The former Bristol Rovers boss is set to return to management – five months after the League One fallout
Former Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke will return to a managerial position with one of their League One rivals.
The 45-year-old has been unemployed since being sacked by Port Vale in mid-April and is biding his time before returning to the dugout.
A report from Gloucestershire Live claims that Cheltenham Town are set to appoint Clarke as their new manager. The news could come today and the appointment is expected to be made public in the next 24 hours ahead of the Robins’ League One clash with Lincoln City this weekend.
He was interviewed by the Cheltenham board earlier this week, and with his appointment imminent, it is unclear whether he will go straight to the dugout or watch from the stands at Sincil Bank. Clarke’s appointment comes after former Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill turned down the chance to return to Cheltenham after leaving Shrewsbury Town in the summer.
Cotterill took the job out of respect for former player Wade Elliott, who he managed at Bristol City and Birmingham City.
As for what Clarke is committing, Cheltenham are bottom of the table with just one point from nine games and they are yet to score a goal this season.
A goal was scored against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy, but it was an own goal by James Gibbons so their players have yet to score a goal themselves.
Clarke’s appointment will see him reunite with experienced midfielder Liam Sercombe after the pair worked together during their time at the Mem. Clarke brought him to Rovers in the summer of 2017, and then the 33-year-old went on to play under him, Graham Coughlan and Ben Garner.
Clarke’s return to the Memorial Stadium will come on Saturday, December 9, befor the reverse fixture at Whaddon Road on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
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The Robins are currently being led on an interim basis by Kevin Russell after parting ways with Wade Elliott.
Celtic icon Scott Brown and Barnsley coach Martin Devaney were among the bookies favourites to take on the role, but Gloucestershire Live understand Clarke is being given the job.
Clarke has been without a club since April, when a miserable run of results cost him his job at Port Vale.
He was previously in charge of Walsall, who he joined after spells in charge of Salisbury City and Bristol Rovers.
A thorough interview process is said to have taken place this week, with Clarke emerging as the preferred candidate.
If he is indeed unveiled as Elliott’s successor, he will face the daunting task of lifting Cheltenham off the bottom of the League One table.
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Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton has hinted a potential formation change to accomodate new signing Chris Martin.
Martin joins the club after a short spell as a free agent, following his departure from Queens Park Rangers, where the striker scored four times in 16 matches for the Championship side.
Since the transfer deadline day drama at the Mem where the Gas narrowly missed out on the signature of Peterborough United striker Johnson Clarke-Harris, it has since left a huge amount of responsbility for number nine John Marquis to lead the line for the club.
“We were quite vocal about signing another striker before the window closed”, said Barton to BBC Radio Bristol on Having a Gas.
“Not only did we not sign another striker, we ended up losing Ryan Loft in the midst of that and we were light anyway.”
Martin joins the club with a vast amount of experience, including a three year spell at arch rivals Bristol City, where the 34-year old scored 17 times in 95 apperances for the Robins.
The ex Scottish international will be hoping to prove his worth at Rovers under his new manager.
“We knew Chris was on the market and he had ambition of playing a little bit higher up the pyramid”, said Barton.
“He’s wanted to come in, he’s been here for the last couple of weeks, he’s trained with us, he’s really settled in the group.”
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