John Ramshaw

John Ramshaw - Football coach and highly successful non league Manager.

Career

In 1978, Ramshaw began his highly successful coaching / managerial career. His first opportunity to coach was with the youth team at Notts County,^[1] from 1978 until 1983. He gained his English FA Full Licence (UEFA A Licence equivalent) in 1981.

In 1984 his love of playing football finally overcame him and he joined Shepshed Charterhouse as player-coach in the Southern Premier League. Struggling in the bottom three when he joined them Shepshed finished in a creditable 5th place narrowly missing out on promotion to the Football Conference.

The following year Ramshaw returned to the professional game with Nottingham Forest looking after their successful Associate Schoolboy programme for two years.

He returned to non-League management with Oakham United in the Central Midlands Football League in 1986, signing a young Dion Dublin (before facilitating his move to Norwich City) and leading the club to the CML League Cup semi-finals.

1989 saw him become Manager of Sutton Town then of the Northern Counties East League.^[2] and the club embarked on one of the most successful periods in their history, as they were runners up in the Northern Counties East league and League Cup semi-finalists in the three years Ramshaw was with the Snipes.

In 1994, he became the first team coach at the newly renamed Shepshed Dynamo, leading them through the 1994–95 season in the Midland Football Alliance.

In March 1995, he accepted the opportunity to become Manager of Hucknall Town replacing Ted Mullane. In the seven seasons Ramshaw was at the helm the club, they won the Northern Counties East League and were runners up in the Northern Premier League First Division the following season. They won the Northern Counties East League Cup two years in succession and also the Northern Counties East Football League Presidents Cup. They won the Notts Senior Cup three times. They were also runners up once losing to Arnold Town. They reached the semi finals of the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup. In their last appearance in the FA Vase the last 16 was reached.^[3] He also made one appearance on the substitutes bench.

In addition, Ramshaw led Hucknall Town's FC Youth Academy (the first full-time non league academy in the Midlands) to the Northern Alliance U19 League Championship and first round proper of FA Youth Cup.

November 2001 saw Ramshaw join Eastwood Town as the assistant manager to Bryan Chambers, however it was not long before he became his own man again. Ramshaw took the helm at Northern Premier League club Leek Town in May 2002,^[4] taking Paul Cox with him as his assistant. The 2002/03 season saw Leek Town have the tightest defence in the league, yet still only finish in ninth position.

The following season Ramshaw made the short journey across Staffordshire to Kidsgrove Athletic, leading them to success in the Staffordshire Senior Cup final by beating Conference side Stafford Rangers in a tight fought game at the home of Stoke City FC. They also reached the semi finals of the Northern Premier League Chairman's Cup.

Phil Starbuck was quick to get Ramshaw to join him at Arnold Town,^[5] during the 2003–04 season. This was followed by Arnold Town's most successful league campaign for ten seasons and their best-ever run in the FA Vase (fifth round). In addition they secured the future of the club by selling Ben Hutchinson to Middlesbrough for £100,000.

Ramshaw again joined Phil Starbuck at Northern Premier League club Hednesford Town,^[6] where they enjoyed a successful but ultimately disappointing season - dropping out of the play-off positions in the final few weeks after being in the top two for the majority of the season.

Ramshaw left Hednesford to take the reins at Lincoln United ^[7] In October 2007 however, after only ten games in charge he took the opportunity to rejoin Eastwood Town as Paul Cox's assistant. During the next two seasons the pair guided Eastwood Town to the Unibond Northern Premier League championship and promotion to the Football Conference (North); the third round proper of the FA Cup; the Peter Swales Trophy and the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup.

In May 2011, Ramshaw was appointed first team manager of Shepshed Dynamo.^[8]

He returned to Eastwood Town as manager in November 2011^[9] but left once again in October 2012 having tendered his resignation due to ongoing financial difficulties at the club. Despite the club's problems Ramshaw still managed to guide Eastwood Town to a Nottinghamshire Senior Cup Final victory. The fifth time he had won this trophy in his career! ^[10]

Ramshaw renewed his association with Paul Cox in November 2012 when he joined the coaching staff at Mansfield Town - where he was most recently Academy Manager at the League 2 side. His stewardship of the club's Academy saw 8 players progress to the professional ranks. In addition to which the Youth Team won the HKL Development League, were runners up (twice) in the Football Conference Youth Alliance and were the only League 2 side to reach the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup (2014/15 season). Ramshaw left Stags in December 2014 in the wake of Cox's resignation.

On 29 June 2015 Ramshaw was once again reunited with Paul Cox, becoming assistant manager at National League side Torquay United ^[11]

References