By Paul Jones
Lennie Lawrence will remain a “very valued friend” to Newport County manager Mike Flynn after the club confirmed their assistant was leaving to join Stevenage.
Lawrence, 72, has been at Rodney Parade for three years and forged an immediate bond with Flynn as both worked to pull off the great escape of keeping Newport in the Football League in 2017.
But the veteran coach has remained based in the south-east of England and has now chosen to join Stevenage as No.2 to manager Alex Revell – with his start date likely to be the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
Flynn said: “I would like to thank Lennie for all the support and advice he has provided in the three years we have worked together.
“We have enjoyed some amazing times. I would like to wish him well for the future. He will always be a very valued friend to me.”
Over a long career, Lawrence has taken charge of over 1,100 games as a manager and over 600 more as an assistant.
Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace said: “Lennie is one of the most experienced individuals in the game.
“We are delighted he’s agreed to becoming involved day to day in the re-shaping of the First Team, working with Alex and helping develop him as a young manager.
“Over the last decade Lennie has worked with and improved a number of successful managers including Paul Trollope, Dougie Freeman and Michael Flynn. We believe this appointment is a positive step in helping us rebuild to gain success on the pitch.”
Stevenage currently sit bottom of the League Two table, three points behind Macclesfield with a game in hand.
But the clubs have taken a vote to end the current season – with no relegation – meaning Stevenage would earn a reprieve, pending approval from the EFL and FA on June 8.