Bradford City Women is thrilled to announce the appointment of Nick Buxton as the new first team manager for the club.
Buxton, the former boss of Doncaster Rovers Belles, brings with him a wealth of experience from coaching in the men’s academy setups of Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United.
After serving as an assistant, Buxton assumed the role of Belles manager in September 2022. Under his guidance, the team achieved a commendable second-place finish in the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands. Additionally, they reached the final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup, marking their first appearance in a final in 13 years.
Joining Buxton will be Daniel Solts, who will serve as the assistant manager. Solts previously held the position of Buxton’s second-in-command at Belles, having transitioned from his role as the head of sports science at Doncaster Rovers Academy.
Buxton said: “It feels absolutely brilliant to be here and I am really excited to get going.
“Speaking to Qasim, I was blown away by the club, facilities and the ambition for what we want to do going forward.
“We want young girls in the area to want to come and play for Bradford City, and we need to get the club up to where it should be.
“We will play on the front foot and get at teams, but the most important thing is being hardworking and giving 100%. If the girls have given everything, I am happy with that.
“The women’s game is only going to get bigger and bigger, and we want people to get behind us to help get this club up the divisions.”
Bradford City Women chair, Qasim Akhtar, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have secured the services of Nick and Dan. After speaking with them both, it was instantly clear to me that they share the vision of the club and understand what we need in order to move forward once again.
“There has been a lot of due diligence undertaken as part of our search for a management team, and I am so pleased we are able to unveil our first choice of Nick and Dan. Gareth Davis will also continue working with the first team, in a joint role of first team coach/link coach – providing greater opportunities for our under-21s and under-23s players to progress through the system.
“Nick has been involved in football at a high level and knows what it takes to win. He, and the management team, will be supported with the arrival of our new head of strength and conditioning, Chris Stephens, Kate Donnan (lead under-23s coach) and Alex Briggs (under-23s coach).
“There is a lot of work going on off the field, too, and I cannot wait to announce some of the exciting additions and opportunities we have at the club heading into the new season.”
