Prestatyn Town unveil their new manager

Gareth ‘Perry’ Thomas is the new manager of Prestatyn Town.

Thomas recently left neighbours CPD Y Rhyl 1879 after four years in charge.

The new manager is expected to be joined at Bastion Gardens by the majority of his backroom team at Belle Vue.

Thomas and his staff have a tough job on their hands keeping Prestatyn in the tier 2 Cymru North, where they are currently next-to-bottom.

No doubt a number of new signings will emerge at Bastion Gardens over the coming days.

Thomas, 52, has a wealth of experience in football management across the North Wales pyramid.

As a player, he spent most of his career with Halkyn United, but also had short spells with both Flint Town United and Connah’s Quay Nomads in the League of Wales.

He helped Halkyn move through the leagues right up to the Cymru Alliance under the management of George Thelwell, to whom he eventually became assistant.

When Thelwell left the club, Thomas took over.

Thomas then had stints as manager with Mynydd Isa, Buckley Town, FC Nomads and Denbigh Town, whom he guided to the Word Cup Final in 2016, beating three Welsh Premier clubs en route to losing to mighty TNS in the showpiece game.

In 2015/16, he led Denbigh Town to what was then the highest league position in their history – third in the tier 2 Cymru Alliance. Eddie Maurice-Jones’ team of 2017-18 finished second in the CAL.

In 2017-18, Thomas took charge at Conwy Borough and led the club to a magnificent treble in his first season of Welsh Alliance League title, FAW Trophy and Cookson Cup.

He left Conwy the following season and had focused largely on junior football before taking over at CPD Y Rhyl 1879, a phoenix club formed in 2020 following the demise of Rhyl FC.

In his first season with the Lilywhites, the team won the tier 4 double of North Wales Coast East Premier Division title and Cookson Cup.

Rhyl are now in the third season in the tier 3 Ardal North West League.

Thomas left Belle Vue last month after1879 lost all four matches during October.