by Garry Clarke
TWO figures well know to the Warrington football fraternity have joined the Rylands FC coaching team ahead of the 2020-2021 season.
Former Blues player/joint manager Stuart Wellstead and former Warrington Town midfielder David Mannix, both 34, have joined Dave McNabb’s management team in preparation for the start of bet365 royal ascot next season when ever that may be.
After their appointments were announced McNabb commented “My current management team is exceptional in my opinion but David and Stu will take it to the next level”.
A graduate of the Liverpool FC Academy and capped 15 times by England at youth level,, Mannix was part of the squad that won the UEFA Champions League in 2005, before a number of serious injuries hampered his
progress. Leaving Anfield he had spells at Accrington Stanley, Chester City and Norwegian outfit HamKam before moving into non-league. Entering non-league he played for Vauxhall Motors and Colwyn Bay before having a memorable stay with Warrington Town.
At Cantilever Park he was an integral part of the side that reached the FA Cup second round in 2014-15, assisting the winning goal to knock out League Two Exeter City along the way, delivering the corner from
which Craig Robinson headed the only goal of the game.
Running his own Academy, Mannix is a UEFA A license coach and has had spells as Assistant Manager with Clitheroe and more recently Bangor City in Wales.
Wellstead, a water services manager, is a familiar figure at the club having been joint manager and player during their inaugural season in the North West Counties in the 2018-2019 season when as top scorer he helped guide Rylands to a Division One South Champions and North West Counties Division One Champions of Champions double.
Having announced his retirement as a player, he has a long history within north west non-league football having represented a number of clubs over the last 17 years including notable spells with Runcorn Linnets, winning the Premier Division in the 2017-2018 season as well as ending last season with leaders 1874 Northwich before the league aborted due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/content-images/david-mannix.jpg?resize=504%2C337&ssl=1)
David Mannix in action at Warrington Town