009-10 season. Town’s first competitive match under Lee sees Town lose 1-2 away at Alsager Town on the opening day of the 2010-11 season (07/08/2010). Town’s heaviest away defeat of the decade came at New Mills (9-0) on the 12th March 2011 and Lee left the managerial hot-seat a short time later. Club captain Iain Dyson took over the reigns until the end of the season. Despite an awful finish to the campaign, which saw only 2 wins and 2 draws from 15 league games, Town finished in 16th place on 47 points, some twenty points clear of the relegation zone.

Stalwart Jimmy McBride re-joined the club for a second spell as manager after almost a decade's absence at the start of the 2011-12 season; bringing with him Andy Clough as his assistant and backroom staff including ever popular Keith Plumpton. The campaign started well with three wins and a draw from the opening four games – 3-2 at home to Ramsbottom United; 0-0 away at Atherton LR; 1-2 away at Colne and 3-1 at home to AFC Liverpool. However, Town only recorded one win in their next fifteen fixtures and a total of six league victories all season. Jim parted company with Town following a season which started with so much promise but ended with Town second bottom and only saved from relegation following he demise of Flixton FC.

The summer of 2012 proved to be an unusual one for Town who had parted company with Jimmy McBride at the end of the previous season and undertaken an extensive recruitment process which saw former Flixton boss Lloyd Morrison accept the Town hot-seat. Unfortunately a disagreement regarding where the club’s summer training should be based saw Morrison step down after just five days ‘in charge’. The club acted swiftly and appointed former player and manager Gary Bickerstaffe but he too had second thoughts and just a few days later indicated his intention not to take up the role.

Ian Granite eventually became manager following success with neighbours Wigan Robin Park FC and was joined by former Town player Stephen Edwards who became Assistant Manager. The pair started off in fine fashion with league wins away at Colne (1-2) and at home to AFC Liverpool (2-1). A challenging 2012-13 season saw Town eventually steer clear of relegation, unbeaten in their final five league games including wins over Norton United (3-1) and Stone Dominoes (1-0). In doing so maintaining their unique 30 year stay in the North West Counties Football League top division.

Despite an excellent start to the 2013-14 season which included 8 wins and 7 draws from his final 20 league games in charge Ian Granite stepped down at the end of November due to business and family commitments. Town decided on another internal promotion and highly rated coach Ian Price took over the managerial reigns and 17th place with 43 points was achieved at the end of the 2013-14 season. The 2014-15 season was another tough one for Town and proved disastrous culminating in relegation despite finishing third bottom. Town had given themselves hope with a 2-0 home win over Maine Road in the penultimate game of the season and needing to win the final game to avoid the drop took a first half lead against Silsden at Brocstedes Park. The visitors equalised late in the second and the game finished 1-1 and Town’s fate was confirmed. Ian Price had already informed the club of his intention to step down.

At the start of 2015-16 season U21s boss Alan Gillespie and Ian Price’s long-time assistant Nick Matthews were promoted to the joint Manager’s position. The season once again started well as Town looked to bounce back at the first time of asking. Three wins in the opening three league games (1-3 away at Chadderton, 4-1 at home to Atherton LR and3-1 a home to Irlam) and a great end to the season which saw 11 wins and 2 draws from 19 games to finish in 7th place on 55 points.

October 2016 saw Nick Matthews step down from his joint managerial role and in the absence of Alan Gillespie who was in America, club captain Andy Gillespie and coach Lee Jenkinson took temporary charge of team affairs. Alan Gillespie returned and with Jenkinson as his assistant the club finished comfortably in mid-table with 56 points from 42 games.

Two weeks prior to the start of the 2017-18 season Alan resigned from the manager’s post due to business and family commitments and Lee Jenkinson took charge with Nick Robinson as his assistant. A poor start to the season saw just a solitary draw from seven opening fixtures before recording a 0-3 away win at FC Oswestry Town and a mini-revival including three successive wins against Daisy Hill (3-4), Chadderton (3-1) and Holker Old Boys (1-2). The run proved short lived and Town battled for the remainder of the campaign to stay out of the relegation spots, eventually finishing 20th (from 22).

Lee remained in charge for the 2018-19 season which started and finished well with two opening wins Lower Breck (1-2) and Atherton LR (3-0) and two draws (Bacup Borough and AFC Darwen both 2-2) from the opening four league games while at the back end of the season Town won three of their final six outings with maximum points versus AFC Blackpool (3-2), Atherton LR (0-3) and Carlisle City (4-5).

The final season of the decade saw a change in management as Lee Jenkinson stepped down in September 2019; almost immediately taking up the co-manager role with neighbours Pilkington FC. Town appointed Dave Platt to the Town hot seat; Dave having previously been manager of the club’s Open Age Sunday team before taking over the Reserve team in the Cheshire League. His managerial debut proved to be a fairy tale one as Town recorded an 8-3 home victory over AFC Darwen in the PlayerMatch.com Cup and the decade ended with Town’s 1500th NWCF League fixture and a 4-2 home win v Chadderton.

The ten years of the 2010s have flown by and the club would like to thank all the managers and back room staff for their tireless efforts during their time with the club. It is often a thankless task at this level with little recognition of the endless hours put in and even fewer financial resources.

John McKiernan