Cotterill makes Cheltenham return as manager

Steve Cotterill is Cheltenham's most successful manager winning three promotions and the FA Trophy during his first spell

Cheltenham Town have reappointed Steve Cotterill as their new manager 23 years after he left the club, on a deal until the summer of 2028.

Cheltenham-born Cotterill spent five years in charge of his hometown team, winning three promotions and the FA Trophy as he took them from the Southern Premier Division to the Football League for the first time.

He was most recently sacked from Forest Green Rovers in June and returns to Whaddon Road 10 days after Michael Flynn was sacked with the club bottom of the table.

"I am very pleased to confirm that Steve Cotterill is returning to us as manager," said chairman David Bloxham.

"Those are words many people never thought they would hear, but having held discussions with Steve and his agent over the past few days, we all believe that the time is right for him to return.

"Steve is a manager with vast experience and a record of success going back many years.

"I think it's fair to say that we would not be able to attract someone with his record of success unless he wanted the opportunity to rejoin his hometown club and the place where it all began for him."

Cotterill won three promotions and the FA Trophy with Cheltenham during the late 1990s and early 2000s

Assistant manager Aaron Downes - who took interim charge of the team and oversaw Saturday's 7-1 defeat by Grimsby - is to step down from his role.

Cotterill is a popular figure, having overseen the most successful period in Cheltenham's history, having been in charge of the Robins from 1997 to 2002.

The 61-year-old took them from the sixth tier through the National League up to League Two in four campaigns and also won the FA Trophy in 1998.

In 2009, he turned down the chance to return to the club saying, his "heart told me 'yes', but my head told me 'no'."

The appointment links him up with new Cheltenham owner Mike Garlick, who took over the club on 23 August and who Cotterill worked with when he was manager of Burnley, during Garlick's 17 years on the board at Turf Moor.

Cotterill has worked across the EFL during his time away from Cheltenham, also winning promotions with Notts County and Bristol City - the latter the League One and EFL Trophy double in 2015.

He has also worked at Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Shrewsbury.

Cheltenham have endured a difficult start to 2025-26, winning just one of their 10 matches so far and scoring only four goals, and sit at the foot of the Football League.

Director of football Gary Johnson also resigned from his role three days before Flynn's exit.

Bloxham said he wanted to thank fans for their "patience" and "forbearance".

"The directors and former principle shareholders have worked really hard over the past few months to bring new ownership to Cheltenham Town and to restructure the football management in order to give us the best chance to improve and move forward," Bloxham said.

"We have all been bitterly disappointed by our start to the season, but positive action has been taken, and there are still a lot of games left for us to turn things around."