DROITWICH Spa have confirmed the return of Mark Owen as the club’s assistant manager to newly-appointed boss Quentin Townsend.
The 48-year-old returns to the Saltmen after almost six years away from the King George Playing Fields.
Owen will begin his on July 2 and previously managed the club for six years from October 2014 to October 2020 before former boss Andy Crowther began his reign as Spa manager.
Owen said: “I have had a really good break from the game and I’ve enjoyed it, along with starting a new job at the back end of last year.
“I’ve always followed the club from a distance and I’m super proud of where Spa are today and the amazing job Andy has done.
“When Quent rang me to ask if I wanted to come back it was an easy decision to make, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in this new chapter for the club.
“So much has changed from when I was first appointed all those years ago. The infrastructure is awesome, the fanbase and the ground too, and I’m just really happy to have played my part in those early days.
‘It’s difficult to pick a stand out moment from my previous spell at the club, it’s more a case of the squad that I built, and so many of those players are still at the club today and doing brilliantly well.
“My role will be as Quent’s assistant. We’ve known each other for a long time as we were at Wolves together.
“I won’t be changing anything from before, and I will be doing everything I can to support Quent in producing a side that the town can continue to back and support, and I can’t wait to get going.”
Owen’s spell as Saltmen manager came with the club second from bottom in Midland Football League Division Two.
He brought current Spa striker James Lemon to the club and guided the club up the table to safety.
Owen took charge of 221 games and departed with a record of 146 wins, 20 draws and 56 defeats.
Spa won two Worcestershire Junior Cup titles and the MFL Presidents Cup with Owen at the helm.
Townsend added: “Mark and I go back around 30 years. We were together at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1990s, and we’ve stayed in close contact ever since.
“We’re good friends away from football, but over the years we’ve often talked about the possibility of working together.
“Mark has been out of the game for a little while since managing Droitwich. I spoke to him recently and offered him the opportunity to join my staff as assistant manager and my right-hand man.
“His wealth of coaching experience will be a huge asset to this football club and will help me enormously. We’ll be able to bounce ideas off each other, and while the buck ultimately stops with me, he’ll be an excellent sounding board.
“I’m delighted that he’s agreed to come back and take on this role. It gives him a renewed focus, and I genuinely believe it’s the best possible outcome for the football club following Andy’s decision to step down.”
