Holwell Sports FC are pleased to announce that ANDY GRAY has been appointed as First Team Manager with immediate effect and will be in charge for Saturday's away fixture at Anstey Nomads.

Andy joins Holwell with just under half the season left and the team languishing in the bottom three in the East Midlands Counties League.

Andy who lives in Barwell, Leicestershire comes with a strong pedigree in local football having played for nearly twenty years at step 7 to step 5 level in the Leicestershire area. Former playing clubs include: Barwell FC, United Collieries, Earl Shilton Albion FC and Heather St. John’s FC.

Andy started his managerial career in 1999, managing Downes FC and Ibstock Welfare in the Leicestershire Senior League where his charges, reached Quarter Finals of the Rolleston Cup, Semi-finals of the Beacon Bitter (League) Cup and reached the Final of the Leicestershire Senior Cup.

In 2007 he moved up in the FA league pyramid system to manage Heather St John’s in the Mid Comb Premier, finishing sixth in the first year and fifth in 2008.

Consolidation in that league followed with further success, as the club went on to flourish with an improved finish of runners up in the Premier Division in 2010 along with winning the Endsleigh Insurance Challenge Cup, the Leicestershire Senior Cup and the Tony Alden Memorial Trophy.

In 2010-2011. Heather St Johns also won the Mid Comb Premier Division and the Leicestershire Senior Cup.

Standing down on a high at that point Andy has gone on since to become something of a fire fighter for various clubs in the county along with stints at Coalville Town as 1st team Assistant Manager 2015-2016, joining Ashby Ivanhoe who finished 3rd in East Midlands Counties League. (Highest ever finish in the clubs history).

In 2016-2017 Andy continued with Ashby for half a season before joining Shepshed Dynamo in the Midland Football Premier as Assistant Manager.

Holwell Sports FC Chairman Graham Lewin stated that the Club is clearly delighted to land a Manager with such a wealth of experience in local football and is sure that the future of Holwell is now in secure hands ready to move onwards and upwards in the coming seasons.

The Chairman went on to give appreciation and thanks on behalf of Holwell Sports FC to Ryan Peacock and Graham Wells who have looked after team business since previous manager John Webster left saying that both had acquitted themselves extremely well in the interim period and their help and assistance in stepping in has helped stabilise the club.