NEW manager Paul Collicutt says he has unfinished business at Evesham United after taking over from Shaun Cunnington.

The 54-year-old former Bishops Cleeve boss was handed the job just hours after Cunnington and assistant Paul Tomlinson resigned following Tuesday’s 3-0 home defeat to Mangotsfield United.

It is Collicutt’s first coaching role since leaving Bishops Cleeve two years ago and also sees him return to a club he briefly managed in 1997 after Nick Jordan was sacked.

The new Robins boss, who has twice been in the running for the job only to miss out, said: “It came out of the blue.

“I had a call on Wednesday morning at about half 10 and the chairman put me in the picture that the previous manager had resigned and asked if I would be interested.

“It’s the only job that has interested me since I was with Bishops Cleeve and I am really looking forward to it. There are a lot of good people at Evesham.

“I have missed it and, now I have accepted the job, I am really excited and had no hesitation in taking it at all. I feel I have got unfinished business at Evesham.”

Collicutt met the players for the first time last night and hopes to have the majority on board for tomorrow’s Calor Southern League Division One South and West match against Shortwood United at the Spiers and Hartwell Jubilee Stadium (3pm).

But he will be without striker Carl Brown, who serves a one-match ban for five bookings, and keeper John Bateman is struggling with a back problem.

While Evesham are looking for only their third league win of the season, Shortwood arrive on the crest of a wave after beating Skrill Premier Aldershot 2-1 in the FA Cup to set up a clash with Port Vale.

Shortwood, one place below the Robins in the table, also have several ex-Bishops Cleeve players in their ranks.

Collicutt added: “Football has got a funny way of bringing up these sort of games. I know more about the opposition than I do my own team.”