Otford United appoint Paul McDonagh as their new manager while Jamie Knight and Mike Cunningham remain at the club

OTFORD UNITED chairman Stuart Cunningham has last night appointed Paul McDonagh as their new manager.

Joint-managers Jamie Knight and Mike Cunningham both stepped down from the role but will remain at Otford Recreation Ground as players.

The club are in the bottom three in the Kent County League Premier Division table, having picked up two wins, one draws and 14 defeats in the eleventh-tier of English football.

The club are level on seven points with Ten-Em-Bee, while Bromley based Bromleians are rooted to the foot of the table on five games.  Ten-Em-Bee (Ian Wright’s first club) have played a couple more games than the pair.

“I would like to thank both Jamie and Mike for all their hard work in the last few seasons,” said chairman Cunningham.

“Taking over the team when we needed their support the most, guiding us through a tricky period of transition and rejuvenating the first team squad with many new players, but now we look forward to working with the new manager, taking the club to where we should be, competing for trophies and making the team competitive again.

“Jamie and Mike will always be club legends and I look forward to seeing them back on the pitch, enjoying their football again and competing for their positions.”

On appointing former Ide Hill boss as new manager, Cunningham added: “I’m delighted to welcome Paul McDonagh to Otford United Football Club.

“Paul brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the club, of which we will no doubt benefit from, immediately in the interim, in helping to rebuild, creating pathways for the junior members of the club into men’s action and then onwards into seasons beyond this.

“Paul and I go back over 20 years, of which during this time I’ve always been impressed with his ideas, tactics and drive for success.

“I wish Paul all the best in his new role and, as a club, we are right behind his decisions to help improve Otford United from the minis, through to juniors and seniors.”

The O’s host eleventh-placed Peckham Town on Saturday (14:45) at Otford Recreation Ground on the High Street on a winless run of eight games.

Knight and Mike Cunningham’s final game in charge of the side was a 6-0 derby defeat away to Ide Hill at the weekend.

McDonagh has worked at clubs including Dartford, Sevenoaks Town, Rusthall and Maidstone United in various coaching roles.