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Nantwich boss Paul Carden makes move to National League North
Paul Carden has left his position as manager of NPL West Division side Nantwich Town to take over at former club Warrington Town.
The 45-year-old managed the Yellows for five years between 2016 and 2021, before stepping down from his position at the then-Northern Premier League side to take over AFC Telford United, who were a division higher.
He took over Telford towards the end of November 2021 when they were rooted to the foot of the table with just nine points to their name, but an impressive change in fortunes saw the club survive the drop under Carden's stewardship.
He went on to join Nantwich in February 2023, steering the Dabbers to a 10th-place finish last term.
This season, Nantwich sit 18th in the division with seven points from their opening six games.
On his Dabbers departure, Carden said: “The decision to leave such a great club has been extremely difficult, and I hope everyone will understand and appreciate why I have come to this decision.
“Nantwich is a really special club that makes everyone feel so welcome from their first visit, which is why so many families, including my own, enjoy coming to support the boys, and that is why the club is in a fantastic place, both on and off the pitch.
“The infrastructure of the club will ensure that the future is bright, and I believe that this group can achieve great things and I look forward to seeing them succeed this season.”
Chairman Jon Gold said: “This is obviously disappointing news as we are midway through what is a long term project, and I know that Paul has done a great deal of soul searching over the past few days.
“We fully understand and respect his decision as Warrington Town is a club he has a long history with and they are very close to his heart.
“Understandably, every manager wants to operate at the highest level and they are currently playing in Step 2 of the non league-pyramid.
“However, the work that he and his management team have done in assembling a fantastic team leaves us in a fantastic position and we can all share great optimism and excitement for the future.”
It has been confirmed that Jon Moran, who previously made over 100 appearances for the club, will act as interim manager while the search for Carden’s successor begins.
The Dabbers are next in action in the FA Trophy when they travel to NPL Midlands division side Sporting Khalsa on September 24.
Photo credit: Warrington Town
