Luke joins the Stringers from Saltdean United, where he guided the Under 23’s to third in the SCFL East table with a superb unbeaten run in 2022, and has also been part of the first team management team who finished second in the league and have reached the final of the Sussex FA RUR Cup, to be played this week.

Luke is a FA Level 2 qualified coach, and gained his coaching badges working with Chris Agutter at Eastbourne Borough, and has also been part of the management team at Lewes Under 18’s and Worthing United.

A club spokesperson said; “Several of Luke’s Under 23 players have gone on this season to break into a very talented first team squad at Saltdean, and it is this commitment to developing and improving players which ticks all of the boxes for us. He is ambitious, and completely buys in to our long term goals of making Hailsham Town a true community club, with our youth teams eventually feeding players into the first team”.

Luke’s first team management team will be confirmed in the coming days and weeks, whilst the existing Under 23 management team of Jimmy Siggins, Todd Seavers and Wester Young will continue in their roles. The Stringers are currently in the process of recruiting a manager for the Under 18’s following the departure due to work commitments of Toby Jones.

With preseason training starting on the 9th of June, Luke’s first game in charge will be on Saturday 9th July, when the Stringers begin their preseason campaign with a trip to reigning Division Two champions Rustington, with home matches following against Jarvis Brook (16th), 3 Para (19th) and Hayling United (23rd). The Stringers then face local rivals Eastbourne United at The Oval on Tuesday 26th, before finishing preseason with a final game, to be confirmed, on Saturday 30th July.