Rhyl Football Club has announced that coach Matthew Jones will step up to the role of First Team Manager, after parting company with Niall McGuiness two months ago.
Jones replaces Mark Connolly who held the role on an interim basis, following McGuinness departure from Belle Vue.
The former Bala Town defender who joined the Lilywhites in the summer will remain as part of the management staff in the role of Director of Football, as well as continuing his playing commitments.
The experienced coach joined the club in June of last year as First Team Coach and is also employed by the Welsh Football Trust.
In a statement released on their official club website, Rhyl announced the appointment on late Tuesday evening.
“Rhyl FC have confirmed the appointment of Matthew Jones as First Team Manager for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. Matthew has been with Rhyl FC since the start of the 2016/17 in the role of 1st Team Coach.
Mark Connolly will continue as Director of Football at the club and will still be part of the first team management arrangements at Rhyl FC following his successful interim role.
The change in roles will allow Mark to devote more time to pursue coaching qualifications.”
Matthew Jones himself took to social media to describe his emotions after being appointed in his new role, with continuity the theme.
Delighted & proud to be part of such a fantastic club & look forward to continuing the great work with @ConnoMark, @brewi5 and the players⚽️
— Matthew Jones (@wxm_matt) January 2, 2018
Rhyl was relegated from the JD Welsh Premier League last season and had seen themselves eliminated from the JD Welsh Cup by lower league side Llandudno Albion, which prompted the club to look into a new direction.
Fortunes at Rhyl have changed under the tenure of Mark Connolly, who worked closely with newly appointed manager Matthew Jones, as he oversaw affairs whilst Connolly played. The move will allow Mark Connolly to further his coaching career by freeing time up for him to study his qualifications.
The Lilywhites now find themselves in third place in the Cymru Alliance, seven points behind league leaders Caernarfon Town, with one more game played than the Canaries.
Jones’ first game in his new official role will be at home at Belle Vue this coming Saturday, as Rhyl take on Porthmadog.
(Featured Image: Rhyl Football Club)
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