By Chris Wood for North Derbyshire Radio
Matlock Town have today confirmed the appointment of a new management team, following the stepping down of Lewis Duckmanton and assistant Sam Hird on Saturday evening. It was announced today (09/10/2026) that the Gladiators have appointed Nathan Haslam as manager and Pav Singh as his assistant.
Nathan Haslam is a well-known figure in non league football in the North East, most notably at Guisborough Town where he was a player in the early 2000s and then, as a manager, led them to the Northern League title for the first time in the club’s history. He also played for Bishop Auckland, Marske United and Whitley Bay and has coached and managed Whitby Town. During his 169 game spell as boss of the coastal club, Haslam took Whitby to the first round proper of the FA cup for the first time in 20 years and guided them to a North Riding Senior Cup success in 2024.
Assistant Pav Singh also has a strong record, having played for the likes of Farsley Celtic, Harrogate Town, Thackley, Albion Sports and Liversedge before becoming a coach. He won promotion with Albion Sports before guiding Liversedge to back-to-back promotions (reaching Step 3 of the National League System) as assistant manager. Singh also served as director of professional football at Farsley Celtic for almost 2 years before stepping in as a manager for 19 games in an extremely difficult period in the club’s history. He is regarded as a coach-development specialist and specialises in a people-centred approach as well as a high energy style on the pitch. He is also head of Coach Development at Wrexham FC, contributes to the coaching of the England C team and holds a UEFA A licence.
In a statement published on Matlock’s social media channels, Mr Haslam said that he is “delighted to be joining Matlock Town and I’m really looking forward to getting started.” He talks about his excitement to be involved with the ambition that the chairman has for Matlock Town and believes that there’s a lot to be positive about around the club, despite the lengthy injury list that the Gladiators are currently struggling with and the lukewarm start that they have made to their season. With reference to his plans for the team, Haslam said: “My immediate priority is to bring some stability, build confidence within the group and get us playing an expansive, attacking brand of football that the supporters can enjoy.”
Mr Singh has also released a statement about his appointment, saying that he is delighted to be joining Matlock Town “a club with a proud history and passionate supporters” and is grateful to both the chairman and Nathan Haslam for the opportunity. About his new colleague, Mr Singh said: “I am excited to be working alongside Nathan, someone I have huge respect for in the game.” He is also looking forward to bringing his experience and high standards to the club and supporting them in moving forward into this new chapter.
Chairman Dave Hilton has moved swiftly to secure a new management duo, hopefully giving supporters something to be excited about and preventing an extended limbo period as a search for a new manager could have dragged on.
Haslam’s first game in charge will be away at Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday (10/10/2026) and his assistant will join from next week as he is committed to the England schoolboy set up currently.
Onwards and upwards for the Gladiators? That remains to be seen, but it’s fair to say from the two statements, and the swiftness of the chairman’s actions, there’s a lot ot be hopeful about in Matlock for the coming weeks!
