Jay calls it a day after 30 years as Crowland appoint new management team.

Crowland Under 15s with their new management team, Jay Vernalls (left centre), Charlie Head (right centre), Gavin Baxter (far left) and Gareth Purdy (far right).

Hanging up his boots after 30 years of playing and coaching, Crowland Under 15s manager Jay Vernalls has handed over the reins at his league winning side.

A well-known figure on the Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire grass roots football scene, Jay will be moving to the sidelines to watch the progress of the team as new manager Charlie Head takes up the role to kick start the new season.

Long-term assistant manager Gareth Purdy has also stepped away to welcome new assistant manager Gavin Baxter to the team.

Jay’s introduction to playing football began at the age of 10 – when he joined a local team in Whittlesey (where his dad ran a newsagents) and he cycled the 36-mile round trip from his home in Walton to play.

Having played locally for many years, and also spending a year in Surrey, it was Jay’s own son Harley that inadvertently led him into coaching.

Jay said: “Harley began playing for Glinton Under 5s and the parents were told ‘we need a manager’ – the rest is history.”

Having also coached at Peterborough Northern Star (alongside Gareth), the pair then moved to Crowland to run the Under 11s team, with the lads progressing to Division 3 winners at the end of last season as Under 14s league champions.

New manager Charlie’s eight years coaching experience to date began when he worked with a soccer skills school at Essex FA to whilst studying politics, history and sociology at college.

Having completed the relevant coaching qualifications, Charlie then went on to coach seven-to-13-year-olds before moving to East Thurrock Utd; with further experience in coaching Under 6’s and then Under 14’s in the Eastern Junior Alliance.

Charlie said: “After a break due to the pandemic, in June 2021 I moved to Crowland from Essex and was looking for a team to manage.”

A coaching stint with the Under 11s girls team then led to an opportunity with the now Under 15s boys.

Charlie added: “Jay and Gareth have done an amazing job with this team, which has enjoyed some great success – particularly at the end of last season.

“They are a great bunch of mature and hardworking lads, and I am really looking forward to coaching them in Division 2 – playing 11 a side and working with a technically higher-level group of players.”

Players and parents held a presentation for the outgoing management team at Ye Olde Abbey in Crowland, ongoing team sponsors.

And in another new signing for 2022/23, Peterborough-based Hughes Health Hub will also sponsor the team.