New assistant manager at Cheltenham Town Women

Cheltenham Town Women have appointed former Stourbridge manager Mike Harris as their new assistant manager for the 2024/25 season.

Harris expressed his delight at joining the backroom staff of manager Tom Davies, with pre-season and the new campaign fast approaching.

“I’m excited to get involved with the squad," Harris said. "I know they’ve done some extra work off the pitch and I'll hopefully be getting involved myself in the next few weeks.

“It’ll be nice to get back into that routine, getting the squad together and hoping to achieve our goals for the season.”

Harris joins the club after a successful stint at Stourbridge, which saw a season in the third tier, which included staying up in the Women’s National League Division North, in their first season at the level.

“It was a great experience, quite different to Cheltenham's season," he said. "At Stourbridge we were seen as relegation favourites, and we exceeded expectations by staying up.

“Cheltenham cemented their place as stalwarts of the league (seventh place finish) and I’m excited to be able to contribute to that journey this season, while hoping to challenge at the higher end of the league.”

Harris also added what he looks for in a good group of players: “Consistency, hard work, and ambition.

"I want to see that every day in training. I want us to be difficult to play against. I’m looking forward to building with a club that’s already got great structure.”

Harris also had years of experience alongside manager Davies and he is pleased to be working with a former friend and colleague once again.

“We’ve worked together for a number of years at Stoke City and the University of Worcester," he said.

"We had great success and we complement each other, so I hope that success continues this season."