COVENTRY CITY LADIES REVEAL NEW MANAGEMENT TRIO
Coventry City Ladies F.C. have unveiled the management team that will lead them into their forthcoming 2008/2009 Midland Women's Combination League campaign. After the departure of Stuart Wilson, who has taken over as Manager of Birmingham City Ladies, the Sky Blues have announced the appointments of Paul Cudby and Matt Whitehouse as a management duo.
Arriving from Birmingham Athletic LFC, of the West Midlands Division 1 South, Cudby guided the Blues to finishes of 5th & 4th place making steady strides and only missing out on promotion by 5 points this past season. The ambitious young UEFA B licensed coach also managed to juggle running the Birmingham Girls Under 14s for the previous season and leaves his new post of Under 16s coach to take on the challenge at the Sky Blues.
Cudby takes over two years into Coventry's three year 'Think Premiership' campaign and is eager to carry on with Wilson's good work. "I'm really looking forward to building on what Stuart's achieved over the last two years with an excellent squad of talented young players. I have ambitions to take Coventry to the next level and hopefully beyond. Behind the scenes there are a lot of very dedicated individuals helping to push the club forward & I'm delighted to be becoming a part of that".
Whitehouse, who joins the Sky Blues from the North Scottsdale Soccer Club, has spent the previous two years living in Phoenix, Arizona. The Birmingham native arrived back in the UK last week to assume his new position alongside Cudby. A semi-pro playing career saw Whitehouse turn out for Newcastle Town F.C. after an impressive spell at Williamette University in the American Collegiate League.
Whitehouse got his first taste of coaching whilst at Keele University where he learnt under the tutelage of former Manchester United coach Keith Harrison. In the summer of 2007 the ambitious 23 year old undertook a role captaining camps for Major League Soccer before landing his most recent position as a youth coach in Scottsdale, where he taught the same brand of "attractive football combined with the ability and work ethic needed to be a winner" that he'll be looking to bring to the Sky Blues.
Wilson's other role as Centre of Excellence Director has seen an internal promotion for Under 16's coach Terry Harvey. The former Caludon Castle student has previously worked within the Manchester United Soccer Schools programme & has 4 years experience as a Sports Development Officer since graduating with honours from Coventry University.
Scott Riddell will also be joining the club as an important part of the new structure. A graduate of Sports Sciences from Liverpool John Moores University, Riddell has previously worked with both Liverpool's and Everton's Academies before moving onto Preston North Ends' Centre of Excellence. After spending the past 18 months working with Coventry City's Boys Academy Riddell will now be lending his considerable knowledge and expertise to both the Ladies' first team and the Centre of Excellence. This new role will support all aspects of fitness, physiology and psychology.