[themaclad]

Newly promoted Forest Green Rovers have appointed Notts County boss Ian Burchnall as their new head coach.

The 39-year-old takes charge of the Gloucestershire club as they move up to League One for the first time.

He replaces Rob Edwards, who led the club to promotion and the League Two title before being appointed Watford manager earlier this month.

Burchnall had been at Notts County since March 2021 and led the team to fifth in the National League this year.

This season was the second successive time he had taken Notts County to the National League play-offs, although they were defeated by Torquay United in the semi-finals last year and by Grimsby Town at the same stage this season.

"I'm really delighted to sign at FGR and be part of what is an exciting chapter in the club's history," Burchnall said.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to come and lead the club and the challenge of football in League One was just too good to turn down, especially at a progressive and forward-thinking club."

Burchnall got his first taste as a manager working in Scandinavia's top tiers, first as assistant manager to former Sheffield United striker Brian Deane at Norwegian side Sarpsborg in 2012.

In 2017 he took over as manager at Viking FC, before replacing Graham Potter as boss of Swedish side Ostersunds FK a year later.

"We're all excited to welcome Ian to the club and look forward to our first season together in League One," said Dale Vince, Forest Green Rovers chairman.

When former Rovers boss Edwards left for relegated Premier League side Watford on 11 May, Vince said negotiations had taken place "behind our backs" - but he praised Notts County for their part in Burchnall's move.

"Big credit to Notts County for the way they handled this - between us we've shown how moves in football can still get done properly and above board."

A statement from the Notts County board said they already have a "ready-made shortlist" of candidates to replace Burchnall and that "negotiations are progressing well".

[themaclad]

His right hand man

Forest Green Rovers have appointed Notts County's Michael Doyle as their new assistant head coach.

Doyle, 40, links back up with Forest Green's new head coach Ian Burchnall.

He joined Notts County as a player in 2019 before taking on a coaching role in May 2021 and became assistant head coach to Burchnall this season.

During his career the midfielder made over 850 appearances for clubs including Coventry City, Sheffield United and Portsmouth.

This season, Forest Green won the League Two title and secured promotion to League One for the first time in their history. Burchnall was appointed in place of Rob Edwards, who left the Gloucestershire club following the conclusion of the season to take up the manager position at Watford.

"It's a very unique situation to come into. It's very rare that a management team come into a club after they've just won the league, but we're all excited and it's brilliant for us," Doyle said.

"When Ian's previous assistant left Notts County, he asked me to step up and I haven't looked back since. It was a great year of learning and I feel really privileged to be stepping up two divisions."

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The End

Forest Green Rovers part company with head coach Ian Burchnall, with the club bottom of League One.

Ex-Notts County boss Burchnall was appointed in May, after the departure of Rob Edwards to Watford and Forest Green's promotion to League One.

However, they have won just five of their 28 league matches this season and are four points from safety.

"The challenge was greater than I could have thought coming in," Burchnall said in a statement.

"For the fans, I am sorry that I couldn't make it work and that they didn't see the best of my team. I hope for them the team turns it around. They deserve a team in League One."

Under former boss Edwards, the Gloucestershire club won the League Two title and were promoted to the third tier for the first time in their history.

But they are now without a win in their last eight matches in all competitions, with Burchnall's departure coming after their 1-0 defeat at 10-man Bolton on Tuesday.

Forest Green have the worst goal difference in League One and have played more games than all of their relegation rivals.

"Our first season in League One was always going to be a challenge in itself but it's been been made more difficult by a number of factors, with their roots in last summer," said chairman Dale Vince.

"I believe in Ian as a coach, but circumstances have led us to this place, we've recruited strongly in the January window, player wise - now we need to recruit a new head coach - to give ourselves the best chance or staying in this league."

'A weaker team than last season'
Analysis - BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Paul Furley

Ian Burchnall leaves Forest Green with just five wins in 28 league games and no win since 10 December.

Dale Vince is usually a patient and loyal chairman, and as recently as the end of December was saying Burchnall needed to be given resources and time after a summer which saw key players Ebou Adams, Kane Wilson and Nicky Cadden depart, plus Matty Stevens and Jamille Matt struggling for fitness - their absence meant the team was weaker than last season's.

Vince has been consistent on that now, saying the root of the club's current plight lie in events of last summer.

There have been signings aplenty in the January transfer window, but those will take time to bed in - time a new manager will not have in a maximum of 18 games, inheriting a squad of someone else's players.

What ultimately may have cost Burchnall his job is that against a Bolton team, reduced to 10 men for more than an hour of Tuesday's game, Forest Green were unable to find a way through.

For all their possession, Rovers failed to produce the chances needed to score, which was not a good omen for the rest of the season playing against 11.