NEW Mossley AFC manager Alex Craddock said appointing Phil McGrath as his assistant was “an easy decision”.
Phil steps up to the role having been a first-team coach at the club since June 2023.
Alex himself stepped up from assistant to take over as manager from David Fish, who stepped down at the end of last season after five years at the helm.
Explaining his choice, Alex told the club’s media team: “Appointing Phil as assistant manager was an easy decision and I am over the moon he accepted the offer.
“He has a superb relationship with the existing players, which is a huge positive. His knowledge of the game and contacts in and around the Academy game in the North West is vital for us too.
“Phil is a top coach and has expressed his desire to be more involved in the management side of the game and I’m delighted he’s chosen Mossley to start that part of his career.
“I’m really looking forward to continuing to work with Phil and I know he’ll be a big part of what we do next season.”
Phil started his football career in Northern Ireland before moving to Oldham Athletic as a youngster. However, he quickly moved into coaching as injuries curtailed his playing career.
He had spells coaching in the academies at Oldham Athletic and Stockport County, before he made the switch to Chadderton FC – from where he moved to Seel Park two years ago.
Phil says he’s ‘over the moon’ to follow in the footsteps of Alex, with whom he has a lot in common in football terms.
“Obviously I’m happy and over the moon to be getting that role, especially in terms of my career journey,” he told Mossley’s media team. “It is the next step for me, in terms of going from first-team coach to assistant manager.
“I’m very grateful to Alex for offering me the role and for working alongside him for another season, so I’m looking forward to it. Alex and I get on very well and we are very similar in how we think about things, how we talk about things and how we see the game.”
The Lilywhites finished 13th in the Northern Premier League West Division last term but Phil has loftier ambitions for the club next season.
“I think it is about building on what Fishy has done for the past five years because he has stabilised the club and built the foundations there,” he explained.
“I think for myself and Alex now it’s to take the club to the next level. We stayed up last year but as management, you don’t have that as an objective – you want the play-offs as a minimum so again that obviously is the aim.
“That’s what we’re going to be looking for and fingers crossed we can achieve that.”