Port Vale Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Andy Crosby as First Team Manager.
This will be Crosby’s first permanent position as manager but his coaching career started in 2006 when he was named player-coach under Nigel Adkins at Scunthorpe United.
In 2010 Andy joined Nigel Adkins at Southampton where the pair would guide The Saints from League One to the Premier League in back-to-back promotions.
Crosby would go on to assist Adkins at Reading, Sheffield United and Hull City before moving to the Northern Ireland Under-21 set-up as assistant to Ian Baraclough.
Andy came to Vale Park during the latter stages of the 2020/21 League Two campaign and became a permanent member of Darrell Clarke’s backroom staff in June 2021.
A stint as acting manager from February to May 2022 saw Crosby have a win percentage 52.9% in what was a promotion-winning season for the Valiants.
Speaking to us about the appointment, Director of Football David Flitcroft said: “We are delighted to announce Andy Crosby as our first team manager.
“He has shown and proved in his time as assistant manager, acting manager, and in support of the manager that he has the qualities required to lead the football plan as we move forward in our next chapter of progression on and off the pitch.
“He is highly regarded and respected by the staff and players and we feel he is ready for this opportunity.
“With his work and commitment to the club, he has continually shown all the qualities required to be successful as a manager.
“We have built a football plan that will continue to see the club grow, progress and drive us forward in League One and beyond.
“Andy can deliver the short, medium and long-term objectives that we have set out. We have backroom coaching and medical teams in place that can instil the culture and standards of the club whilst we continue developing and improving results and players.”
Co-owner and Chair Carol Shanahan OBE said: “We are over the moon that Andy will be continuing at Port Vale in the role as our first-team manager.
“During the two years that we’ve known Andy, it is clear to us that his personal values and the values of the club are aligned and we are looking forward to moving forward together.
“He has the trust of the board, staff and players and has built strong relationships across the club which ensures the first team will remain integrated with wider club objectives to give us the best chance of success on and off the pitch.
“We are now all looking forward to concentrating on what will be a busy and important Summer for the club as we head towards the new League One season under the leadership of Andy.”