Lancing thrilled to make ex-Brighton, Leyton Orient, Crawley, Eastbourne player new manager

Lancing are rather thrilled to make ex-Brighton, Leyton Orient, Crawley, Eastbourne player Dean Cox their new first team manager.

The 35 year old is a former English footballer who primarily played as a winger, but also operated in an attacking midfield role.

Cox, who had a huge amount of experienced in the English Football League as well as a number of spells with non league sides, is brought into the Lancers to replace joint bosses Alex Walsh and Dale Hurley and coach Matt Evans who stepped down so they could join Haywards Heath Town.

Cox announced back in October that he would be retiring from playing, knowing that a career in management was something he wanted to take up.

Lancing announce new management team https://t.co/UzrkyyXcRi

— Lancing FC (@LancingFC) December 16, 2022

CLUB STATEMENT:

We welcome Dean Cox and his management team to Lancing FC.

Lancing FC are delighted to announce the appointment of Dean Cox as the new First Team Manager with immediate effect following the recent departures of Alex Walsh, Dale Hurley and Matt Evans. Dean will be well known to the local football community having played for Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne Borough and, most recently, Worthing in an attacking midfield role. Dean has been a regular visitor to Culver Road since retiring from playing last year and his knowledge of the current playing squad should help him hit the ground running.

Dean has wasted no time in appointing his backroom team and is joined by Will Hendon as his assistant and coach. Also joining the coaching staff is Steven Carlberg who is already part of the youth coaching set-up and someone who has a long-standing association with the club and Ross Ball who will be assisting with kit and analysis. We are really pleased that Mark Stuart is staying on as goalkeeping coach as is Callum Morin as Physiotherapist.

The club are delighted with this exciting appointment and believe Dean and his team will continue to build on the success and progress of recent years. Dean is an exciting, modern and ambitious manager with football in his blood and, importantly, a tremendous passion and enthusiasm to join us. We are sure all Lancing supporters will give him a warm Lancers welcome on Saturday.

Chairman Steve Taylor said “It has been a whirlwind 48hrs since the surprise departure of Alex, Dale and Matt but I am now very excited to announce and welcome Dean to Lancing FC along with his management team. We all share a combined enthusiasm to take our club forward. If Coxy can transfer his playing success to managerial success then we will be extremely happy.”

Dean and his management team will take charge tomorrow, Saturday, against Ashford United 2pm kick off and then a big reunion against Worthing in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday at Culver Road 7.30pm kick off.

COX’S CAREER:

Youth
–2005 – Brighton & Hove Albion

Senior
2005–2010 – Brighton & Hove Albion – 179 games (22 goals)
2005 → Eastbourne Borough (loan) – 13 games (0 goals)
2006 → Bognor Regis Town (loan) – 1 game (0 goals)
2010–2016 – Leyton Orient – 275 games (59 goals)
2016–2018 – Crawley Town – 27 games (2 goals)
2016–2017 → Burgess Hill Town (loan) – 9 games (4 goals)
2018–2021 – Eastbourne Borough – 91 games (19 goals)
2021–2022 – Worthing – 4 games (0 goals)

This is what fans said with Lancing thrilled to make the ex-Brighton, Leyton Orient, Crawley, Eastbourne player their new manager…

@JakeMurphyMedia: You’ve just become @leytonorientfc supporters second favourite team!

@DTP_14: Didn’t expect this one but good luck @dean_7cox !

@ian_wfc: Love this ❤️ Good luck @dean_7cox just not on Tuesday 😎

@UltrasLancing: Yes yes yes

@CurramMark: What a shock 🤣, good luck coxy

@EdwardJHeather: Up the lancers

@Pandamonium1881: As a few have said, bet you have picked up a few followers from East London 😂 Best of luck @dean_7cox 👍😉

@JHollis_11: Best of luck to them all!

@jimmay11: Good luck, Dean

@JadenChristy180: All the best Coxy, sure you’ll be a success.

@Orient_Fan: Good luck @dean_7cox

@markstuart75: Exciting times ahead ⚽️⚽️

@elhaywood4: See u as orient gaffer in the future deano

@OfficialLamber1: What a guy 🙌🏽 go well

@Orientchris: Hope it goes well Dean. All the very best.

@tracyfuller77: All the best in your new role

Lancing currently play their football in the Isthmian League South East Division, sitting in 17th position with 16 points from 17 games played.

The club was established in 1941, initially as a multi-sport club under the name Lancing Athletic, going on to join the Brighton, Hove & District League in 1946 and won the Division One and League Cup double in their first season.

The club applied to join the Sussex County League, were issued with a rejection, but after retaining the Brighton, Hove & District League title in 1947–48, were then admitted to the Sussex County League, at which point they became a separate organisation to the remainder of the sports club.

They were Sussex County League runners-up in 1949–50, missing out on the title on goal average.

When the league gained a second division in 1952 the club became members of Division One, only to then be relegated to Division Two after finishing bottom of the table in 1956–57.

In 1957 the club dropped Athletic from their name and were Division Two champions at the first attempt, earning promotion back to Division One.

The club won the League Cup in 1964–65, beating Chichester City 2–0 in the final, and were victorious in the Sussex RUR Cup the following season with a 3–0 win over Rye United.

However, they were relegated again at the end of the 1967–68.

They won the Division Two title in 1969–70 and were promoted back to Division One, two seasons later they were relegated back to Division Two after finishing bottom of Division One.

The club won the Division Two Cup in 1981–82 and remained in Division Two until a second-place finish in 1982–83 saw them promoted to Division One.

They were relegated again at the end of the 1989–90 season and spent the next ten seasons in Division Two, winning the Division Two Cup again in 1992–93 before earning promotion with a third-place finish in 1999–2000.

The club were relegated back to Division Two at the end of the following season, were Division Two runners-up in 2010–11, earning promotion to Division One.

In 2015, the league was renamed the Southern Combination, with Division One becoming the Premier Division.

At the end of the 2020–21 season the club were promoted to the South East Division of the Isthmian League based on their performances over the two previous seasons, which had been abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They finished the 2021-2022 campaign in 18th place, a position above the relegation zone, but qualified for inter-step play-offs… beating Newhaven 2-1 to stay in the league. Watch the highlights of that below…