Kevin Wilson is confirmed as Banbury United FC’s new first team manager. Kevin, 62, met the players and coaching staff ahead of tonight’s National League North home fixture against Darlington and will take his first match in charge away at Chester on Saturday.

He said: “I’m delighted to come back to my roots at Banbury United and manage the Club at this point in its history. The time is right. I love this club.”

Kevin is Banbury born and bred. He first joined the Club aged 17, entering the first team in 1978/79 where he made 45 appearances and scored 13 goals. It secured him a Club record £25,000 transfer to Football League club Derby County. Kevin enjoyed a long career playing for Ipswich Town, Chelsea, Notts County, Walsall and Northampton Town, amassing 740 appearances and 207 goals. He was capped 42 times for Northern Ireland, scoring six goals.

He entered management with Northampton Town where he achieved promotion to League Two in 2000. He went onto manage clubs including Bedford Town, Aylesbury United, Kettering Town and Ilkeston Town. Kevin managed Nuneaton Town from May 2015 to November 2016 before becoming a director of the Sportz Connexions football agency.

Kevin added: “I have been asked to come in, with the short-term goal of ensuring that Banbury United stays in the Vanarama National League North.

“The club is entering a very exciting phase, with an impending ground move that requires significant funds to be raised – we simply must stay in this league. From what we saw on Saturday, we have the talent on board to achieve this. I’ll have a different management style for sure, but I do not plan to make any rush decisions with the squad.”

Kevin’s return to Banbury United fulfils his passionate desire to develop football in the town, for the first team and for the youth of the town.

“Longer term, I’m keen that Banbury United improves the pathway to professional football for local youngsters,” he said. “Banbury served me well as a teenager and I would like to give something back to the promising talent of the town.”

Ronnie Johnson, Chairman of Banbury United FC, said: “I think I speak on behalf of Banbury past and present by expressing our pleasure at the appointment of Kevin Wilson as manager of Banbury United Football Club. Kevin’s homecoming is something of a fairy tale story for one of the Club’s greatest ever players and we see in him the right experience and character to work with our squad, ensuring we remain playing football at this level and putting in the groundwork for a competitive 24/25 season. Welcome back home, Kevin!"

For an in-depth look at Kevin’s former career, please see David Shadbolt’s article, here.