Former Knaresborough Town assistant manager Paul Clayton has joined Harrogate Railway as first team coach under manager Mick O’Connell.
Clayton left Knaresborough after Paul Stansfield resigned to take up the post as Harrogate Town’s head of academy.
The pair had enjoyed a very successful time in the Manse Lane dugout having led to the club to the Toolstation NCEL Division One title in 2018.
Prior to his stint at Knaresborough, the highly-qualified Clayton, father of players Ben and Dan, served Thackley as assistant manager to Chris Reape.
That was an unqualified success as well as Reape and Clayton turned the club around and turned them into a very strong NCEL Premier Division side, despite low resources.
Their efforts saw Thackley finish fifth during the 2016/17 season – the club’s highest finish in years.
He also won praise for standing in as manager for a period of time when Reape was side-lined because of a major operation.
With Railway, Clayton will work alongside O’Connell and young assistant Josh Walsh as they aim to continue their revival as a club under the former jockey.
