Workington Reds have moved quickly to fill the void left on the coaching staff by the departure of Terry Mitchell to Darlington.
Senior players Conor Tinnion and Jamie Devitt have accepted invitations to step to assistant manager roles while continuing to play.
As a consequence of that Tinnion will relinquish the captain’s armband and Dav Symington, who has been skippering in his absence, will take on the role permanently.
Manager Danny Grainger said: “I’m delighted that Conor and Jamie have accepted the opportunity to step up and I look forward to working with them.
“Both have a vast knowledge of the game and are dedicated to the club and me.
“They won’t be scared to voice an opinion which is hugely important in this position and working alongside our goalkeeping coach Billy Redden and myself, I’m sure we can deliver a positive second half of the season.
On Symington’s permanent captaincy role Grainger said: “Dav has shown his leadership qualities over the last couple of seasons and has been influential in the dressing room. He has led the team in recent weeks and I’m sure he will be successful as skipper and help build on the progress we have made over the last few years.”
The appointments come on the eve of a testing game at leaders Radcliffe this afternoon – who on the evidence of what they showed in a 4-1 early-season win at Borough Park are deserving table-toppers.
It is sure to be an emotional day for one of Grainger’s team-mates in the Radcliffe line-up as Luke Joyce prepares to play his final game before retirement. He is joining Brentford as a scout.
The Reds boss said: “We were team-mates at Carlisle and I tried to sign him for the Reds before he joined Radcliffe. He is not just a very good footballer but he is also a very good bloke as well. Whatever he turns to he will make a success of.
“We have been friends for a long time and we speak regularly during the week. He knows I will be wishing him all the best for the future – after the game!”
Grainger still has one or two injury concerns ahead of the game, which will mean another late team selection.
