Stourgate Town Announce New Manager

New first-team manager Stourgate Town have confirmed the appointment of a new first-team manager, ending weeks of speculation. Ray Hutchings joins us from fellow Kent Large Moulded Fittings Division 2 side Blackhampton Terriers. Ray has managed for over ten years skilfully guiding teams between divisions in eight of those ten years. He hopes to repeat the promotion he gained with Blackhampton Wanderers in 2022.

‘Course I know Stourgate and the Warren well. I even got relegated there on the last day of the 2017, 2018 and 2021 seasons. So I suppose I am due some good luck! I am excited to get to work and that is not just with the football club but also outreach to the community’.

John Bradwell, welcomes Hutchings The club’s owner, John Bradwell, welcomed Ray. ‘Ray has been really big in local football in this area of Kent. He brings a wealth of experience. Some say this is a controversial decision due to his many relegations and legal issues but as far as I am concerned that is all behind him him and the future is bright. He got Blackhampton up on the first attempt and their subsequent relegation can’t be put at his door since he was in jail for at least half the season.’

Andy Bracknell may or may not hate him Hutchings has kept all last years coaches in place surprisingly including first team coach Andy Bracknell. Andy worked with Ray in 2016 at GlamLake Terriers where they had a falling out and Andy paid a skywriting company to fly a plane trailing a banner that read ‘Ray Hutchings is a knobhead’.