Red Devils make public their appointment of former Newcastle United player as manager | OneFootball

Crawley Town have appointed former Newcastle United player Rob Elliot.

The one-time NUFC goalkeeper becoming the League One club’s new manager.

An official announcement (see below) from Crawley Town revealing the news.

Gateshead having rotten luck, as they lose another manager, due to the success against the odds in recent seasons.

Mike Williamson taken away by MK Dons in 2023, now Rob Elliot in 2024.

Gateshead are currently fifth in the National League but if they win their game in hand on the four teams above, they would go second and only a point behind leaders Barnet.

They will be doing this though without Rob Elliot, as the former Newcastle United keeper has now agreed to jon Crawley Town.

‘Crawley Town Football Club is delighted to announce that Rob Elliot has been named as the club’s new Manager. Elliot joins the Red Devils from Gateshead on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Rob will be joined by Louis Storey, who will assume the role of Assistant Manager, and Antony Sweeney, who joins the club as a first-team coach. Louis and Antony had both formed a part of the coaching team at Gateshead, who currently sit 5th in the National League.

Before his coaching career began, Elliot enjoyed a very successful playing career as a goalkeeper. After spells with Charlton Athletic, Bishop’s Stortford, Notts County and Accrington Stanley, Elliot signed for Newcastle United, where he spent nine fruitful years with the Magpies.

After his playing career ended, Elliot joined Gateshead as their Technical Director in August 2022. Elliot also assisted then-manager Mike Williamson throughout the 2021/22 season. After Williamson’s departure in October 2023, Elliot was named as the club’s Interim Manager.

Rob enjoyed a successful end to the season with Gateshead as he guided them to a sixth-place finish and lifted the Isuzu FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium. The former Premier League shot-stopper was then named as the club’s permanent Manager in June 2024.

After putting pen to paper on his deal, Elliot said: “When the opportunity came about, it was impossible to turn down. I heard there might be some interest, and we spoke to the owners and had such a positive conversation. It is so exciting to see the way these players play, and I am really excited to get to work with them on the training ground.

Speaking on Elliot’s arrival, Chairman Preston Johnson said: “We couldn’t be more assured and optimistic to have Rob stepping into this crucial role at such an important moment for Crawley Town Football Club. Once Scott informed us of his decision to leave the club, we of course began our due diligence of speaking with various potential candidates — but it quickly became clear to us that Rob is the best fit.

We’ve had tremendous success over the past year, and as a long-time player and more recently taking over the manager duties at Gateshead, Rob understands what it will take to continue building on that progress. We believe his style of play will bring continuity and greatly benefit our players — both on the pitch and in the dressing room — as they continue the current League One campaign.

But I also want to be clear: We’re not appointing Rob to be Scott Lindsey 2.0. We are bringing him on because he is a hungry young coach who brings plenty of experience and knowledge to the table in his own right, as well as a forward-thinking, data-driven approach to the game that will enable him to make the best decisions for the club and match what we value as an ownership group. Yes, our most immediate goal is to stay up this season — and we believe Rob gives us the best chance to do that — but this appointment is also about building sustainable success over the long term. I look forward to working with Rob and his staff in the days ahead and partnering with them as we explore every avenue to elevate the club to even greater heights in the months and years ahead.”