Argyle make adjustments to backroom team

THERE is a team behind the team at Plymouth Argyle making sure the players are in the best shape possible, physically and mentally, for every League One game.

Manager Ryan Lowe, of course, is assisted by his No 2 Steven Schumacher, as well as first team coach Kevin Nancekivell and goalkeeping coach Darren Behcet.

Director of football Neil Dewsnip also oversees a wide range of off-thepitch responsibilities while acting as wise counsel for the Pilgrims’ boss too. But there are other key staff who are working away behind the scenes to ensure the players are as well prepared as they can be for the challenges in front of them.

There have been changes in personnel recently, with Nick Fulton taking over as their head of physiotherapy from Dave Galley, who has witched to a part-time role, in July.

Fulton previously worked as the loans physiotherapist at Championship club Bristol City for two years.

He started out as the youth team physio at Shrewsbury Town in 2012 and then worked in the academy at Stoke City before spending five years in the military, prior to his appointment by Bristol City in 2019.

Last month, head of fitness and conditioning John Lucas left Argyle to join League Two club and was replaced by 27-year-old former pro footballer Elliot Turner, who moved from Solihull Moors.

Dewsnip has been impressed by the way that Fulton and Turner have settled so seamlessly into their new Home Park posts.

He said: “John Lucas, who was really highly thought of, has gone back to the north west for personal reasons and joined Salford City.

“That has meant we have needed a new head of science sport and we have recruited Elliot Turner, who has made a real strong first impression so we are delighted to have him.

“We hope he’s going to grow as we grow as a football club. He will pick up all the work that John was involved in, not just at Argyle but with Plymouth Marjon University, so we are very excited about that appointment.

“We had two or three candidates we discussed but Elliot was by far the leading contender so we are pleased to have him.”

Dewsnip continued: “Although Dave Galley has remained within the medical department. he made a personal decision in the summer that it was time for him to step away from a full-time tole to a part-time one.

“We brought Nick Fulton in as head physiotherapist from Bristol City and, again, he is making a very positive impression.

“He has had his hands full, as has our new doctor Peter Pollak, because we have got a few injuries on the go right now, one or two are proving to be quite complicated and a little frustrating.

Another new face at Argyle this season is Sam Morcom, who is assisting Jimmy Dickinson, Argyle’s head of performance analysis.

Dewsnip said: “That basically means we have got access to twice as much information to support Jimmy in watching the opposition, giving feedback in terms of developing game plans and giving evidence to the manager and players individually in terms of their performance so they can go away and analyse it.”