TAVISTOCK AFC have moved quickly to fill the void left behind by departing 1st XI manager Steve Tully.

The Jewson Western League was met by shocking news last week that Tully was stepping away “with great sadness”, pointing to the “Former chairman’s financial problems and the new board not having the assurances or resources to keep this squad together and being competitive through no fault of their own.”

In response to the loss of their manager, the Lambs wrote on social media: “We look forward to moving ahead together, with the community at the heart of everything we do.”

Tully’s replacement has previous with the club, Connor Marshall having been a part of the Tavistock development centre in years gone by.

He moved onto then become a manager in men’s football with his first landing spot being Newton Abbot Spurs at step six.

Marshall arrived at Spurs ahead of the 2025/26 season and left The Rec in January with them in seventh in the SW Peninsula League. He penned online at the time: “This decision comes down to the club and I moving in different directions.”

The young coach was then brought in by Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police, alongside assistant Darren Raven once more, ahead of the current campaign.

When Tavistock came calling though, “It’s just something I couldn’t turn down”, said Marshall in his first interview with his new side.

He gives “A massive thank you Stoke” for their support, adding: “Was it the easiest decision? Absolutely not. I was happy where I was, I’d built a lot at Stoke.”

It was “a place I really enjoyed being but opportunities like this don’t come very often.”

In their official announcement of the change at the helm, Tavistock AFC noted: “He shares the club’s desire to build a competitive First Team while creating stronger links throughout Tavistock AFC and providing opportunities for talented young players to progress.”

Marshall’s experience prior to management saw him coaching younger players at Salford City and Torquay United so he is no stranger to nurturing a club’s pathway.

That is something that the two parties are evidently aligned as they look to bring more stability and structure to Langsford Park.

There seemed to be instability present when the Lambs were unable to fulfil their St Luke’s Challenge Cup fixture against Bideford AFC on Wednesday, September 23.

Numerous players were unavailable and “this was not communicated [by the previous manager] within a timeframe that allowed us to make the necessary arrangements or to reschedule the fixture.”

They then did put out a team to face Wells City in the league on Saturday (Sept 26), albeit with a few notable omissions.

Who better than club legend Jack Crago to score both goals as Tavistock won 2-1? He was on target in the first half and then notched the winner in the dying embers of the game.

Marshall’s first game takes him to Buckland Athletic on Wednesday evening (Sept 30) and he is “absolutely buzzing and ready to go.”

The new Tavistock boss outlined his desired footballing philosophy, saying: “As soon as we win it in transition, the first thing I want any player to think is can we go forward? Switching play, making those overloads happen, taking risks.

“My biggest thing is taking risks because I feel like, in football, if you don’t take any risks, you won’t get any rewards.”

He’s also “over the moon” to have the “absolutely brilliant” Raven by his side once more, who Marshall labelled as “a massive support system.”

His return to Newton Abbot will take place without Sam Hillson, Reece Shanley, Deacon Thomson and Shane White.

Hillson and Thomson have signed on for Saltash United whilst Shanley has reunited with Dan Hart at St. Blazey and White has been snapped up by Bovey Tracey AFC.

Ryan Smith, who has been superb to date, was also absent from the matchday squad vs Wells and so perhaps the former Buckland and Ivybridge Town man could also be on the move.

Several stars still remain in place at the time of writing though and as mentioned previously, Marshall’s expertise lies in youth development so he will surely relish the challenge of blooding in new talent.

He arrives with the Lambs sitting fifth in the standings, having collated 18 points from 10 games.

Connor Marshall will make his Langsford Park bow on Tuesday, October 6, when Ivybridge Town pay them a visit for a fascinating Devon derby. Before that, there’s the Buckland clash and also a trip to Portishead Town on Saturday, October 3.