Phoenix Sports appoint well-travelled Darren Anslow as their new manager with his priority to keep the winless club in the Isthmian League South East Division

PHOENIX SPORTS have appointed former Beckenham Town boss Darren Anslow as their new manager last night.

 

Anslow has appointed coaches Sam Clarke-Keen, Nick Taylor and Bradley Pritchard, 38, a midfielder who will also join the playing squad.

The club are winless at the foot of the Isthmian League South East Division table, having picked up one point from their opening eight league games.

Keith McMahon’s thirteenth and final game in charge of the club was a 2-0 home defeat to Sheppey United last Saturday but the former Thamesmead Town, VCD Athletic and Whitstable Town manager agreed to step down on Wednesday.

Phoenix Sports chairman Andy Mortlock said in a statement: “We are delighted to have secured a manager of Darren Anslow’s pedigree, who has a proven track record of improving players and building successful teams.

“He is an excellent fit for Phoenix, given his ability to get the absolute best out of his teams. He is an outstanding coach and a great developer of talent.”

Anslow was manager at league rivals Beckenham Town between November 2023 and September 2024, where he was in charge for 39 games in all competitions, winning 11, drawing eight and losing 20, with a win ratio of 28% during his time at Eden Park Avenue.

Darren Anslow’s Managerial/coaching career:
Started at Cray Wanderers as their Academy manager before assisting and then managing their Reserve side, where he won the double in season 2010-11.

Managed Erith & Dartford Town in the Kent Invicta League (Step Six), before managing cash-strapped Kent League side Sevenoaks Town, where he guided them to a 2-1 defeat to Hollands & Blair in the Kent Senior Trophy Final.

Appointed Steve Chapman’s coach at Kent League side Cray Valley (Paper Mills), before coaching Beckenham Town, joint-managing Glebe and having an eight-game spell in charge of Deal Town.

Appointed coach under Tony Beckingham at Isthmian League South East Division side East Grinstead Town and then at Hythe Town before being appointed coach under Paul Gross at Cray Valley.

In May 2016, Anslow was assistant manager under Beckingham at Chatham Town, stepping up as manager at the end of September 2016 but left in November 2016 after only 12 games in charge.

Spells working at Rochester United, Hythe Town, Erith & Belvedere and Whitstable Town followed before he was appointed Lordswood’s manager in June 2019 but he departed after a season due to extra work commitments.

He lasted only 16 days as the manager of Epsom & Ewell before he joined Hollands & Blair as Scott Porter’s coach before taking over from Jason Huntley to be Beckenham Town’s manager, where he took the club from the foot of the Isthmian League South East Division to second-from-bottom, earning the club a reprieve from relegation.

He left Eden Park Avenue by mutual consent with the club at the top of the table.

Anslow said in a statement: “I’m really excited to be here. I know the club has a rich history and although this is a new chapter for Phoenix, it’s one I truly believe in.

“The incoming board has a solid, ambitious plan and I’m proud to be part of it.

“My first priority is to do everything I can to keep the club in the division, but in the long term, I can see there’s a real appetite to build something special here, which I’m really looking forward to being part of.”

Anslow is expected to bring fresh bodies into the Barnehurst based low playing budget club to bring in fresh investment 

Phoenix Sports are joined in the eighth-tier relegation zone by Ashford United (two points from four games), Three Bridges (three points from six games) and Lancing (four points from seven games).

Phoenix Sports are without a game tomorrow but they travel to fifth-from-bottom side Littlehampton Town on Saturday 12 October, a side that have picked up four points from six games.

Visit Phoenix Sports’ website: www.phoenixsportsclub.co.uk