Darren Ryan

Darren took temporary charge of First Team affairs with Reserve Team Manager, Graeme Evans following Roger Preece's resignation on 16th October 2006. The duo took control of their first game in the Loosemores Cup match at home to arch rivals Caersws, which was won 2-1.

Newtown then appointed Ryan as Manager on 9th November 2006 after a brief successful spell which saw the Robins win two Cup matches and narrowly lose their two league games. Graham immediately vacated his position as Reserve Team Manager to become Darren's assistant.

In appointing the Ryan/Evans partnership the Newtown Board took several matters into consideration when applying the criteria selected from the Club's footballing strategy. A young and enthusiastic coach with no previous managerial experience will grow with the Club as it strives to climb back up the league ladder. The Club's immediate playing ambitions are modest, and are formed from the fact that with a strictly limited playing budget and no major backer, success has to be measured in securing its position as a Welsh Premier Club and reaching the top 10 in the League. The Board wished to appoint a Manager from the immediate locality as it does not want players being brought in from afar and wished to retain the basic framework that exists, with the introduction of three or four new players to hopefully spark the drive for a safer league position. Darren exactly fitted the bill.

Darren was 34 years old when appointed and has had a long career in Football - starting in 1988 at Shrewsbury as a professional player and going on for spells at Chester, Stockport County, Rochdale and Barry Town. As a semi-professional from 1998, he played for TNS, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport County, Haverfordwest, Cardiff Grange Quins and Newtown, where he has been on the playing staff since 2005.

He won Welsh Premier League Championship honours with Barry Town as well as winning the Welsh Cup and League Cup. He holds a UEFA 'B' Licence and is now undertaking his 'A' Licence. He is currently employed as a Coach with an Oswestry company that specialise in coaching Football youth academies.