ENL Second Division club Stokesley have appointed Craig Winter as their new manager.

Craig, the son of former Premiership referee Jeff Winter, has taken over from Micky Ward, who left the club at the end of last season.

Stokesley finished fourth bottom of the division last season, ten points above what would have been the relegation positions, and Winter known that his first manager’s job is going to be tough – but he’s determined to also continue his playing career.

“I didn’t think that I would be the favourite for this job. I fancied the challenge of management, Stokesley are my local team, and I thought what the hell, I’ll put in for it. I’ve played in the Northern League for long enough, and so I know my way around and what to expect.

“The hardest party of the job is attracting players on no budget, and so we’ve organized an open day for potential players to come along.

“I’m looking around for players, and I’m working my way through my contact book. Stokesley used a lot of players last season, but some of them only turned up for certain games. The pity was that some players left for higher clubs during the season.”

There aren’t many player-managers around in the league at the moment, but Winter is undaunted about trying to do both “I’m 32 years old, so I still feel that I can play at this level. It’s a challenge to be a player-manager, so I’ve sounded a few people out to be my assistant. I see the job as a stepping stone for the future. If I can do well here, then who knows?

“The aim is to consolidate in this division. The first target is to pass last year’s points total, and try and play decent football.

“Stokesley had some good results last season, and when they did lose games, they only last narrowly. They had some good young lads who maybe lacked experience, so hopefully I can hang on to them, and bring some experienced players in. Hopefully I’ll have something to build on.”