CIRENCESTER TOWN legend Jody Bevan has returned to management at Fairford Town where he and Chris "Smudge" Smith will take care of first team affairs jointly.

Fairford have been looking for a new boss since the surprise resignation of Gareth Davies in the wake of the club winning the Hellenic League Div One West last term.

Bevan and Smith will now lead them in their first campaign back in the Hellenic Premier.

Bevan, 38, was a hugely popular player with Cirencester Town and enjoyed a stellar career as a striker in the Southern League, playing 600 plus games and scoring more than 250 goals.

He won four promotions during his career, serving the likes of Cinderford Town, Weston-Super-Mare, Gloucester City, Shortwood United and Cirencester Town.

Bevan became an assistant manager under Brian Hughes at Cirencester Town and briefly took the reins as caretaker boss when Hughes left the club, before the appointment of Charlie Griffin.

He holds an FA Level 2 coaching qualification – in addition to a Bsc Hons degree in Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Smith is equally well connected on the local and Southern League circuit.

As a player, he represented the likes of Cheltenham Town, Gloucester City, Forest Green Rovers, Newport and Bath City.

He then turned to management and served as assistant manager at Weston-Super-Mare as well as enjoying further spells in management with Cinderford Town, Forest Green Rovers and Cirencester Town.

Fairford Town spokesman Chris Tanner said: “We are very happy to have appointed Chris and Jody, who are both vastly experienced and have a huge contacts list in the game.

“To have a management team in place like this, who have done so much in the game, will be a huge boost for our squad.

“They will be coming in to meet the players later this week and Chris Smith is moving to Cirencester to be closer to the club.

“Both Jody and Chris know they are coming to a club which has a good platform and a good squad of players, having been runaway winners of the league last season under Gareth Davies."