Darren Kelly is delighted to be back in management with Scarborough Athletic
New boss Kelly tips Seadogs for a return to the top-flight
DARREN KELLY says Scarborough Athletic are the perfect club for him to jump back into the management firepit – and he believes they have the potential to reach the National League.
Kelly was named as the new manager at Scarborough Athletic this week just three days after resigning as technical director at Hyde United.
The 40-year-old enjoyed a successful spell at Hyde after joining in 2016, first as manager and more recently as technical director, but resigned last Friday to look for a management role closer to home.
And the Northern Irishman is wasting no time in setting big targets for his new players.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” Kelly told The NLP. “Stepping away from Hyde was difficult but my family are the most important thing and I’d been travelling a long way, whereas Scarborough’s only half an hour from my house.
“I missed management terribly so it was great to have a quick turnaround, maybe not so great for the wife!
“Scarborough have huge potential to be a really successful club and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in because there’s a lot or work to be done.”
Scarborough are a club Kelly knows well, having been promoted with the Seadogs in 2013 and finishing his playing career on the North Yorkshire coast before earning promotion at Hyde alongside Kelly’s new club.
The 41-year-old was attracted by Scarborough’s ambition and he isn’t shy to set the bar high.
Ambitious
“I absolutely believe we can get to the National League,” Kelly explained. “When I played here, we had 1,500 people watching, which is National League stuff.
“It’s up to me to build a squad that can achieve that but I have no doubt that we can do it.”
The highlight of Kelly’s four years at Hyde was leading the club to promotion and the first round of the FA Cup in 2017-18.
At the start of the season, he moved to a technical director role but admits it was difficult to step away from the touchline.
“I missed that day-to-day contact with the players,” Kelly said. “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and working with them. I want to take this club to where I believe it should be and I know what needs to be done to get there.”
Kelly got a first look at his new squad on Tuesday evening as
Scarborough battered Staithes AFC 7-0 in the North Riding Senior Cup.
“I was really impressed,” Kelly continued. “Irrespective of the opposition, everything starts with effort and attitude and both of those were absolutely fantastic.
“The aim for the season is to do our best and see where that takes us. If we can go on a good run then who knows but things are going to take a bit of time.
“We’ll have a look at the players and possibly add one or two and then look to kick on.”