Former Premier League forward Gary Taylor-Fletcher has returned to football management, taking charge of Widnes Town as the club seeks to improve its fortunes in the North West Counties League Division One South. Widnes Town, competing for the first time within the National League System, find themselves navigating a challenging debut season following the withdrawal of Widnes FC from the Northern Premier League Premier Division in June 2025.

Widnes Town’s early results have been difficult, managing only a single point from their first four league matches. This underperformance prompted the departure of Paul McNally, who had the distinction of being the club’s first-ever manager. Taylor-Fletcher, 45, has now been appointed with the remit of revitalizing the team and moving them away from the lower reaches of the Step 6 table.

Taylor-Fletcher’s playing career spanned several English clubs including Blackpool, Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, and Tranmere Rovers. Since retiring from playing, he has gained managerial experience with Welsh sides such as Bangor City and Llandudno, as well as Nantwich Town, where he served as joint manager, and AFC Crewe.

His managerial return will coincide with Widnes Town’s first “home” fixture of the season, which is scheduled for Saturday at Marine AFC, where they are set to face New Mills. Taylor-Fletcher’s appointment signals the club’s ambition to stabilize and ultimately improve their standing in their inaugural National League System campaign.