Yeovil Town have appointed Billy Rowley as their new manager on a deal until the end of the 2027/28 season.
The 43-year-old has guided Walton & Hersham to the top of the Southern League South division and earned high praise for building a youthful, exciting side and left fans shocked when the club announced his departure on Monday.
Later on Tuesday, the club confirmed Rowley’s assistant Darren Simpson would be joining him at Huish Park after the club agreed a release feel for the pair with Walton.
In a statement confirming the appointment on Tuesday, Rowley said: “It’s a massive community club. The history of this club is incredible, I know a few boys who have played for this team and they can’t speak highly enough of it. I’m just looking forward to getting on the grass with the lads. When a club like Yeovil call you up, it is incredibly hard to turn that down.”
On Tuesday morning, Glovers’ chairman Prabhu Srinivasan posted a video revealing a new boss was set to be announced.
In the club statement which followed, the owner added: “Our focus is clear: progressive, attacking football, a strong identity, and a commitment to developing players at Huish Park. In Billy Rowley, we found exactly what we were looking for. I’ve watched his Walton side firsthand, the quality of his setup, the clarity of his ideas, and the intensity of his football are unmistakable. Speaking with him only reinforced that he was the standout choice. Billy is the manager we wanted, and we are delighted to bring him to the club.”
The statement announcing Rowley offered no insight in to the futures of either Richard Dryden, who has been in charge since the shock exit of Danny Webb after just 11 days at the end of September, or his assistant Jerry Gill.
The Huish Park rumour mill was filled with talk of Rowley’s imminent arrival on Monday night after Walton confirmed he had departed the Step 3 cub after 18 months in charge.
In a statement on Monday, the Surrey side said: “Following an approach received during our fixture vs Hungerford on Saturday, Billy Rowley has left his position as First Team Manager with immediate effect to take up a new opportunity higher up the football pyramid after 18 months in charge at Walton & Hersham FC.
“He follows a number of individuals who, during their time at the club, have been able to develop within our environment before moving on to roles at higher-level sides in recent years.”
Rowley held coaching roles in the development squads at both Chelsea and Fulham before spending almost three years as an academy coach in California before returning to the UK in May 2020 to take up a coaching role at Walton.
Walton was taken over by a group of seven friends, all aged around 19 years old at the time of the takeover in 2019, and in 2020 they appointed Scott Harris as manager with Rowley taking a prominent role in his coaching staff.
The takeover both on and off the pitch proved successful as the club Rowley was part of the dug-out team as Walton & Hersham rattled through three successive promotions, climbing from Step 6 in the Combined Counties League Division One up to Step 3 the Southern League South Division. That’s two football pyramid steps below the National League Premier Division if you were wondering.
Harris stepped down as manager in April 2024 with Rowley taking interim charge at the Surrey club, whose very name will stir up memories of Yeovil’s FA Cup exit there in the mid-1990s for fans of a certain age. A month later, he was confirmed as manager and in his first season Walton finished third in Southern League Premier South and won the Surrey Senior Cup, beating National League South side Dorking Wanderers in the final.
This season, Walton are top of the league, two points clear of second-placed Gloucester City having played one game less, with 13 wins in their 16 matches.
In a feature on the Southern League website from February, Rowley spoke about the young side he had assembled saying: “We have a possession-based style here; it’s high energy stuff with plenty of movement on the pitch. I want highly intelligent players who are adaptable and give their all.” You can read that article in full – here.
Best of luck to him, let’s hope he can work miracles 😂
Sounds a like a really promising and exciting appointment, though I’ll restrain my hopes until a day or two after his first match.. 😅
Just what we need. A progressive, ambitious young manager with enthusiasm and energy. All the best to him. Good luck.
Just when you think you’ve lost all hope and patience with this football club, they pull this out of nowhere. Let’s try and hold on to him for more than 10 days this time! Billy Rowley’s green & white army.
A very brave move by Prabhu, and we thank him for it. A young, keen, energetic manager is the breath of fresh air we need to energise and inspire our lads which will then, hopefully, turn them into a team working together. Let’s do our club motto proud and “Achieve by Unity’.
My feelings are at this time we should go for an experienced manager, someone who has won things that can motivate the players , someone with charisma , someone who our loyal supporters can start to enjoy the style of football that is exciting and positive….AND achieve the right results, however once again we are going for someone who is basically just starting out, I feel this is a risk that needs not to have happened at this time…..time will tell.
Agree with Joseph.However, we must give the lad a chance so welcome to our club Billy.
Sounds like a good change of direction. Looking forward to seeing if BR can motivate or change the mindset of the squad. I’m sure there are young/hungry players in regional football who would snap his hand off at a chance to make the step up!
When was the last time we had a manager say “When a club like Yeovil call you up, it is incredibly hard to turn that down”? I am very excited!
Great appointment I’m excited and looking forward to the Boston game now.Fantastic interview and cant wait to see Billy turn things round and getting the thatchers buzzing again(might take a while to put his stamp on things)but hopefully a breath of fresh air.I know he is unproven but I’m optimistic.Up the glovers
Good luck Billy. Personally I’m right behind any young coach making their way in the game. Credit to Mr Prabhu also for seemingly doing the scouting and getting his hands dirty with this appointment, maybe this means Nicholas the spin man won’t be as prominent now.