Watts Named as Shirebrook Boss
15th May, 2013
Shirebrook Town have announced that Julian Watts, who yesterday stepped down as boss at Baris NCEL Division One rivals Hallam, is their new first team manager.
Joining him at Langwith Road as player/assistants will be ex-Rainworth Miners Welfare duo Mark Camm and Danny Bacon, both of who are keen to get into the coaching side of the game. All three have had professional careers in English football.
42-year-old Julian Watts was probably best known as a player for Luton Town.
A defender, he started out with Rotherham United as an apprentice, but after only two years in the first team he moved on to Sheffield Wednesday.
Watts left the Owls four years later, after only 18 league appearances, to play for Leicester City, but this move didn't work out either and he wore the colours of five more teams before he arrived at Luton Town on loan in 1999. The move clearly suited Watts, as he became a first team regular, and made 67 league appearances in two seasons.
At the end of the 2000-2001, he decided to join Australian club Northern Spirit, where he played until 2004, when the club folded.
Now retired from playing in the professional game, he returned to England to set up a business in Worksop.
In September 2010 he was appointed assistant manager of NCEL Premier Division side Maltby Main before joining Shirebrook's NCEL Division One rivals Hallam as manager in January 2011.
Watts said today: "I'm really happy to be joining a local club that's on the up, and I have been very impressed with Club President James Doody's vision for Shirebrook over the next five years."
32-year-old Mansfield-born Mark Camm started his playing career at Sheffield United after being promoted to the club's first team squad at the start of the 1997-1998 campaign.
He signed for Lincoln City in August 2000, where he was mainly used as a covering midfielder, and he played just under 40 times for the club in four seasons.
Camm joined Gainsborough Trinity on loan in February 2003, before finally leaving The Imps in January 2004 to join King's Lynn.
Further moves took him to Boston United, Worksop Town and Frickley Athletic, from where he went to Rainworth on loan.
Camm then had a spell at Belper Town before re-joining Rainworth on a permanent basis last campaign.
32-year-old Danny Bacon began his playing career with Mansfield Town, his home club.
A striker, he then had a two-year spell with Hucknall Town.
In May 2005, Bacon secured a move back to the professional ranks, agreeing a one-year deal with Lincoln City, but he struggled to break into the first team, making just two substitute appearances, and in September 2005 he was allowed to join Burton Albion on loan.
However, injury struck in only his fifth game when he fractured his fibula in a game against Aldershot and the break kept him out of the squad for six months.
Given the number 10 shirt at Sincil Bank by Keith Alexander for the 2006-2007 season, he made his first start in the opening fixture at Notts County, but Bacon's injury jinx hit again as he first suffered a nasty facial cut and then injured his ankle.
After recovery and a spell out on loan at Worksop Town, Bacon left The Imps in January 2007 to sign for Hednesford Town, before further moves took him back to Hucknall Town and then Worksop Town, before signing for Rainworth.
(Story Source: Shirebrook Town)
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