Former Leyton Orient and Cambridge United boss Tommy Taylor to take on new role at Histon

Histon have signalled their ambitions for the future by appointing former Cambridge United and Leyton Orient manager Tommy Taylor as director of football.

Taylor has returned from a spell as head coach of Kemi City Football Club in Finland to take on the new position at the Stutes.

Last season saw Histon win the Thurlow Nunn League, Premier Division, and they are looking to continue to build across all aspects of the club.

Taylor was contacted by manager Lance Key about the position and he will act as a bridge between the board and the football side of the club, to develop the structure at the Glass World Stadium.

“I was in a different country and I got a phone call as Lance asked my son if I would go to Histon to be director of football there,” said the 67-year-old former West Ham defender.

“I’ve had a few meetings with them, and there is a lot of work to do.

“I still love the game so it was an easy decision. It’s one of those positions that you can move on and really help people; help the youngsters out, help the reserves out, help the ladies’ teams out.

“If they want to ask me any questions or talk about anything then with my experience I can go along with it. It’s making sure that instead of everybody going to the chairman or the board all the time then they come to me first. If I can sort it out for them then I will, but if I can’t then I will go to the board.”

Taylor saw the role as a good opportunity to return to football in this country and, after a difficult few years, arrives with Histon on an upward trajectory after winning promotion to the Isthmian Bostik League North for the 2019/20 season.

He will have an oversight of all football matters, including the scholarship scheme, the ladies’ teams and creating a reserve team.

“The chairman [John Hall] has really turned it round and got it stable now,” said Taylor.

“It had been on the rocks a bit but him and the board have got it sorted out and it’s run as a steady ship now.

“Lance has done a great job in getting them up so there is only one way for them to go now, and that’s forward.”

He added: “I’m looking forward to the trip, as it is a trip. You get in the car and drive with them, and that’s it – you see how far you can take it. That’s what I’m going to do for them.

“I’m there for them, that’s it. I’m there for them to use me however they want to use me.”

Histon chairman John Hall explained the Taylor appointment.

“We believe the club has got out of the issues it’s had in the past,” he said. “We’ve pared it back to the bare bones and it’s now the time to move it forwards.

“It needs to have the right people in the right places to do that and Tommy, with his background and experience, is ideal to take over the academy, the scholarships and all the youth side of the football. Then give some input to Lance in the first team.

“It keeps away from the non-footballing people like myself and Lynn [Kemp, a fellow director] to concentrate on running the business.”

He added: “There’s a lot of exciting things going on at the club to move it back up the leagues to where we think it can sustain itself.”