GARY Fawcett is back where it all began, after taking up the managerial reins at GSK Ulverston Rangers once again.

Fawcett has taken over as boss at the West Lancs Division One club, seven years after his first steps into senior management with the the club.

The now-experienced boss – who has had spells at Holker Old Boys and Kendal Town since departing Ulverston in 2013 – takes over after a season of tumult at Glaxo.

Captain James Pinnegor led the team for much of last season on an interim basis, with Sean Cronin – assistant to Fawcett, along with Steve Tweddell, in the new set-up – coming in to help out for the last few months of the campaign.

But now Fawcett is back, taking over a squad which contains many of the players he brought through youth and reserve-team football into the first team during his last spell.

Rangers vice-chairman Jon Grant, who was Fawcett's predecessor as reserve team boss at Canal Foot when he first took charge of an open-age side at Ulverston, said the new manager was the only man for the job, and is looking forward to seeing progress in the upcoming season.

“Gary had finished his stint with Kendal Town, and his son Callum plays for us as a central midfielder,” said Grant. “Gary indicated that he was willing to come back and we had talks with him. We put across our ambitions and he did the same, and it was quite quick and straight-forward – we didn't ask anybody else, we didn't approach anybody else, we just approached Gary. He was our number one pick.”

He added: “When Gary came in and took over the reserves last time, he just steamrollered everything with the side – he was brilliant. He did the same with the first team – at the time, it was a very, very young and inexperienced team that he had, but they finished comfortably in mid-table that first season.

“He's come back and he has more or less the same core players he left. These players have had another five or six years – they've been promoted once – and they're starting to mature now.

“With Gary, his organisation skills and his training are second-to-none – he's fantastic. He's got the respect of all the players, which is fantastic – the players he is bringing back all want to play, not only for the club but also for Gary himself.”

Fawcett's return has seen a number of players come back during pre-season as well.

The likes of Josh Cronin – son of Sean – who spent time with Askam United last term, Dave Harrison and Jack Gardner have all been part of pre-season.

That gives Grant optimism looking forward, and he said: “Last summer, we had quite a large number of player changes – quite a lot of players left the club for one reason or another. But this year, there already seems to be quite a buzz going around the place. We've got a fair few new faces and ex-players who have returned to the club.

“There's more stability and we want to push on as well. Last season, we finished quite comfortably, but the aim now is to try to get some silverware on the table and push on.

“If we can finish in a top-six or top-seven position, then that would be ideal.”

Ulverston's pre-season training takes places on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Glaxo, starting at 6pm. All new and existing players are welcome to attend.