As the First Team looks to push on and build on it’s successful 3rd place finish last season. First Team Manager and Head Coach, Simon Johnson has appointed a new Under 23s Management Team, who will ensure that the next generation of players are ready for First Team Football as part of our successful pathway.
Our Under 23s will compete in the Premier Division of the Thames Valley Premier League for the 23/24 Season
The new Management Team will be headed up by our new U23s Manager, Andy Silver and will be supported by our new U23s Coaches Rob Wytchard and Dillan Purewall, all three of whom are highly experienced and experienced in the game and well respected within the local football scene.
U23s Manager, Andy Silver joins having most recently worked as Manager at Hellenic League 2 Division Outfit, Woodcote FC where he guided them to winning the Uhlsport Hellenic Football League Division 2 East title and the Oxfordshire Intermediate Cup in 2021/22, which he then followed up with finishing as runners up in the Uhlsport Hellenic Football League Division 2 East and reaching the final of the Uhlsport Hellenic Football League Chairman’s Cup in the 22/23 Season.
Prior to working at Woodcote, Andy has worked at Wallingford FC (now known as Wallingford & Crowmarsh FC) from 2018/19 to 2021/22 as Assistant Manager, it’s here he worked with Kieran Jennings who formerly managed our Under 23s before taking up the role of First Team Coach within Simon Johnson’s backroom staff ahead of the 22/23 Season.
Andy was also Assistant Manager at Binfield FC from 2016/17 to 2018/19, prior to that he was their Goalkeeping Coach during the 2015/16 Season.
Andy joined Binfield from Reading Town Football Club, so is no stranger to RG30 having admirably held the fort at Town through some of their darkest days.
Andy’s Reading Town days also saw him work with our First Team Assistant Manager, Michael Butcher. During Michael’s stint as Manager of Reading Town, Andy was a member of his coaching team.
U23s Coach, Rob Wytchard is a UEFA A Licence coach who joins having most recently worked with Andy at Woodcote FC up until the end of the 22/23 Season.
Rob has also worked with Andy at Wallingford Town (now known as Wallingford and Crowmarsh FC) where he worked as First Team Coach from 2020/21 to 2021/22.
Before joining Wallingford, Rob also worked at Binfield FC with Andy where he had been a coach from 2015/16.
During his time at Binfield, the club won the Uhlsport Hellenic League Floodlit Cup during the 2017/18 Season.
Rob was also part of Wantage Town’s backroom team during their Uhlsport Hellenic Football League winning season in 2013/14. Rob left the Fred’s during the 2014/15 season to take up at position at Abingdon United where he was reunited with Gary Ackling who was previously the manager at Wantage.
Rob was also part of the coaching team at Thatcham Town from 2010/11 to 2012/13.
Rob began his coaching career at Reading Town FC and is therefore no stranger to RG30.
U23s Coach, Dillan Purewall joins us from our good friends Woodley United FC and is therefore also no stranger to RG30.
Dillan joined the Kestrel’s ahead of the 2019/20 Season where he was the Head Coach for the Under 15s guiding them through Youth Football until they were Under 18s.
As Under 18s he led them to becoming 2022/23 East Berks Football Association Division 2 Champions during the 2022/23 Season making them back-to-back champions having won the Under 17s Division Four title during the 2021/22 Season.
Ahead of the 2020/12 Season Dillan took on extra responsibility at Woodley United by also becoming the Goalkeeping Coach for the Youth & Junior Teams within the club.
His hard work and dedication was recognised by the Kestrel’s and in October he became part of their First Team Coaching Setup, a role that would also see him become the interim head coach of their reserves for the second half of the 22/23 Season.
Dillan was crowned the Rising Star of the Year in the 2019/20 FA & Mcdonalds Grassroots Football Awards for the Berks & Bucks FA Region.
Dillan is also a member of the coaching team at Club Partner John Madejski Academy, where he has the role of Assistant Performance Coach. In this role he works closely with our First Team Assistant Manager, Michael Butcher whose day-to-day role is Director of Football at our Club Partner John Madejski Academy’s Boys Football Performance Programme.
His arrival at the club strengthens our Club Partnership with JMA as he is keen to continue and build the player pathway, that we have already created in the hope we can bring more young talent through the club.
Club Chairman, Martin Law had this to say:
“As a new chapter opens for our Under 23s. We are all very excited to welcome Andy, Dillan and Rob to the club. All of them have had a connection to the Rivermoor in some shape or form during their coaching career and we can’t wait to see what memories they will create as part of Reading City Football Club.
Their arrival is testament to the hard work going on at the club, both on and off the pitch to make our brand a reputable one. As all three have a rich pedigree when it comes to coaching it shows that as a club, we can attract top talent both within our playing squads and coaching teams.”
First Team Manager & Head Coach, Simon Johnson had this to say following the successful appointment of our new Under 23s Management Team:
“I’m excited to announce the appointments of Andy, Dillan and Rob for the Under 23s side. Combined they are a team full of experience at this level and I’m excited to see how our younger lads at the club develop under them in the upcoming season.”
