Buxton replace boss days before first FA Cup first round appearance since 1962
- Published
Buxton last played in the FA Cup first round when they lost a replay to Barrow in 1962
Buxton have changed managers just days before their first appearance in the FA Cup first round for 59 years.
Gary Hayward and Mark Ward left on Tuesday despite the club being third in the Northern Premier League and having a 20-game unbeaten start to the season.
The club have declined to comment on the reasons for their departures.
However, Ward posted on Twitter that he would have missed Buxton's tie against York City because of a holiday, which had been put back because of Covid-19.
He said the holiday had been postponed "a number of times" and to not go now would have resulted in his family losing "a lot of money".
Ward added: "By doing this and choosing to go away, the chairman feels he has no other choice but to sack me."
Former Colne and Curzon Ashton boss Steve Cunningham and assistant Damian Crossley have replaced the duo at the Derbyshire side.
"We've got a firm foundation for our work. The team has made an impressive start to the season under previous management and we'll move forward with determination," 41 year-old Cunningham told the club website.
Buxton's FA Cup tie at York follows victory over another National League North side, Kettering Town, in the final qualifying round.
"We've got so much experience and professionalism in that squad now. They've been through no end of management changes at a much higher level than this and I expect them to turn up and give 100% on the day," lifelong fan Phil Slater told BBC Radio Derby.
"It might actually work in our favour because everybody will expect us to be weakened by this, but hopefully that will be far from the case."
- Published20 October 2021
