Darrell Clarke, a Bristol Rovers icon, is ready to return to the West Country with League One opponents.
Darrell Clarke has been out of job since April, with struggling Cheltenham Town eager to appoint him before the weekend meeting with Lincoln City.
Darrell Clarke, the legendary Bristol Rovers manager, is poised to be named the new manager of Cheltenham Town today, returning to the West Country some five years after departing the Mem.
Gloucestershire Report in real time Clarke will be announced as Wade Elliott’s replacement after the 44-year-old left Whaddon Road last week after a poor start to the season in which the Robins have only one point in League One and have yet to register a goal.
Clarke has been out of work since April after being fired by Port Vale, and he brings with him plenty of League One experience and knowledge to help guide Cheltenham out of the relegation zone, with a trip to Lincoln City on the horizon on Saturday.
The Robins will then face fellow strugglers Fleetwood Town at home on Tuesday, with the visitors currently managed by former Bristol City boss Lee Johnson.
Clarke is a much-loved character in BS7 having taken Rovers out of the Conference Premier (now National League) and into League One via back-to-back promotions; a penalty shootout success at Wembley over Grimsby Town and then Lee Brown’s dramatic goal at the Mem in May 2016.
He left the club in December 2018, after a four-and-a-half-year reign during which the Gas were mired in a relegation struggle and there was growing dissatisfaction with a lack of investment in the first squad and infrastructure.
However, he has since returned as both an opponent and a guest, first for the Marcus Stewart charity match in May and then for Rovers’ first home game of the season against Barnsley.
Rovers welcome Cheltenham Town at the Mem on December 9 after defeating the Robins 4-1 in the EFL Trophy earlier this month, a result that proved to be one of Elliott’s final as manager.
The Robins had also approached former manager Steve Cotterill, but the 59-year-old stated last week that he had declined the opportunity to return to his hometown club because of his connection with Elliott.
