Matamata Swifts have appointed Bradley Rea as head coach for next season’s WaiBOP Men’s League One campaign.
It’s the second time Matamata have appointed Rea, with the coach first accepting the role a year ago, before an employment opportunity took him away from the Waikato.
Rea (25), who has also helped run development programmes for young players at Matamata through his work as a coach for the RF3 Football Academy, previously co-coached the Cambridge men’s first team.
“While I was only involved during the 2023 pre-season, I saw enough to know that this is an excellent club with some great people involved behind the scenes
“When the chance came to pick up the reins again, continue what we started, and hopefully build something to be proud of, I couldn’t say no. I’m looking forward to getting started, both as head coach and also as a player.”
Dwayne Barlow, head coach during 2023, is delighted to have Rea back on board with the club.
“As a club, in many respects, we’re in a better place now than we were this time last year,” Barlow says.
“Our 2023 season was a little bit chaotic, on and off the field, but I think we’re in a much better place now.
“The performances and results for our first team improved as the season advanced, so we have a solid base for Bradley to build on, while we’ve reviewed and tided up a number of off-field areas that should lead to a smoother experience for everyone involved with the club.”
Training will begin after Auckland Anniversary Weekend, with pre-season games set from earlyMarch.
New Plymouth Rangers and Claudelands Rovers are already scheduled to visit the Domain, with more games to be announced.
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