Ryton & Crawcrook Albion are delighted to announce the appointment of former captain Daniel Iredale as the club’s new First Team Manager and Michael Laws as assistant.

Iredale takes up the RACA post after a hugely successful 3-year stint as head coach of Northern Football Alliance Premier Division side Cullercoats and succeeds Mark Bullock, who departed last week.

The 31-year-old will also bring first team coach James Barker and goalkeeper coach Lewis Carr to Albion as part of his coaching team.

“I, Mick and the rest of the coaching team are very excited for the future and can’t wait to get started at Ryton,” Iredale said.

“We have ambition for this club we believe are matched and hopefully, there are some great times ahead. It’s a well-established Northern League club full of great people and we are proud to be part of it.

“I’d like to thank Cullercoats for giving me the opportunity to be able to succeed at their club. During my time there, we defied the odds many times and I will remember a lot of those moments for a long time to come.”

Iredale, who has played for several Northern Football League sides, returns to Kingsley Park more than 5 years after playing over 60 times and captaining the club between 2014 and 2016.

After steering Cullercoats to safety with the final few games in 2018, he guided the Doves into the Alliance’s top tier for the first time in their history and reached three Cup finals – winning one – in his first full season in charge.

Before the 2019-20 campaign was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they were in the top 5 and in another cup final, and this year, were pushing for the title before its current suspension.

His assistant Laws – an FA Vase winner with Spennymoor Town – has a professional football background with Northampton Town along with playing for sides such as Blyth Spartans, Gateshead and Whitley Bay.

The new coaching team will be getting ready to begin as soon as the coronavirus restrictions allow. A full interview will follow as soon as possible.