Pitchero Non League

Andrew Jones

....to return to management following his appointment this week.

Last season Jones served as Bath City's director of football, a campaign that ended with relegation from the Blue Square Bet Premier. His previous managerial stint was with Evo-Stik League Southern Division South & West side Paulton Rovers, where he led them to the runners-up spot in the table and oversaw a famous FA Cup First Round tie with Norwich City.

Although initially unsure about reverting to a managerial role, Jones was overwhelmed by Shepton's aims and ambitions when the club contacted him a month ago.

"Management was not necessarily something I was looking to get back into but I met with chairman John Hugill and the board and was so impressed by what they had to say," he said.

"I'm a firm believer in having your house in order before you fill it. Everything is in place off the field. The pitch and facilities are first-class and that is a big thing for me.

"I couldn't think of anything more frustrating than being successful on the pitch but then being let down by limitations off it.

"They are ambitious to do well, they want to try and aim for Southern League football. They want to be a big town club and hopefully I can help them do that.

"I'm not worried about the step down in level because to me it doesn't matter if you are Premier League or Sunday league, you go out there to do your best.

"They first contacted me about a month ago. I agreed to meet with them but told them not to expect any commitments. When we sat down, though, I was blown away by what they had to say.

"Every question I asked they had the answers to and when I said I'd want to run things at the level I am used to they were totally behind me."

"I played for Shepton when I was 16, my dad is Shepton through and through, and I've always played against the likes of John and secretary Gary Banfield.

"I had offers from other teams, including some at a higher level, but after meeting the guys here this is where I wanted to be."

Despite pre-season still being several weeks away, Jones has already spoken to the squad and revealed he is hopeful of bringing in a host of quality acquisitions over the summer.

"I've not met the players but I have spoken to them. They are all invited to come back with us for pre-season but there are no guarantees that they'll be playing next season," said Jones.

"We have to be honest because they finished fourth from bottom last season. Maybe some of the players weren't good enough.

"The club have given me a fair budget and I've obviously got a lot of contacts from my time in the game. I'll be speaking to guys I know, players who have been involved at a level above, and see if we can strengthen the squad."

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