Experienced and successful National League manager to drive The Puritans forward in the 2023-24 season.
Monday June 5th, 2023 – Banbury United Football Club announces Mark Jones as manager of its first team. Effective immediately, Jones takes the helm as the Club embarks on its second season playing Step 2 football in the Vanarama National League North.
A former player, Mark Jones held management roles at National League South sides Oxford City FC and Hemel Hempstead Town FC between 2016 and 2022. In the 2019-2020 season he was first team coach and lead PDP coach at Yeovil Town FC in the National League. Mark joins Banbury United with five seasons and more than 200 matches under his belt managing teams at Step 2 level, as well as 15 years’ coaching experience. Notably, he oversaw record-breaking FA Cup runs when in charge at Oxford City.
The appointment has been made within just two weeks of former manager, Andy Whing, announcing his resignation from the Club. Further first team management and player appointments will be made in due course.
“I am overjoyed to be joining Banbury United,” says Mark Jones. “I can’t wait to get started and am excited by the challenge of the season ahead. Through the interview process, I have been impressed with the professionalism at the Club and the commitment and hard work to move things forward. I look forward to building on what Andy Whing has created and to meeting the fans at the pre-season matches. My job starts immediately with an evening on the phone!”
Ronnie Johnson, Chairman of Banbury United FC, says: “We have moved at warp speed to recruit the right person for this job and are delighted to welcome Mark Jones to Banbury United. The fit between the Club, as we head into what could be a challenging season, and Mark Jones’ extensive National League football experience is incredibly strong. It’s been a tricky couple of weeks for everyone at the Club and for much of our town, from supporters to players. I am confident we will look back at today as being a most positive milestone for Banbury United.”
Mark started his playing career as an apprentice at Watford FC in the mid-nineties before moving into non-league football at Aylesbury United, Thame and Oxford City, also as a player. As an A licence coach, Mark held full-time academy coaching roles at Stevenage and Watford, before returning to Oxford City as assistant manager in 2014.
Mark was handed the manager’s job at Oxford City in 2016. He moved the team from the relegation zone to mid-table safety before leading record-breaking FA Cup runs in 2017 and 2018. Also while at Oxford, his player developing expertise resulted in the sale of individual players into football league teams.
After parting company with Oxford City in 2019, Mark moved onto National League side Yeovil Town combining a first team coaching role with overseeing the youth team. In September 2021 Mark took over the reins at Hemel Hempstead Town, as it sat at rock bottom of the National League South. With swift organisation and development of the squad, the team moved to within touching distance of the play-offs, before eventually finishing mid-table.
Mark Jones, 43, lives with his family in Aylesbury and is on a one-year contract at Banbury United.
