Cheltenham to appoint ex-Bournemouth, Burnley, Birmingham, Bristol City player

Cheltenham Town are getting set to appoint ex-Bournemouth, Burnley, Birmingham, Bristol City player Wade Elliott as new head coach.

The 43-year-old is to step up from his role as first team coach at the League One outfit, having previously worked as part of Michael Duff’s backroom team for the last two campaign.

Elliott linked up with the Cheltenham Town coaching staff as a first team coach in the summer of 2020 and has impressed ever since.

An ex-teammate of manager Michael Duff’s at Burnley, he played over 250 times for the Turf Moor club and scored the winning goal in the 2009 Championship play-off final against Sheffield United to secure promotion to the Premier League.

He had earlier started his career in non-league football at Bashley and would go onto embark on a playing spell in the game that saw him represent AFC Bournemouth over 200 times, enjoy a spell at Birmingham City that included playing in the Europa League, and at the end of his playing days at Bristol City.

He moved up to the coaching staff at Ashton Gate when he retired, leading their under-21s side, and in 2016 had a spell in caretaker charge of the first team.

Upon his departure from Bristol City he worked in the academy at Forest Green Rovers before taking on the under-23s assistant manager role at Stoke City, later becoming manager of the under-23s set-up at the Potters.

Bristol based Elliott departed Stoke for family reasons and joined Cheltenham for the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

His part-time role became full-time after Cheltenham won the League Two title before being heavily involved in the club’s highest ever finish last term as they ended 15th in the third tier.

After Michael Duff left for Barnsley on in mid-June, the club interviewed several candidates before narrowing it down to two, report Gloucestershire Live.

After extensive talks in the boardroom on Friday, it’s revealed that Elliott will be Duff’s successor working under director of football Micky Moore.

Elliott took pre-season training last week along with caretaker boss Russell Milton (who will be Elliott’s assistant) and Under-18s coach Pete Haynes. Players will feature in a 45-minute 11 v 11 training ground match on Saturday morning, with the game of pre-season against Southern League Evesham United a week Saturday and the new season starting on Saturday the 30th of June where they host Peterborough, then head to Barnsley to face old boss Michael Duff.

WADE ELLIOTT’S CAREER:

Youth career
–1994 – Southampton

Senior career
1997–2000 – Bashley – 68 games (0 goals)
2000–2005 – AFC Bournemouth – 220 games (31 goals)
2005–2011 – Burnley – 252 games (19 goals)
2011–2014 – Birmingham City – 88 games (8 goals)
2014 → Bristol City (loan) – 19 games (3 goals)
2014–2015 – Bristol City – 36 games (2 goals)
Total – 683 games (63 goals)

Teams managed
2015–2016 – Bristol City U21s
2016 – Bristol City (caretaker)
2018 – Stoke City U23s

HONOURS:

Player
Burnley
Championship (level 2) play-off winners: 2008–09

Bristol City
League One (level 3): 2014–15
Football League Trophy: 2014–15

Coach
Cheltenham Town
League Two Champions: 2020-21

Fans reacted as Cheltenham get read to appoint the ex-Bournemouth, Burnley, Birmingham, Bristol City player…

@ethanwwatson: Let’s hope he’s the most Michael Duff like manager then

@cheltandy: I think the one thing that can be said about this appointment is that no Cheltenham fan will be disappointed. Some fans may have had other favourites for the job but they will still be happy with Wade. #CTFC

@cleevecomment: Pleased with the appointment, has good links at Prem level, will be happy working with Mickey, knows club, players… and we know he put his own views forward to MD… so can now do that whilst not disrupting framework. Must be his own man! GL Wade

@Dompotts_: Great to see Wade Elliott is about to be appointed Cheltenham manager! Hopefully carries on from where Duff left off 👍 #twitterclarets #ctfc

@RhubarbRhubar10: Excellent news. Good luck to Wade. A progression for the team and the boss himself. No need for wholesale changes and he knows how the club works.

@k_y8t: The fans choice, the boards/Micky Moores choice. Knows the club etc etc can only be a good thing right?

@MattBadweather: Its always impossible to say if its the right choice until we see results. I’m pleased ots Wade though its what I think majority of fans wanted. Played at some big clubs so will have contacts, fresh new coach with new ideas knows the club and the squad im pleased with this

@razorsharp444: Keeping the continuity, following on from Duff and our highest league position, is key. Good luck to Wade, and I’m sure a high percentage of fans will be happy with the appointment

@DannyHa17729500: Not the most inspiring of appointments but probably the most sensible & best for continuity in the circumstances, wish him & the team the very best

@jbcfc__: Steve Cotterill will be an even bigger legend if this pays off, being the one who gave Wade his first job in coaching

@archieholberton: Gone for the cheap option then. But at least it ain’t Matt Taylor. Got no keeper, lost main defensive players, only one striker left and second season is always hardest good luck to him. Underwhelming but let’s see what he can do

@_CallumPal96: More than happy with that. Wade Elliott taking us the the Championship boys 🔴⚪️

@cheltandy: Happy with this. We took a chance on Duff and it worked. Hopefully this will too. Up and coming manager (Head Coach) with everything to prove. #CTFC

@TheTomStanford: Not my first choice, but this is why I’m not chairman of a football club. Hopefully he can find his feet in his new role. He’s got a big job ahead of him and I hope he’s up to the task. Overall he’s a really nice guy and I’m glad he’s got an opportunity at a club. Good luck Wade

@02_JDB_: Excited by this. Obviously any appointment was going to be a risk bur Wade has always spoken really well in post match interviews and has been here a while. If nothing else he’ll have the players respect.

@connor_ctfc: Happy with this, in Wadey we trust!

@bradleydix20: Wade Elliott’s red and white army ⚽️

@OJFell: Interesting, really excited to see how it goes!