John Askey has added another promotion to his impressive managerial CV after steering Truro City to the National League South title—securing a first-ever appearance in the fifth tier for a Cornish side.
Appointed in the summer of 2024, Askey joined Truro just six months after a difficult spell in charge of Hartlepool United came to an end. Few expected the Tinners to challenge for promotion, let alone win the title, with the club operating on a minimal budget and facing the longest away journeys in the country. But on a dramatic final day, they held their nerve to secure top spot in a tightly contested division.
The achievement marks Askey’s third promotion from National League divisions, having previously taken Macclesfield Town up in 2018 and guided York City out of the National League North in 2022. His ability to build competitive squads against the odds has once again come to the fore.
Remarkable Rise
Truro’s rise is all the more remarkable given the club’s recent history. After financial backer Kevin Heaney’s business collapse, Truro entered administration and endured years of uncertainty, including ground-sharing at Gloucester, Taunton, and Plymouth. The move into their permanent new home—the Truro Sports Hub—coincided with this season’s fairytale campaign.
Askey’s return to Victoria Park as a visiting manager next season is already pencilled in, with Truro now preparing for life among the likes of Hartlepool United, Gateshead, and Carlisle United. The latter two represent the longest away days in English football—Gateshead alone will mean a 930-mile round trip for the Cornish side.
Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall after the title win, Askey reflected on the scale of the achievement and the challenge ahead:
“I could never have envisaged when I started that we were going to do this. We’ve got to get new players in and find out how we are going to travel to away games; that’s when the hard work starts.
Every team that is in the league above, I’ve either played against when I was a player or have managed against, so I know what to expect.It’s a big jump from the National League South to the National League, but hopefully the players can do what they have done this season and do what nobody expects, and that is for us to stay in the National League next season and build.”
Writer’s View
John Askey’s latest triumph is another reminder that managerial pedigree can still outweigh budgets in non-league football. His success with Truro City may not have made national headlines, but guiding a club with such a turbulent off-field past to the fifth tier is nothing short of extraordinary.
With the longest travel commitments in English football and one of the smallest budgets in the National League, Truro’s next challenge will be survival—but with Askey at the helm, they have every chance of upsetting the odds once again.
