Former Taunton Town and Truro City boss Leigh Robinson will be back on the touchlines of the BetVictor Southern League on Saturday as the new manager of Dorchester Town.
The title-winning former Peacocks boss, pictured, was unveiled on Friday as the successor to Callum Brooks after he stood down at the start of December with his side second bottom and four points from safety.
Former Fulham and Queens Park Rangers defender Robbie Herrera will be alongside him when the Magpies kick off at rock-bottom Beaconsfield Town as the Dorset club’s first team coach and head of development.
After overseeing four games and taking two points as caretaket manager, ex-first-team coach Jody Rivers announced his exit on Twitter earlier on Friday morning with the Magpies still second bottom and heading into a relegation six-pointer this weekend.
Robinson kicked off his managerial career at Wellington before guiding Taunton to three successive play-off campaigns in the Southern League Division One South and West and eventual promotion at the fourth time of asking during a six year stay.
Robinson also entered the record books while leading the Peacocks to title glory as they recorded the only unbeaten away record in the UK while scoring 100 points and losing just one game all season.
UEFA A coaching licence Herrera made more than over 100 appearances for both Fulham and his hometown club Torquay United before spells at Merthyr Tydfil, Taunton Town and Bideford.
After two years as Gulls assistant manager, he joined Plymouth Argyle’s academy in March 2018 as a lead coach.
The Magpies announced the appointments of Robinson and Herrera at The Avenue Stadium in a statement on the club’s website and Twitter feed.
?? | Dorchester Town Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of @leighrobbo08 as our new First Team Manager and Robbie Herrera as our new First Team Coach and Head of Development
?? https://t.co/5WdHCboqft
Welcome Leigh and Robbie!#WeAreDorch ???? pic.twitter.com/ltqIvrLo5I
— Dorchester Town FC (@DorchTownFC) January 3, 2020
Robinson told fans: “Really pleased to be given the opportunity to manage this football club with all its history, fantastic setup and obvious potential.
“Clearly this season hasn’t gone as well as anyone at the club would have liked and no question about it we have a relegation scrap on our hands, but there are still points to play for and a couple of wins changes everything in football in terms of the energy, momentum and confidence.
“There is obviously a lot of work to do on the footballing side as the squad needs more numbers as well as improving and this is something we have to address urgently.
“That said, there are still plenty of good players here and the team does have goals in it so there is something to work with. We basically need to look at this as a 4-month season in isolation, try and forget what’s gone before, scrap for our lives during this period, get the fans onside and see where that takes us.”
Images courtesy of @DorchTownFC/Twitter
