Some gathering rumours… emanating mostly from York fans… that James Ford is leaving the knights to join Trinity as assistant coach…

Wouldn’t be a suprise, he and Applegarth go back to the Wakefield College days and Ford has probably taken York as far as he can. The 2 crushing defeats to Leigh won’t have helped his cause as a potential Head Coach

Was he the coach at Fev once ?

I've heard that rumour as well. Done a good job at York, but was never going to compete with Leigh in the Championship. It'd be a positive appointment in my opinion.

Strange a head coach will leave his position to become an assistant to a head coach who has just moved up from assistant.

If true it could be a good move, he appears to have a good reputation in the game, has a fair bit of experience now and he will likely know the players in the Championship who could perhaps move up a level, crucial for a club who needs to get as much out of the finances it is willing to spend.

according to Wiki he has a contract at York till 2024. if true he is on his way must have a SL get out clause or York happy to part company. Cant see us paying them a fee.

It’s being reported he is leaving York so looks like theres some legs to this. Should work well with Mash but an interesting move for him.

Not if you were due the push - I don’t know by the way. Kear did it with us for a year.

Yes looking like its on. More I look into his back ground ,the more I am liking this as a potential appointment

Might be wishful thinking on my part but I always think it looks more balanced when one coach was a forward and the other a back.

I personally think this is good stuff ford as been good for york with plenty of experience to go along side mash.with what i been told its done too

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... s-25211862

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... s-25211862

FWIW it reminds me a bit of the Kear/Ferres type eras.

We didn’t have much cash but both men new a good player when they saw one. Both also had the knowledge and contact to know where to find them and then convince them to join us.

I don’t think Nash has the pulling power of Kear just yet. However Mash has the benefit of a club that is now considered reliable and safe financially. The latter I believe is the more valuable.

Unless we suddenly get a cash windfall then we will have to be the shrewdest club in SL to achieve anything. That for me requires coaches who know the local game back to front and know where those gems that can be polished are hiding.

Morgan Smith is a perfect example. Who knows if it will work out but when you look at it, 24, promising junior, some SL and 20 tries last season. and local with no upheaval to his life. It’s hard to argue against the logic of the signing for a club on a budget.

It also shows Applegarth has some confidence in his own ability as a coach as he's surely recruited a guy who would effectively replace him if it goes pear shaped.

Yeah there is that. Sort of what happened to Chester.



That said I get the feeling that MC and JM in particular views the whole football management side of the club in a far more modern business like way. I think JM sees the head coach as the lead manager but not as some god like figure. I think being the ex PWC man he is he will see very defined roles but with a clear pathway for communications and discussion.

I don’t know if he’s right or wrong but it’s a modern approach that doesn’t seem to depend on one main person and a bunch of yes men. Hope he is right because it’s the sort of thinking that might just give us an edge.

I’ve actually had more to do with JM than MC and at first JM seems very affable and attentive, and indeed he is. But underneath that there is some real toughness and a willingness to make some very tough choices and to do so with minimal fuss. As seen with WP. He’s extremely open to ideas, but what I like is that if he doesn’t like the idea he politely but firmly let’s you know.

I like that, I prefer to know what people think no matter how unpleasant I find it. There is not much worse in my book than people who string you along.

Just my opinion on what limited contact I’ve had and to be fair I can’t claim to know any of them well.

James Ford an excellent coach

I’d say one of the main reasons York have being put back on the RL map

Heard the rumour myself this afternoon.

I've always said the coaching team is worth investment. He'd be a great investment for tge club.

York City Knights coach set for exit Trinity Bound e.leeds-live.co.uk/_act/link.php ... Id=7547002

York City Knights coach set for exit Trinity Bound e.leeds-live.co.uk/_act/link.php ... Id=7547002

Interestingly James Ford has been to Castleford for an interview for the Head Coaches job

Well, if he's watched Cas tonight against Shudds, i think he will probably give it a miss if he has any sense.

For what he’s doing with us would we miss him ?!?!

Why would Cas want him?

I was hoping this was about a new investor

It looks like we are already clearing the decks by allowing our assistant coach to seek alternative employment for our life in the championship. The next will be to ascertain which players have the ability to get a job outside of the game for when go down to part time