Tipple thanks Beccles

Outgoing manager Gaven Tipple has thanked the Beccles Town hierarchy for their help in securing his move up the non-league pyramid to take over at Kirkley & Pakefield.

The 36-year-old former Norwich City academy midfielder led Beccles to third place in Division One of the Almary Green Anglian Combination last season, missing out on promotion on the last day of the campaign.

The former Mattishall boss returned to management with the Wherrymen last summer having taken time out of football to concentrate on raising his two young children.

After than enjoyable return to management Tipple now takes three steps up the non-league ladder by succeeding Jamie Godbold and Andy Reynolds, who left for AFC Sudbury in January, at Walmer Road.

“It’s a great club for me to be taking over,” said the new Royals boss. “Jamie and Andy have taken the club forward and the club have got everything in place now.

“The youth and adult sections only recently merged but I feel the time is right for me and the club. What they haven’t done in recent years is win trophies and I’m going there because I feel the opportunity is there to win trophies.”

Tipple had been approached by Kirkley initially in January, when Godbold and Reynolds left, but wanted to stick with Beccles for the whole season.

“I’ve got a great relationship with chairman Andy Woodcock and when I was approached in January I wanted to show loyalty to Beccles,” Tipple explained.

“I had committed to them for the season, I’m not the sort of person to start and then leave after three months. But everybody put their cards on the table and was up front about it.

“I could have risked them going elsewhere but they made it clear I was their number one target and full credit to them for waiting for me until the season was over.”