Welcome aboard: Handsworth Parramore joint chairman Pete Whitehead (centre) welcomes Peter Duffield (left) and Mick Godber (right)
Peter Duffield ticked all the boxes required to be the new Handsworth Parramore chief, club development manager Steve Holmes has said.
Duffield and his assistant Mick Godber were unveiled as Russ Eagle’s permanent replacement at 10am this morning – 12 hours after the pair watched their new side draw 2-2 at Shaw Lane Aquaforce.
Former Football League striker Duffield has had a great deal of success as a manager since his first posting at Retford United in 2007.
He guided them from the Toolstation Northern Counties East League to the Evo Stik Premier Division in three years.
His most recent success was talking Belper Town into the same Division last season before leaving last month and Holmes said that Handsworth joint chairman Pete Whitehead had picked a quality candidate.
“Peter Duffield joins us and he brings a great track record at this level and the level above and as an ambitious club that is what we are after,” Holmes told Non League Yorkshire.
“We want someone who knows the league above inside out and can take us through there and guide us as the club that way.
“He had 17 years as a pro, but in 2006 he joined Retford as a player and then took over manager where he was the NCEL with them along with cups.
“He moved onto Belper and he had three great years which ended with a play-offs promotion.
“He has pedigree, he’s got contacts and he has a great right-hand man in Micky Godber.
“Micky played for Handsworth in our first season in the NCEL and he is well connected around the Sheffield area.
“We’re hoping they will keep everything together and keep it moving.
“Where we haven’t got results, turn them draws into wins whether that is through signings or using the same players with different systems, shape.”
Eagle was relieved of duties on Saturday, a few hours before the 4-0 win over Garforth Town.
James Cotterill took charge as he did as well last night as chairman Mr Whitehead waited for the right man to come along.
Holmes explained how the appointment was made and added that Duffield was always the number one choice.
“Pete made the decision about Russ which was very difficult,” he said.
“Pete, as he always does, has done everything absolutely correctly because he doesn’t do anything behind anyone’s back.
“He waited for calls to come in and it is a very unique way. You will have noticed that our website never said there was a job for grabs.
“Pete wants people to say ‘look at me, I’ll have a go at it’.
“The name he had in his head lit up on his phone at quarter past eight on Saturday night after the Garforth game and it was plain-sailing from there because he was the man he wanted.”
Duffield will meet the players for the first time at a meeting and training session tomorrow night at Oliver’s Mount before taking charge of Saturday’s Premier Division game at Armthorpe Welfare.
There will be an announcement about Duffield’s full back-room staff later this week.