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Archived News from March 2018

EVANS APPOINTED AS PETERBOROUGH MANAGER
5th March 2018 15:10


Evans Appointed New Posh Manager
theposh.com, Wed 28 Feb 2018

Peterborough United Football Club are pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Evans as the club’s new manager.

Evans will be joined by assistant Paul Raynor at the football club and both have penned long-term deals at the ABAX Stadium.

Chairman Darragh MacAnthony said: “The football club, its staff, Academy and first team players need an experienced promotion winner as first team manager to take us forward for the immediate future. As soon as somebody of the calibre of Steve Evans called to register their interest in the vacant position, there was no time to waste and I made the phone call, potential terms were discussed and we are now in a position to announce Steve as our manager.

“He is a serial promotion winner, including promotion from League One, has managed multiple clubs in the Championship and has an incredible reputation for getting the best out of his players with a never say die attitude and will to win. We are delighted to have both Steve and his assistant Paul Raynor on board for what we hope will be a fruitful, productive and successful long-term partnership for many years to come.”

Steve will speak to the media on Thursday.

https://www.theposh.com/news/2018/february/evans-appointed-new-posh-manager/

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twitter
Darragh MacAnthony @DMAC102
(in reply to He doesnt do long term, anywhere) ...
He’s just joined a club 3 miles from his front door. Think he’ll want to stick around a while :)


(in reply to Is this the same Steve Evans who wobbles of every time the going gets tough or sees the and wobbles of into the sunset leaving a club in the lurch?)
I’m sure your Jimmy wobbled off from Burton once QPR flashed the cash. It’s football & something that happens frequently I guess. SE approached me for the job & money didn’t come into it

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Peterborough United appoint a multi-promotion winning new manager
peterboroughtoday.co.uk, by ALAN SWANN, Wednesday 28 February 2018

Steve Evans has today (February 28) been confirmed as the manager of Peterborough United. The 55 year-old resigned as manager of League Two side Mansfield yesterday to take the reins at his local club.

New Posh manager Steve Evans (right) and his assistant Paul Raynor at the ABAX Stadium last night.

Evans is a multi-promotion winning manager, tasting success at Boston United, Crawley Town and Rotherham United. He also managed Leeds United briefly before taking over at Mansfield in November, 2016.

Evans steered Boston and Crawley into the Football League and took Rotherham from League Two to the Championship in successive seasons. He left Mansfield with the Stags challenging for automatic promotion.

He takes over a Posh side eighth in League One and just three points from the play-off places following a 2-1 win over Walsall at the ABAX Stadium last night, the first game since the weekend sacking of Grant McCann.

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony said: “The football club, its staff, Academy and first team players need an experienced promotion winner as first team manager to take us forward for the immediate future. “As soon as somebody of the calibre of Steve Evans called to register their interest in the vacant position, there was no time to waste and I made the phone call, potential terms were discussed and we are now in a position to announce Steve as our manager.

“He is a serial promotion winner, including promotion from League One, has managed multiple clubs in the Championship and has an incredible reputation for getting the best out of his players with a never say die attitude and will to win. We are delighted to have both Steve and his assistant Paul Raynor on board for what we hope will be a fruitful, productive and successful long-term partnership for many years to come.”

Evans moved to the Peterborough area 25 years ago with his first managerial post at Peterborough League side Gedney Hill.

He moved onto manager Stamford in 1994 and steered them to the United Counties Premier Division title. Evans is a Posh fan. He has watched some of the club’s biggest games from the terraces.

Read more at: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/posh/breaking-news-peterborough-united-appoint-a-multi-promotion-winning-new-manager-1-8396677

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twitter Alan Swann @PTAlanSwann

(about Evans)
Stood on the terraces at some big Posh games. Lived round here for 25 years, currently in Wansford.

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EXCLUSIVE: ‘If we reach the play-offs we will win them,’ says new Peterborough United manager
peterboroughtoday.co.uk, by ALAN SWANN, Wednesday 28 February 2018

Steve Evans announced his arrival as Peterborough United manager today (February 28) by insisting ‘if we make the League One play-offs, we will win them.’ The charismatic, and controversial, boss spoke exclusively to the Peterborough Telegraph just a couple of hours after putting pen to paper on a contract described as ‘lengthy’ by the club.

Evans is a six-time promotion winner with Boston United, Crawley Town and Rotherham United and he left Mansfield Town yesterday with the Stags just one win away from an automatic promotion place. Evans also had a short spell managing Leeds United in the Championship.

The 55 year-old insists the decision to leave Mansfield was unrelated to him taking his ‘dream job’ with his local club and he implored Posh fans to judge him on his results rather than on the baggage that always accompanies him on his journey around the Football League.

Evans watched Posh beat Walsall 2-1 at the ABAX Stadium on Tuesday night. He is happy to be working with a talented squad, but he also suggested he would bring his own players to the club in the summer if promotion isn’t achieved. Evans is also confident that the crucial manager/chairman relationship with social media expert Darragh MacAthony will work despite their well-earned reputations for straight-talking. MacAnthony tried to bring Evans to Posh a few years back. Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony deserves to be in the Championship according to new manager Steve Evans.

“I pick the team and I manage the team,” Evans stated. “That’s not up for debate. But it won’t be an issue. I’ve known Darragh for a while. He’s been brilliant for Posh and I am looking forward to working with him. There won’t be any problems there. “We are both ambitious people. We wouldn’t have spoken for three hours this morning if that wasn’t the case and I wouldn’t be working for him now either.

“All owners have opinions and so they should. I’m not on social media because if I was I would probably cry myself to sleep every night! “The chairman wants promotion this season and I want to deliver it for him. And I tell you this much, if we make the play-offs we will win them.

“I have been close to coming here a couple of times in the past, but we could never get the timing right. When they wanted me I couldn’t commit. “I keep a close eye on League One and no-one seems to want to finish fifth or sixth. The top four are winning every week, but no-one else seems to want to win the fight for the other play-off places. Well I do and that’s what we will strive to achieve. “I’m very lucky in more than one way. This is a job I have always wanted. It’s a club close to my heart in a city I’ve lived for 30 years. It’s the place my kids were born and raised. “I was at Selhurst Park in 2013 when Posh were relegated from the Championship and I had tears streaming down my face at full-time, like many other fans.

“That afternoon still hurts and partly why returning Posh to the Championship would make me so proud. That’s the level this club should be playing at. It’s the level the chairman deserves to be. “I’m also lucky to be taking over a team with a great chance of winning promotion straight away. As a new manager you normally take over a struggling team. This club has a great opportunity to be successful this season even though they’ve not been at their best recently. “There is a lot of talent here and if myself and Paul Raynor (Evans’ assistant) can add to it we could get into that top six and I know what would then happen because I’ve won the League One play-offs before. “If we don’t get up then some ‘Steve Evans-type’ players will be coming here in the summer. “I like what I have at the club now though. It wasn’t the best performance on Tuesday, but I saw plenty of desire and some huge hearts. “Jack Marriott is the perfect striker for this level, while I was impressed with Michael Doughty, who I had loan at Crawley once, and with Steven Taylor once he moved into the centre of the defence. “I once tried to sign Gwion Edwards when I was at Rotherham, but he came to Posh instead so I know a few of the players and I will meet them all tomorrow (Thursday). “Obviously it’s sad that I am replacing a club legend in Grant McCann. I’ve been in the London Road End bouncing up and down like Zebedee when Grant scored a crucial goal but this sort of thing happens in football. “I’m surprised clubs like Mansfield or Grimsby haven’t called Grant up already. He will become a top manager for someone.

“I’m aware there will be criticism of my appointment, but all I ask of supporters is to judge me on results. “You can appoint a club playing legend as manager, but if he loses three games in a row questions will always be asked. Results are what really matter.

“My arrival at Posh happened quickly. I decided to leave Mansfield to pursue an opportunity outside of the UK. It’s something that’s been available to me for a few years. “I rang Barry Fry (Posh director of football) for tickets to watch the game against Walsall and he asked me if I’d be interested in working here. Five minutes later the chairman was on the phone.

“Mansfield and their owners were great with me and I’m happy to have left them in a great position in League Two. They have a mid-table League One squad there.

“In fact only winning promotion with Posh would give me more satisfaction than Mansfield winning promotion this season.”

Evans confirmed he usually plays 4-4-2 or a slight variation as ‘playing with one striker has never really worked for me’ and that he will discuss the future of the Posh coaching staff with them in person tomorrow. Evans has a brief to assess and improve every department at the club. David Oldfield (assistant manager/coach) and Mark Tyler (goalkeeping coach) were McCann appointments.

Read more at: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/posh/exclusive-if-we-reach-the-play-offs-we-will-win-them-says-new-peterborough-united-manager-1-8397644

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twitter Alan Swann @PTAlanSwann

(in reply to: He should have read what the chairman said first "he called to register an interest " , Evans "I rang for tickets ..5 minutes later the chairman was on the phone ") ...

From the chairman's statement: “As soon as somebody of the calibre of Steve Evans called to register their interest in the vacant position, there was no time to waste and I made the phone call, potential terms were discussed." Evans called Barry, chairman called Evans. simple.

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SWANNY’S WORLD OF SPORT: Why I’m glad Steve Evans is the Peterborough United manager
peterboroughtoday.co.uk, by ALAN SWANN, Thursday 01 March 2018

First an admission in the interests of full disclosure. I’ve known Steve Evans for over 20 years. I like him as a person. He’s fun and he’s passionate about football at all levels. He’s never forgotten his local managerial roots. He’s never even moved very far away from them. Steve Evans managing Mansfield earlier this season. I was there on the night Stamford won the United Counties Premier Division title at St Neots two decades ago. He was a noisy presence on the touchline that night, a fact that didn’t endear him to the referee.

Little has changed since. His touchline antics irritate many Football League fans. His conviction for dodgy dealings when at Boston United (12 years ago now) are brought up every time he moves jobs. But do I care? Not really. He was punished. He served his time away from football and he’s back.

It’s sheer hypocrisy from some Posh fans to treat Evans with a far greater degree of suspiscion than others who have offended when in the same role. Newsflash. There are few saints in football.

It’s a ruthless, cut-throat business which is bound to attract its fair share of charlatans, bounders, bullies and obnoxious characters. Some are even violent. But most of them are allowed to carry on without the constant abuse. Evans should be given that luxury at the ABAX Stadium.

Mansfield haven’t taken his departure well. I saw one commentator write about a lack of ‘common, professional decency’ from Evans because he had the temerity to leave ‘the Stags’ within three points of an automatic promotion place in League Two. They were struggling near the foot of the table when he arrived the previous season. Loyalty is a rare thing in football. Managers are fired on a whim so why shouldn’t they leave if a bigger and better job arrives?

I’m glad he’s at Posh. He’s worth a shot. He’s won eight promotions if you count his Stamford success including one from League One with a similar-sized club to Posh. He’s a winner who will discard anyone giving less than 100 per cent effort. He’s no fan of ‘fancy dan’ football or that frustrating modern tactic of passing the ball slowly and backwards.

Read more at: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/posh/swanny-s-world-of-sport-why-i-m-glad-steve-evans-is-the-peterborough-united-manager-1-8397703

I want to see some passionate, aggressive performances at the ABAX (on the field, Steve, rather than on the touchline). I want to see some high tempo football rather than the slow-witted stuff I’ve witnessed far too often this season and Evans will provide it. He’ll have my backing and not just because he is a local reporter’s dream, an old-fashioned boss who will speak freely and offer opinions rather than hide away as soon as you write something he doesn’t agree with.

Evans is thick-skinned enough not to need my support against the naysayers (who will slink off into the shadows when Posh start winning regularly), but he’s getting it anyway.

He should also have yours

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Steve Evans: Peterborough United job second only to Celtic
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43248535

New Peterborough United manager Steve Evans says being Celtic boss would be the only job with more appeal for him.

The 55-year-old Scot, who resigned from Mansfield Town earlier this week, has lived near Peterborough for many years.

"It's probably the second club that's closest to my heart, the first being Glasgow Celtic," he said.

"I've been in and around the city for the best part of 30 years - and probably for the best part of 20 years I've wanted to be the gaffer here."

Evans has agreed an unspecified "long-term" contract with Posh, who are eighth in League One and just three points outside the play-off places.

He told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire he had chances to manage the club before, when he was at Rotherham United and shortly after leaving Leeds United, and after speaking to chairman Darragh MacAnthony it felt "like a hand in a glove".

Peterborough ended a run of seven games without a win by beating Walsall 2-1 on Tuesday and Evans believes building momentum can carry them to promotion.

"I've only been in the play-offs once and I was successful at Wembley," he said. "That group at Rotherham were really special but when I look at the abilities in this squad, this is a level above.

"At this moment in League One, there are only four teams who are consistently winning football matches, the rest win a game, lose a game, draw a game, lose a game, win a game.

"In in those next 12 (games), we need another eight or nine wins. That's going to be really tough but that group's capable."

Evans' wife and children were born in Peterborough, and other relatives are "huge" fans of the club as well.

He added: "There's a real desire for me to do well. If it doesn't work out for me here it won't be a case of not shedding blood.

"As much as I wanted to be a success at Mansfield, and at Leeds United, and Rotherham, this is Peterborough United, this is where I want to be more successful than anywhere else before.

"I want to do well enough here that Dermot Desmond of Celtic picks up the telephone in two or three years and says Brendan Rodgers is off to somewhere in the Premier League, would you come and be our manager?

"Peterborough United doing well in the Championship gives me a chance doesn't it?"

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The Football League paper, 4 March 2018
Evans - 'Posh job is a dream come true'

...

Does he sympathise with the frustration of supporters?

“Anyone who loses a girlfriend that they deeply love will be upset,” said Evans.

“I understand that. But when you look at the situation objectively, I took over a team that was goal difference away from being in the League Two relegation zone.

“The chairman’s remit was to build a squad good enough for promotion, with the first season if possible. That’s exactly what we’ve done.

“I understand the anger and disappointment, but they also have to understand what goes on in my life and what I need to do for my family.

“At Mansfield, I’d be away for 7.45am, back at 8pm and that’s not including watching games. At Leeds, I lived away and was only back one day a fortnight. Rotherham the same, Crawley the same.

“My wife and family have been fantastically supportive, but I did want to finally come home every night.”

“When I left Crawley, I said to them ‘You’ll get promoted because the squad is easily good enough’,” said Evans.

“John Radford called me on Friday and I said the same thing. There’s a bit more work to be done than at Crawley, but David Flitcroft is a great choice.

“He actually rang this week and spoke in glowing terms about how great the squad is. He’s an experienced manager who’s been great at the level before and he himself has left a great squad behind at Swindon.

“Flicker will get them promoted, for sure. “And when he does, the plan is for me and John to sit down and share a nice bottle of red wine. Whatever happens, we’ll always be personal friends.”

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The Observer


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