Sidmouth Town’s new manager, Richard Pears, is very excited about what he has discovered at Manstone Lane since his appointment which was announced earlier in the week.

The new man in charge cut his teeth in football as a youngster at Exeter City during the managerial reign at the Grecians of World Cup winner Alan Ball.

He went on to play 60 times for the Grecians before moving into non-league football where he played, with distinction, for the likes of Tiverton Town and Willand Rovers.

The new man in charge at Manstone Lane says: “I have been overwhelmed by the response I have had from all areas of the club. Sidmouth Town have been ‘on my football radar’ for some time as I knew they were recognised as a well-run family club with some very genuine folk at the heart of the everyday running of the club and, with them having four teams, there is a real conveyor belt of footballing talent at the club.”

He continued: “I have been so impressed with the responses I have got in my initial chats with everyone from the playing side and I am keen to get the message across that Sidmouth Town, under my stewardship, will be run as one team. All four of the senior sides will train together and I shall be having a weekly conference call with the other three senior team managers. I am keen to continue to foster the ‘one club’ philosophy and am very excited about the future.”

Last season saw Pears managing at Barnstaple Town, but he left the North Devon team earlier this year. He says of that experience: “It was tough. I had always harboured an ambition to coach and manage at that Southern League level, but it did not work out as I had hoped and I was very keen that the Barum experience would not be my last association with the game of football – a sport I love with a passion.”

He continued: “I am reinvigorated once more and seriously energised by my initial discussions with the folk at Sidmouth Town who I am pretty sure I am going to enjoy a long and fruitful relationship with.”

The new Town boss has moved quickly to appoint Kevin Tooze and Gary Carpenter to his coaching team.

He has also wasted little time in snapping up the sort of experienced players he feels will blend well with the younger players currently on the books at Manstone Lane.

Pears says: “Both Kevin and Gary are lads I respect highly and they will have a big part to play in our management team.

“I am also delighted that both Danny and Ben Clay have signed, as has Chris Duchenski, while we have also signed Russell Coombs and Robbie Powell.”

He adds: “We feel the experience we have brought in will blend really well with the undoubted quality youngsters we already have at the club.”

The players will report back for pre-season training on Friday, July 6, and a busy pre-season fixture list will see Town meet Wellington, Chard, Bridgwater Town and Feniton and they will also have a day out to Cornwall with a warm-up game at Newquay.