Club statement: David Fish to leave Lilywhites
Mossley AFC can confirm that we have reluctantly accepted the resignation of David Fish, who will leave Seel Park at the end of the Season; citing circumstances outside of football as being behind his decision.
David joined the Lilywhites in June 2020 during difficult times for the Club, with the ask to rebuild the team and stay in the Northern Premier League (NPL) West division. Though his first season was cut short by the COVID pandemic, he exceeded expectations with a solid start that included a memorable win over Ramsbottom United in the FA Cup.
In the following four seasons, he built on the foundations of that squad and provided fans with a team they could be proud of, both on and off the pitch. One of the hallmarks of David’s tenure has been his ability to spot talented players and not only turn them into NPL players, but to get them ready to play higher up the pyramid, including Jes Uchegbulam, Declan Evans, Devon Matthews, Freddie Sass and now Bailey Marsden to name just a few.
Fans will no doubt look back at the 2022-23 season when David, and his coaching staff, put together a team that almost reached the play-offs, but there have been many famous wins across his tenure at the Club including at Runcorn Linnets, Marine, Workington, Bamber Bridge, Whitby and last season’s Boxing Day win over Stalybridge Celtic, and many more.
On accepting David’s resignation, Nathan Harris (Director), told us “When David joined the Club, he had an unenviable role of trying to take us forward. He has exceeded expectations at every step of the mark and has consistently built excellent teams on tight budgets.
“Not only has he developed players to move up the pyramid, but he has put fans and the community back at the heart of the Club and has built teams who engage with our supporters more than ever, as well as playing an instrumental role in our recent partnership with Uppermill FC.
“We respect his decision to step down and he has more than earned the right to leave on his own terms. We have had some memorable moments with David at the helm and we will forever be proud of the work he has done and the legacy he leaves behind.”
David will end his Mossley managerial career with a home game against Stalybridge Celtic before a trip to Hanley Town on the final day of the season. This will see him finish on 193 competitive games – a feat that sees him 9th in the list of managers ‘appearances’ and sees him end the season as the second-longest serving manager in the League, just weeks short of his counterpart at Chasetown FC.
We’d like to place on record our thanks for all the work David has done during his time here, and the memories he has given us all, we wish David and his family nothing but happiness and success in everything they do in the future. He will forever be part of the Mossley family and he will always be welcomed back to Seel Park with open arms.
Thank you, Fishy!
We caught up with David to talk about his decision and his time at Seel Park. Watch it here:-