Matt Evans was a fan favourite around Ashby Avenue during his time as Chris Funnell’s right-hand man at Lincoln United.
He moved on to pastures new at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. But, where is he now?
Former Lincoln United Assistant:
During his time at The Whites, Evans had success. The second season saw United on a push for silverware, as they were on track for a treble for the majority of the season. They only ended up with one trophy, however, winning the Lincolnshire Senior County Cup after beating Boston Town on penalties.
The team led by Funnell and Evans shone brightest in the FA Vase, making history as the first Lincoln United side to progress to the semi-final of the competition.
However, they fell short after a long penalty shootout. A 10-9 loss on penalties following a goalless draw in a second leg saw the Whites bow out one game before Wembley, despite winning the last three rounds thanks to spot-kicks.
The Whites could not clinch promotion into step four either. They came agonisingly close, but fell in the first round of the play-offs to Skegness Town, after leading the table for a long stretch of the campaign.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, manager Chris Funnell announced his departure from the club, and with that Matt Evans followed him out of the door.
Taking the helm at Bottesford Town:
On May 24, Northern Counties East Football League side Bottesford Town announced the appointment of Matt Evans as first team coach following his departure from Lincoln.
During his time at The Poachers, Evans won seven out of 14 games in all competitions, with one draw and six losses.
His time at Bottesford saw them progress to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup, where they were beaten 2-0 by Bromsgrove Sporting. And, a 3-1 win against South Leeds to see them progress to the third round of the League Cup.
On September 24, just four months after his announcement, Evans departed the club as he moved on to the next chapter of his managerial career.
Closer to Home
Following the departure of Tom Ward at Sleaford Town, Evans was confirmed as the new head coach, taking over the helm from a fan favourite.
Evans’ announcement came during a time of transition at the MKM Stadium, with Damon Tunnicliffe only recently assuming the role of chairman, and Josh Donner taking over as vice-chairman.
https://x.com/SleafordTownFC/status/1838647178954445000
As Ward left the club, as did a series of key players, most recently including captain Liam Flitton, who exited on November 5.
Speaking to The Linc, Evans said: “I’ve been around Sleaford for 16 years, my wife played for the ladies team, my kids have played and both my nephews are here at the moment.
“I’ve worked at a grammar school nearby and I’ve wanted to be at this club because I know what it is to the town, and when the opportunity came for me to become manager, I thought that that’s something that I want to do.
“It’s going to be a long-term project, I know that there’s a legacy from the previous management but we have to adjust through that.”
Evans won his first game as Sleaford Town manager on October 12, when beating play-off chasing Belper United thanks to a goal by former Lincoln United striker Josh Parker.
The new Greens boss has already faced his former side, coming out on the losing end of a County Trophy tie.
There is now a rebuild on Evans’ hands, with Sleaford currently sat 10 points off the play-off spots. No doubt they will look to push on for the remainder of the season with their youthful squad.