»Colly’s happy to be back at Cleeve,
RETURNING manager Paul Collicutt has appointed Steve Davies as player coach at Bishop’s Cleeve.
Forward Davies spent last season with the Mitres after previous spells in Gloucestershire with Forest Green Rovers, Gloucester City, Cirencester Town and Shortwood United.
The former Swansea City trainee has also been on the books of Mangotsfield United and Yate Town.
Davies, 31, turned down Southern League offers to remain at Kayte Lane and take on his new dual role with the Hellenic League Premier Division side.
Collicutt will take his first training session on Tuesday evening after agreeing to take over for a second spell at Cleeve following the departure of Steve Cleal to Cinderford Town.
The first spanned 12 years, including two promotions and a memorable run to the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup in 2005/06.
After being sacked in April 2011, Collicutt spent five-and-a-half years in charge of Evesham United before a season as director of football at Stratford Town.
There was some bad blood between Collicutt and Cleeve chairman Dave Walker following his dismissal, but the two have now settled their differences.
“I met with Dave and we discussed things we haven’t spoken about for seven years,” Collicutt said.
“The way it finished back then left me with a knot in my gut, but he made it pretty clear how he felt and how much he regretted what happened.
“I said I’d sleep on it before making my decision to come back, but it didn’t take much to sway me really.”
When Collicutt first took over, Cleeve found themselves without a ground.
“The club had traditionally been strong and produced players like John Davies, John Murphy and Tim Bayliffe, but it had become a bit of a laughing stock,” he said. “We had to play away from Cleeve and Moreton Town, Wollen Sports, Gloucester City, Forest Green and Evesham helped us out.
“It was difficult, but as soon as we got back to Cleeve we got promoted because everyone was on a high.
“Then we needed floodlights so we had to go through it all again, moving to Evesham’s Common Road until Kayte Lane had them installed.”
Collicutt then led Cleeve into the Southern League for the first time in their history in 2005/06, where they remained until 2018.
“When I said back then I wanted to take Cleeve into the Southern League, people laughed at me,” he said.
“We want to get back there, but it will take time and my first aim is to get everyone playing with smiles on their faces again.
“Then who knows what we can do?” Defenders Liam Payne and Tristan Haswell have left Bishop’s Cleeve to rejoin former boss Cleal at Cinderford Town.