Selby Town Football Club have appointed a new manager, weeks after an up-and-down campaign ended in safety for another year, writes Martin Durrant.

Leon Sewell, 26, formerly of Hutton Cranswick in the Central Mid-west League has been appointed, with club goalkeeper Jody Barford taking up the position of player/assistant manager.

“It’s still sinking in that I’ve been appointed”, said Sewell.

“Myself and Jody are just looking forward to the new season and getting the ball rolling, so to speak.”

Tommy Arkley, club secretary, said the reasons behind appointing Sewell were not just about the footballing side of things.

“We are very glad to have appointed such a young and talented manager in Leon,” said Arkley.

“With the financial constraints at the club at the moment, we felt it was right to go with a younger manager.”

The appointment comes after a fluctuating season ended with the Robins finishing a disappointing 15th in the Northern Counties East League premier division.

Gary Paton had succeeded Mick Gray in the Robins hotseat towards the end of the campaign, but was unable to take up the role full-time due to the cost of travelling.

Successor Sewell is confident as he builds for next season.

“My main aim is to get the club back running as it should be,” he said. “I want to build a team which is a blend of experienced heads and exciting young local talent.”

Selby Town hold their first pre-season session on Saturday, June 25, at 11am, at Flaxley Road.