Heys
announced last week that they were ending the two-and-a-half-year reign of
Barnes as manager.
A
statement from the club read: "The club has decided that they wish to
pursue a different direction going forward in terms of looking to challenge at
the top end of the NW Counties Premier Division and seeking long-term
progression. It has not been an easy decision to part ways, Matt has worked
tirelessly in looking to bring success and strengthen the football and medical
operations of the club.
"We
would like to thank Matt for all his hard work and the contribution he has made
to the club, and we wish him well for the future.”
Barnes
joined the club in October 2019 as joint Manager with Jon Lyons. He then became
manager when Lyons stepped down on 10th December 2019.
When
the season was curtailed due to the COVID outbreak, Heys were seventh in the NWCL
Division One North and sixth when the 2020/21 campaign was curtailed after five
games.
In
an FA restructure Heys playing record over those two seasons saw them promoted
to the Premier Division for 2021/22 - the highest level at which the club has
played. They maintained that top-flight status with six matches to go whilst
enjoying a run to the last sixty-four of the Buildbase FA Vase.
The
appointment of O’Brien and Hampson marks a return to Adie Moran Park for both.
O’Brien
came to prominence as he emerged from Rob Evans’ successful youth sides of the
late nineties and early noughties which produced a whole host of players for
the club.
However,
O’Brien embarked on a successful career away from Heys, playing for AVRO, New
Mills, Droylsden and Stockport Town.
He
returned to the club for his final season as a player in the 2016/17 season as
Heys narrowly missed out on the promotion play offs in their first season back
in the North West Counties League.
Hampson
was also a member of that squad, his career having followed a similar path with
spells at AVRO, New Mills, Stockport, Droylsden and in Welsh football.
Both
then turned to management, returning to AVRO, where they won the Manchester
League Premier Division title and promotion to the NWCL in their first season.
As
AVRO moved to their new home at the Vestacre Stadium, their first season in the
Counties brought more success as they won promotion as runners up to Longridge
Town.
After
two Covid curtailed seasons, AVRO were fifth in the Premier Division when they
stepped down from their roles in January of this year.
Martin
Fallon
|