The appointment of Mario Spanjic as the new manager of Ottery St Mary Ladies will bring a new wealth of experience to the club.
The Otterettes have been a major success story over recent years and the arrival of Spanjic speaks volumes for the ambition of Ottery.
Participation levels in the ladies game are going up all the time and the depth of opportunity at Ottery is a major plus.
“I stepped back from running the ladies last year and Andrew Braddick came in as interim manager while he was injured,” said Ottery chairman Mikey Ringer.
“Mario comes to the club as a highly qualified coach. He has spent time with Exeter City Ladies and also involved with the Exeter youth development programme.
“He has a massive background in the female game and we felt that was right for Ottery St Mary.
“It is a fresh face from outside of the club. Mario still works with Exeter City and will share that responsibility with his role as our ladies’ manager.
“He has coaching licenses from the United States and with the FA. He has experience in nurturing talent and has the ability to push players forward.
“The ladies game is a different beast to the men’s game and women’s football has come on massively in recent years.
“There are a lot of things happening in grassroots football for the female game and I’m still not sure there is always the joined up thinking from the FA, as a lot of money is poured into the top level and perhaps forgotten at grassroots.
“The positive side is that far more girls are both playing and watching football.
“Ottery St Mary has grown to now run a senior team and three junior sides. We have a waiting list for girls wanting to play football, which is fantastic.
“It is noticeable that more girls are watching football on a Saturday and it’s great to see. Girls are interested in football and it has absolutely come from the success of the national team.
“If we can get more female football on the telly in prime time, that growth will continue.”