Ryhope CW appoint new joint-manager

Ryhope CW (red/white) v Crook Town (light blue) at Ryhope Recreation Ground.

The former Blyth Spartans midfielder has stepped up from his role as assistant manager to work in a joint-manager role alongside Gary Pearson.

In a further adjustment to the club’s management structure, veteran defender Carl Jones will form part of a new-look management team after he was named as a player-coach.

McCabe already has senior management experience after spending time in charge of Ryhope’s Division One rivals Seaham Red Star and he believes his promotion to joint-manager will bring “continuity and consistency” to the club.

He told The Echo: “It’s just a case of carrying on as we were really and there are no real changes.

“Gary (Pearson) is working away a lot in his new job so it just made sense to have someone working even more closely with him.

“I am delighted to have taken on the role and I think it will bring some continuity and consistency to our setup.

“Carl Jones stepping up as a senior player to a player-coach is ideal too because he is in the latter stages of his career and he is probably looking to move into coaching or management in the near future.

“So it’s an ideal opportunity for both of us really.”

Ryhope currently sit in the bottom half of the Division One table after a season of inconsistency.

But as McCabe and Jones prepare to take on their new roles within the club, a run of five consecutive home games lies in wait.

A trio of league games against Thornaby, Whitley Bay and title-chasing Hebburn Town is followed by a Mitre Sports Brooks Mileson League Cup Second Round tie against Newton Aycliffe.

And the quintet of Recreations Ground fixtures is rounded off with a game against Penrith on the first day of February.

McCabe admitted that the club have overachieved this season – but challenged his players to make the most of their run of home games over the next two weeks.

“I think we are massively underachieving if I am honest.

“For the squad we have, we are clearly not in position we thought we would and should be.

“We have a run of home games and over the next three, we are targeting at least seven points so we can start looking up the table.”