Following a thorough application and interview process conducted by Richard Kane and the Board of Directors, the candidates that were most aligned to the vision of the football club - and had the best understanding of what the supporters expect, were seen to be that of the aforementioned Neal Bishop and Damon Parkinson. Despite over fifty applicants, countless discussions and interviews, Kane ultimately didn't need to look much further afield, than from under his nose.

Damon and 'Bish' will be looking to temper the youthful exuberance, with a blend of proven quality, in the quest to give the Gainsborough Trinity faithful successful, winning football that sees the side competing further up the table.

Stockton-on-Tees born Bishop - with a professional football career spanning nearly two decades - made over forty appearances at 40 years of age, for the Holy Blues last season - Picking up the Director's Player of the Season for 2021/22.

Bish became a fans' favourite with his never say die attitude, playing an important role for the side, both in the midfield engine room and at the heart of the defence, where he combined playing, with his first team coaching position. A highly respected figure in the professional game, Bishop has an extensive list of contacts from spells at clubs including, but not exclusively restricted to Mansfield Town, Scunthorpe United, Notts County, York City & Scarborough.

Working under several illustrious managers including Sven Goran Erickson and Paul Ince, Bish has gartered a wealth of knowledge that is set to benefit the Holy Blues. Spells at Blackpool and Barnet added to his impressive appearance tally, as the popular North Easterner amassed in excess of 450 games, whilst also being capped at England C level, he also played under the current Head Coach of the setup: Paul Fairclough.

Bishop takes the reins in his first managerial position with Parkinson, who steps up from Assistant Manager to complete the new look management pairing. 34 year old Damon, prior to lining up alongside Shaw, Sheridan and Bishop in the former management structure – was employed as Assistant Manager to Dave Frecklington at Frickley Athletic and also had a spell at Newark Town as Joint Manager alongside Luke Parsons, where he helped take them to the summit of the Central Midlands League, Northern Division.

A UEFA B Licence holder the knowledgeable Parkinson has also spent time as an FA Coach Mentor and held other associated football roles including the current position of CEO at the Gainsborough Trinity Foundation. Another notable position saw him within the Lincoln City Community Foundation structure. He started his managerial career at the age of 24, when he took over at then Step 5 side Lincoln Moorlands Railway at the end of the 2013/14 season.

Speaking to the duo upon their unveiling, the pair are clear about the task in hand, as reiterated by the duo, with us first hearing from Parkinson, “I am really pleased to have been asked to join Neal in managing Gainsborough Trinity Football Club. The board have a clear vision for the style of football they expect and the profile of players they want to see at the club. They were clear they wanted to continue to build on the solid foundations and identity laid last season by Tom, who did a fantastic job. We have already started planning and are looking to forward to seeing all of the supporters during pre-season.”

With Bishop adding, “It is a huge honour and a privilege to be asked to be manager of Gainsborough Trinity alongside Damon. We share many core beliefs of how the game should be played and are committed to continuing with the brand of football that Tom instilled in the group last season. We are determined to give our supporters a team this town can be proud of and work is going on behind the scenes to ensure this is the case!”

An in depth interview will be conducted with the new management duo at the weekend. Anyone with any questions can send them across to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via our various social media accounts by 6pm, Friday evening.

Let’s all join in welcoming the duo as they take up their new roles at the football club.

The future starts today.