Cheltenham Town boss Michael Duff has signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium until 2023.
The forty-one-year-old has committed to extend his stay having transformed the team since taking the wheel from a side battling at the lower end of the table in League Two last season to one seriously challenging for promotion in the current campaign.
In his tenure of just over a year, he’s guided the Robins to twenty-one League Two wins, fifteen draws, and seventeen losses, remaining unbeaten in 68% of his matches in charge.
Cheltenham head into Saturday’s crucial match with Gloucestershire rivals Forest Green Rovers third in the table with a game in hand, having accumulated twenty-eight points.
Duff was named the League Two Manager of the Month for September, and during his spell in charge, he’s rejuvenated the Robins. Season-ticket sales up and important players such as Ben Tozer and Chris Hussey also recently committed their futures to the club.
However, as with all clubs in the lower leagues, success can come at a price, and it was evident when fans took to social media to react to the news that Duff’s work has not gone unnoticed at his former club Burnley. Indeed, some Clarets fans believe Duff will one day take the helm at Turf Moor.
The Robins boss was a popular player at Burnley and left a coaching role at the club to return to Cheltenham, where he’d also starred as an accomplished defender before leaving for Lancashire.
According to some fans of the Premier League club, Duff could one day be making that particular journey again.
While Cheltenham fans were obviously delighted, it is clear if they do keep winning, it will only be a matter of time before a big club comes calling for their talented boss.
Here is a smal selection of responses to the announcement on Twitter by both Burnley and Cheltenham fans.
He's pretty much a legend for us at Burnley, god knows what he is to you after all his success there!
— PW (@waltonyeah) November 1, 2019
Great news! Congratulations Duffo! Always be a Claret!
— Adam Simpson (@AdamSimpson99) November 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/IWGPChrisBFC/status/1190375191223910400?s=20
https://twitter.com/CTFCLinda/status/1190356299923574790?s=20
Best news and best signing this season #uptheduff #ctfc
— Ian CTFC (@iansportsone) November 1, 2019
Oh my goodness. Forget xmas. I'm sorted. Thank you CTFC.
— Ashley Stanford 💙 (@Stanp1pe) November 1, 2019
Fantastic news
— Liam Vann (@LVann91) November 1, 2019
Brilliant timing! Great marketing before the game tomorrow! #uptheduff
— Dan Etheridge (@dan_etheridge) November 1, 2019
