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Long-serving Wayne Baker steps down as manager of Cheltenham League club Newton

North Gloucestershire > Sport > Football

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Thursday, 21st November 2019, 12:40

Wayne Baker Wayne Baker

Wayne Baker, who for so many years has been ‘Mr Newton Football Club’, is taking a step back from the Cheltenham League side.

The long-time player, player/manager and manager – he has been with the club for 23 years – has given up his position as manager of the Division One team for personal reasons.

Andy Smith, who has been assisting Baker this season, has been in charge for the past three games and the players were told officially this week that Baker has stood down.

He hasn’t cut his ties with the completely, though, because he remains president of the club and chairman Ian Nelder-Morgan hopes he will still have a big role to play.

“Without Wayne’s dedication over the years, I don’t think we’d have survived for as long as we have,” said Nelder-Morgan. “When he started we were in Division Five and he’s got us all the way up to the top division.

“We’ve had a couple of relegations along the way but he’s always bounced us back up.

“He was quite a strict manager, he liked things being done his way but he was respected by all the players. Everyone who came across him in football respected him, he’s a good man.”

And he was still playing football last season.

“He played four games when we were short,” continued Nelder-Morgan, “he’d always do anything to help out the club. I can’t imagine him not being on the touchline at games.

“I’ve been at the club for five years and up until the last few weeks he’d hardly ever missed a game, I think I can remember him missing one.”

Andy Smith, who was assistant manager at Windyridge Rovers last season, will take charge officially for the first time on Saturday when Newton travel to Southside Star for a Division One game.

Newton have lost their opening five league games and prop up the division but Southside Star have also made a slow start having picked up just four points from their first six games.

Southside are 12th in the 14-strong division, two places above Newton.

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