Auchinleck Talbot legend Gordon Pope has been appointed as Whitletts Victoria manager.
The former Beechwood Park left-back replaces George Grierson as the Ayr side bid to win promotion from West of Scotland League (WoSFL) Conference A.
The 32-year-old played for Tommy Sloan's side for nine years, winning the Scottish Junior Cup on four occasions before he hung up his boots in 2020. Since then, he has been coaching Talbot’s Under-20s side in the Lowland Development League.
The former Ayr United defender, who also had spells with Dundee United and Montrose in his youth, will take charge of the side after this weekend's match, with Raymond Buchanan in the hot seat for Saturday’s match at Lugar Boswell Thistle.
The new boss told the club's website: “Whitletts are a club that has everything in place to grow and be successful.
"They have a very good side with some talented players and our immediate goal must be to secure our place in the WoSFL First Division next season. That will provide a base for us to grow and develop as a team and a club.
“There is also a good structure for young players to develop. Whitletts is a team that has always given young players a chance to progress and that will still be the case. Having been the manager at Auchinleck under-20s this season, I know just how vital that is for young players to showcase their talents.
“I’m delighted to have been offered the position and this is the ideal job for me in my first managerial role. I am ambitious for the team to be successful and believe with hard work we can achieve that goal.“
Vics chief John Dalton reckons that Pope is the ideal person to take the club forward.
He said: “I would like to thank all the applicants for the manager's job. There was a strong calibre of candidate, all with their own attributes and some with previous managerial experience at this level but Gordon’s application stood our for the committee. It was clear that he is a winner.
"He proved that in his playing career and is now looking to take that into his career as a manager.
"His knowledge of the game, having played at the highest level of Junior football and his own personal ambitions to be successful made him the ideal person for the position.”
“He is a young, ambitious man with a good knowledge of the local football scene and we look forward to working with him to take the club forward to the next level.“
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