Pitchero Non League

Andy Furnell

...club Soham Town Rangers and cannot wait to begin his new career at the club.

The 34-year-old striker said the opportunity to rejoin the club as player/manager was simply too good to turn down.

He will be assisted by long-time friend and former team-mate Andy Coleman and the pair are already drawing up plans for next season.

"I was probably going to move into management at some point and when the Soham job came up it was an easy decision to make," said Furnell.

"If I hadn’t taken the job it could have been four or five years before something like this came up again. There aren’t many clubs around where you have the chance to go into management at a reasonably good level."

The appointment of Furnell follows Ian Benjamin’s decision to stand down as first-team manager at the end of last season.

Having played for Benjamin for seven seasons, including the Greens’ successful 2008 campaign that saw them win the Ridgeons League Premier Division title, Furnell will take considerable influence from his former boss.

"Football is meant to be played on the ground, which is what Ian thought, and that’s what we’ll continue to try to do. Certain styles may change but the emphasis will be to get the ball down and play."

Furnell left Soham in July 2010 to rejoin Wisbech Town - a club he had previously played for following spells at Peterborough United and Stamford.

Over the next few weeks he and Coleman will be assessing the squad and talking to the players they want to retain as preparations for the 2011/12 campaign begin in earnest.

"We already know that we need to strengthen the squad," added Furnell. "Last season was a bit disappointing for Soham so we don’t want to be in the same boat. Andy Coleman has an idea of the sort of players we need so we’ll work on filling the positions we feel are a bit weak at the moment and go from there."

Soham chairman Colin Murfitt said: "Andy stood out as the obvious choice. He knows the club and he’s played here and he’s been loyal. Hopefully he will move the club on. Ian Benjamin did a first class job while he was here and we wish him all the best for the future, wherever he goes."

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