Canterbury City appoint Dan Lawrence in an attempt to pull off the Great Escape

CANTERBURY CITY chairman Trevor James has today appointed Dan Lawrence as the struggling club’s new manager, assisted by Sam Wilson.

 

The Sittingbourne-based club are rooted to the foot of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table having collected three wins and three draws from their 19 league games.

Director and first-team manager Keith Bird stepped down from the managerial role last week and Mick Santer took charge of Canterbury City’s 4-2 defeat away to local rivals Whitstable Town a couple of days ago.

“Dan will be known to many Canterbury City supporters as an ex City player and club captain and even as team manager for a brief cameo role in January,” said a club statement.

“Now he has been given the reins with his assistant Sam Wilson, to see what he can achieve to lift City from bottom position in the table.

“With exactly half of the season gone, realism shows City to be in the proverbial mire, so something has to change to lift the spirt of the team and pull the club out of the mess that we find ourselves in.

“Even Houdini would find this task a tough one to get out of, so the journey ahead could be likened to the Great Escape!

“It’s Dan’s first managerial role at Step Five level in the football pyramid, so his appointment might raise some eyebrows, as he doesn’t necessarily have coaching badges up to his armpits as some other applicants have, but what he does bring to the City team is youth, playing savvy, passion for the club and most of all, leadership, something that has been missing.”

Lawrence and Wilson will be joined by Ade Gower and Kerry Harris and Santer in the managerial set-up.

Canterbury City (12 points) are currently joined in the relegation zone by Welling Town (16 points from 19 games), while third-from-bottom side and presenly safe, Bearsted have picked up 17 points from as many games.

Canterbury City go into their next game, at home to Lordswood, on Monday 2 January 2023 (14:00), on a five match winless run.

Visit Canterbury City’s website:  www.canterburycityfc.co.uk