Duncan Ferguson has returned to football management, taking charge of Northern Ireland's Glentoran. The appointment ends a three-year absence from the dugout for the former Forest Green Rovers boss, who left the club following their relegation from League One in 2023. The club he departed now sits 16th in the National League, having taken 15 points from 12 games this season.

Ferguson arrived at Forest Green in January 2023 with the club bottom of the table, replacing Ian Burchnall. He inherited a side that had won promotion the previous season but was unable to halt the slide. "I was not scared of a challenge," he told reporters at the time, believing the team could climb. His tenure lasted 18 matches, yielding just one win, three draws and 14 defeats. Relegation was confirmed in April 2023 after a 5-1 defeat to Barnsley, making Forest Green the first EFL side to go down that season. His team conceded an average of 2.5 goals per game during his time in charge, a statistic that showed the defensive struggles he faced.

From Forest Green to Glentoran

Glentoran's owner Ali Pour and sporting director Paul Millar conducted a five-week search before turning to Ferguson. They had initially targeted Jim Magilton, but after he declined, they pivoted to the Scot. Pour said the multi-year appointment reflected the club's ambition to win trophies and confidence in Ferguson's coaching, leadership and recruitment qualities. "The more I spoke with them, the more I wanted the job," Ferguson said. "Their ambition matches my own." He outlined his intent to deliver success, stating, "I want to win trophies here.

Ferguson, 54, brings extensive Premier League experience as both a player and a coach, having spent a decade on Everton's staff and twice serving as caretaker manager. He will be assisted at The BetMcLean Oval by Gary Bollan, who worked with him at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

His first game in charge is at home to Ballymena United on Saturday, a fixture he will hope marks a positive start. Back in Nailsworth, Forest Green are handling a different path. The team's recent form reads zero wins, three draws and two defeats from their last five matches, a sequence that began with a 1-3 home loss to Boston United on 19 September and includes draws with Sutton United and Wealdstone. Their most recent outing was a 0-0 draw at Chesham United on Saturday 17 October. Overall this season they have scored 19 goals but conceded 22, leaving them with a negative goal difference. They now find themselves 20 points behind the league leaders, Boreham Wood. The club's next fixture is away at Barrow on Saturday 24 October.

The report in full is at stroudtimes.com