United appoints Kelvin Langmead as new manager
02/06/2025
The appointment follows the club serving notice to Simon Hollyhead
Banbury United have appointed Kelvin Langmead as their new first team manager.
The announcement was made this morning and follows the news that the club had served notice to Simon Hollyhead and placed him on gardening leave.
Langmead was a player with the Puritans during the club’s most successful period under former manager Andy Whing.
Simon Hollyhead’s time with the Puritans finished abruptly last week after he requested permission to speak with Kettering Town FC about their vacant manager’s position. No agreement could be reached between the two club’s so Hollyhead’s availability was withdrawn. To protect the best interests of Banbury United, Chairman Wayne Farrell served notice to Hollyhead and placed him on gardening leave for the duration of his notice period.
The announcement that Kelvin Langmead has been appointed as his replacement comes two days later.
Langmead started his career as a trainee at Preston North End. Shortly after his debut there he moved to Shrewsbury Town, initially playing as a striker before moving into defence. Transfers to Peterborough United and Northampton Town followed before a move to non-league football.
Signed by Banbury United in 2020, Langmead remained with the Puritans until 2023, through the period of promotion to the National League North. He retired as a player last year.
Chairman Wayne Farrell said: “It’s no secret that Kelvin was a fundamental part of this Club’s most successful period, and when we knew that we needed to act, there was one person we targeted for the role.
“His passion for a successful Banbury United was evident throughout our conversations, and I have been incredibly impressed by his vision for the Club, his tactical knowledge, and his desire to win football matches.
“We are aligned in our understanding of what needs to happen to take the team to the next level, and in Kelvin, we have someone who is determined to deliver for our supporters and the Club. Once he has met with the current players and set out his plan, we will arrange further time with him for a wider set of updates.”
Kelvin Langmead added: “This Club means so much to me. I had some of the best times of my career here, and I was lucky enough to be able to share that with my family. To be able to bring them back here and get to stand in the dugout as the manager of this great football club fills me with immense pride.
“There’s a lot of hard work to be done, but I’m ready for that challenge. The town, the Club, the fans, let’s do this together.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
