Eccleshill United have appointed former Leeds United and Bradford Park Avenue defender Tony Brown as their new manager.

They have pulled off a major coup by going for a dream ticket as ex-Guiseley and Park Avenue manager Gordon Rayner will be teaming up with him as assistant at Plumpton Park.

"We are highly delighted to have them in charge of the team and it has created a lot of excitement about the coming season," said United's fixture secretary Pam Waite, who is overseeing the day to day business over the close season while club secretary Linda Andrews takes a break.

"They really need no introduction. Tony has played at the top level and Gordon is a well respected manager, he has the best possible reputation after doing so well at all the clubs he has been with."

Brown and Rayner both live close to the Wrose-based club and they have links with Eccleshill stretching back a long way.

United attempted to bring Brown out of full retirement after he made a few appearances for the club two years ago and Rayner was widely tipped to succeed Ray Price when he quit the reigns this time last year.

The plans fell through on both fronts but Brown remained a cornerstone of the Eccleshill United veterans side and Rayner has finally been 're-United' with the club he first worked for as reserve team coach.

"The players have been told and they are extremely pleased by the appointment," added Waite. "There will be no conflict with Gordon being number two to Tony, they go back a long way and have been good friends as well as colleagues.

"We spoke to Tony a few times after asking him to take the job but he said he wanted to speak to Gordon before making a decision and everyone at the club is delighted that they have come as a team. They have the knowledge and the experience and we are all looking forward to the future.

"I think the lads will respond extremely well to both of them. Tony has said that he will speak to all the players before he goes away on holiday; he will ring them individually.

"The lads are not back in for pre-season training until the first Saturday in July so he wants to have a chat with them before he goes away for his summer break so that they can all get straight into it when they return for the new season."

After being a stalwart for Leeds United, Brown went on to play League football with Rochdale and Scunthorpe before being signed by Rayner for Bradford Park Avenue.

Rayner led Guiseley to two successive FA Vase finals at Wembley in the early nineties.

He is the only manager to have won both the Northern Counties East Premier Division and the North West Counties First Division titles.

That feat saw him lead Guiseley into the UniBond as NCE champions in 90-91.

He led Avenue into the same league following their NWC title in 94-95.