Manager Ken McKenna is to leave Welsh Premier side The New Saints at the end of this season after nearly 10 years with the club.Announcing the news today, managing director of the reigning Welsh Premier champions, Mike Harris, stressed that the parting was amicable and that both parties had agreed the time was right for a change.
It will be the end of an era for the Saints who have won the Welsh Premier crown for the past three seasons under the leadership of McKenna who also guided the club to the FAW Premier Cup for the first time last term.
“Ken has reached the stage of his career where he needs a new challenge to put everything he has learned with us to good use at a higher level,” said Harris.
“As a club, we feel it is time to capitalise on the huge investment we have made in youth and academy player development and to see more of our own talent being recognised as potential first-team players.”
A vastly experienced striker who won an FA Trophy winner’s medal with Telford United and a Welsh Cup winner’s medal with Bangor City, McKenna joined TNS as a player in season 1998/9 after Welsh Premier service with Conwy United and Bangor and, following a spell as assistant to Andy Cale, was appointed manager at the turn of the year in season 2000/1.
He has taken TNS into Europe seven times, including high profile ties with Manchester City and Liverpool, while winning three back-to-back Welsh Premier titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and runners-up three times.
He has also won the FAW Premier Cup (2006/7), the Welsh Cup (2004/5) and the Loosemores League Cup (2005/6) during the past three years as.
As a player, he scored 127 goals from 149 Welsh Premier appearances, 22 from 27 (+36 as sub) for TNS.
“We will always be grateful for Ken’s massive contribution to the club, not only with on-the-field successes, but in helping to develop our off-field coaching infrastructure,” added Harris.
“We now hope that he can end his TNS career on a high by delivering a record-equalling four consecutive title to the club.
“We will be taking a considered approach to a new appointment, but whoever replaces Ken will have very big shoes to fill.”
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