New Gloucester City boss Marc Richards will see a familiar face in the opposition dugout when his club host Weston-super-Mare in National League South tomorrow.

That’s because the Somerset club are these days managed by Marc McGregor, who, like Richards, is a former Tewkesbury School pupil.

“I didn’t know him that well at school because he was two or three years older than me, but I do remember him being a good player,” said 36-year-old Richards, who is also assistant director of elite sport at Hartpury College.

“I’ve got to know Macca quite well over the past two or three years because quite a few of our students have played for him at Weston. He’s also done some coaching badges at Hartpury so we’ve become good mates.”

So has Richards, who still lives in Tewkesbury, heard from McGregor this week in the build-up to the game at Evesham United’s Jubilee Stadium?

“Oh yes,” laughed Richards, “he’s been after me for tickets!”

The two never played together back in the day even though both played for a number of clubs in and around the area.

“We must have played against each other though,” said Richards, a central midfielder or centre-half. “I can’t quite remember any games against him. He was a striker but I don’t remember him scoring a hat-trick against me or anything like that.”

One goal would satisfy Richards tomorrow providing it’s for Gloucester and Weston draw a blank.

It will be Richards’ fourth game in charge following the departure of Tim Harris at the end of November.

After a defeat and a draw in his first two games, he notched his first win with a morale-boosting 3-0 win at lowly Oxford City on New Year’s Day.

Another win tomorrow would put further daylight between 17th-placed Gloucester and the clubs at the bottom of the table, but that won’t be easy against McGregor’s in-form men, who will be well rested after their game at home to Bath City on Monday was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

McGregor, who was appointed manager of Weston at the start of the season, has guided them into the top half of the table on the back of an improved run of form since mid-October.