EX-DROITWICH Spa manager Mark Owen is understood to be on the cusp of a return to the dugout with Worcester Raiders.

The former Worcester City striker, who was in the running for the top job at Claines Lane after Ashley Vincent left in December 2020, is set to take the reins at Sixways following the controversial departure of Chris Cornes.

The club announced Cornes had left on Monday but that was followed by a social media backlash from the players who said he had been "forced out".

Defender Jordan Stoddart then said Cornes had been sacked while on holiday via an email sent by chairman Steve Harris. 

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The club statement on Cornes said there would be “a replacement announced in due course” and sources have told the Worcester News that Owen’s appointment is imminent.

It is understood Owen will join current manager Karl Gormley as joint-manager.

Owen left Droitwich in October 2020 after six years at the helm with a Midland Football League Division Two title achieved in 2017 prior to a ding-dong battle for the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One championship with Raiders and Darlaston Town (1874) in 2019 in which Spa racked up a whopping 107 goals in 32 league matches.

Spa had been right in the thick of the promotion battle when Covid curtailed the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.