Aberystwyth Town appoint experienced Premier League manager Powell

Revered coach Neville Powell has been appointed manager of Aberystwyth Town, the club announced today.

Powell joins Aberystwyth Town nearly 12 months after leaving Bangor City last summer as Andy Legg took over the Citizens.

A highly regarded manager with legendary status at Nantporth, he won one Welsh Premier League title and three consecutive Welsh Cups as the Citizens’ boss. He also claimed five WPL Manager of the Month Awards and two WPL Manager of the Year Awards in 2010 and 2011.

Neville becomes Aberystwyth’s third manager in 12 months, following the departures of Matthew Bishop and Tony Pennock.

He started his playing career with Tranmere Rovers as a commanding midfielder, making the move to Bangor’s then Farrar Road home in 1984. Spending the next eight years at Bangor, he featured in some of the club’s greatest European games against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and Norway’s Fredrikstad.

He managed Connah’s Quay Nomads from 1995 to 2007, returning to head up the Citizens until his departure in 2016.

The appointment of heavily experienced Powell will come as a boost to Aberystwyth, who have failed to reach the top six for the past two seasons and narrowly avoided relegation with a 10th place finish in 2017.

After Matthew Bishop’s side struggled to survive in the Welsh Premier during the 2016/17, ex Newport County goalkeeper Tony Pennock was appointed in May but left the club within a month after being offered a first team coach role at Championship side Hull City.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Aberystwyth chairman Donald Kane said:

“Nev’s Stature within Welsh Football, his experience within the League, and the extensive contacts he has within the game marked him out as an outstanding candidate for the job, and as a Club we are delighted to have recruited him as First Team Manager.

“Nev and Assistant Manager Wayne Jones have already had extensive discussions with regards to preparations for next season and both look forward to working with each other, starting this week.”

Subject to availability, Powell will make his managerial debut at Aberystywth’s Park Avenue on Saturday 15 July when they host Llanelli Town in a pre-season friendly.

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