Glossop appoint new manager

Glossop North End have announced Stuart Mellish as the new first team manager.

The 51-year-old replaces Peter Band, who left the Amdec Forklift Stadium to become the assistant boss at Macclesfield FC.

Mellish joins the club with a wealth of experience, having previously guided Warrington Town to the title four years ago, before taking the Yellows to an eighth place finish in the Premier Division the following season. He also enjoyed cup success, winning the Challenge Cup after beating Farsley Celtic in the final, whilst also impressing on a national stage after beating Exeter City in the first round of the FA Cup.

In his first interview with the club, this is what Mellish had to say to Glossop North End TV:

Following his appointment, this is what Chairman Dave Atkinson said to the club's website: “With almost 20 applicants and with the news from the FA regarding the Step 4 division realignment, we agreed that we would not rush an appointment to ensure we selected the right candidate and that they had time to ensure Glossop’s division position was right for them. We are determined to keep the club moving in the right direction and to keep growing on what Pete Band started and feel that the experience and know-how of Stuart is the best way to ensure that we retain our NPL Pitching in status. Fortunately, there are no games until pre-season, so the new manager will have the chance to assess the current squad and make their plans for the new season.”

Mellish most recently managed Clitheroe, although his brief tenure came to an end after 10 games.

Mellish is eager to begin working on the team and ‘push them further up the pyramid’.

“I’m going to work hard to get a team together and play some good attacking football. The fans are going to be a 12th man here, without a shadow of a doubt, so we need all the fans on board. Get behind the lads because they are going to work hard and be successful,” he says.

Mellish has also made clear the style of football that he wants to impose at the club, speaking on how ‘good attacking football’ is the approach he will take.

“I like to play forward, put the ball forward quickly and play in their half of the pitch. We need to be as solid as we can defensively but still focus on attacking football and getting the fans excited,” he says.

Over the last few seasons, Glossop North End have struggled to keep clean sheets in the league, seeing them place 16th in the Northern South East 2020/21 season. Taking this on board, Mellish has driven forward with his plans to turn this around.

“People say goals win games, but they don’t, goals change games. If you score 3 goals and conceive 4 then the goals don’t win you the game.

“Clean sheets win you games and clean sheets keep you in games because you’re always going to get a chance in games, no matter what level you’re playing at.

“So, we’re going to try and keep it tight at the back and concede as many as we can but with the attacking football, hopefully we can score some goals as well.”

Making his mark on the team at time when the season would normally have concluded, the new Glossop manager will have tough decisions and challenges to push himself through as he formulates his squad ready to play later in the year.

“I’ve got a lot of time to speak to players but on the flipside of that it can be a bit of a hindrance as it also gives other clubs longer to speak to your players and tap into them,” he says.

But aside from this, Stuart is rearing to go with work at the club and cannot wait to reignite the atmosphere upheld by the fans. Fans and players alike are now eagerly awaiting the start of the next season, in which we will see if it’s Glossop North End’s time to shine.

Picture taken from Glossop North End