Sam
Collier will again lead Bassett, having taken over the position in January 2018.
Collier
is Bassett's longest-serving manager since Dave Turner and will reach his fifth
anniversary in charge midway through the upcoming season.
He
will have a new face alongside him in the dug-out with Alan Griffin taking over
the role of assistant manager.
Griffin
featured for Bassett as a player in 2021-22, scoring 16 goals in 32 appearances,
while also offering valuable leadership as one of the most senior and
experienced members of the squad.
Having
spent most of his playing career in the Southern League, Griffin knows what it
takes to perform at a high level.
He
also brings management and coaching experience, having served as Malmesbury
Victoria player-manager in their 2015/16 Wiltshire League promotion-winning
campaign.
Griffin
replaces Matt Bulman, who has served as Collier's loyal assistant for each of
the past three seasons and has recently taken the decision to stand down.
Tom
Jones, who has served in a coaching capacity since the 2020/21 campaign, has
also moved on in pursuit of a new challenge.
Meanwhile,
Collier and Griffin will also receive support from Mark Simpkins, who has been
promoted from his role as development team coach to that of head coach.
In
his position, Simpkins will have responsibilities covering the first and development
teams as well as the under-18 Floodlit side.
A
former Bassett captain, Simpkins played a valuable role in the dugout and on
the training pitch with the development team in 2021/22, ultimately helping them
win the Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division title.
Together,
the trio will be tasked with guiding Bassett up in the table and to finally
achieve a top half finish in the Hellenic League Premier Division, while also
hopefully continuing the success the side have enjoyed in cup competitions over
the past two seasons, which has seen record-breaking runs in the FA Vase and FA
Cup as well as a Hellenic League Challenge Cup semi-final appearance.
Head
of Senior Section Paul Davis told https://rwbtfc.co.uk: "It's great
to be able to confirm that Sam has committed for another season.
"I'm
sure he'll be well supported by Griff, who showed his leadership qualities as a
player last season and will bring a fresh perspective to the management team.
"And
with Mark on board in his new role, he'll be able to offer additional support,
while also continuing to bring our men's and Under 18s teams closer together.
"We're
confident that we've got the right setup – and one that can help deliver success
next season". |