Launceston City FC Media Release

Launceston City FC Media Release

9pm Thursday 1st September 2022

NPL Tasmania Coaching Staff, 2023 onwards.

 

Launceston City FC is excited to announce the signing of Daniel Syson as our new head coach and Nathan Pitchford as assistant coach of our NPL Tasmania Men’s team from 2023 onwards, both signing multi-year deals.

Both men have been highly sought after in the north of the state and we are extremely excited to have secured their services. We look forward to working together with them as we strive for success at all levels. We are confident in our decision and that with these appointments we have the right mix of knowledge, experience, professionalism & determination in our new NPL Coaching Panel!

Those that know Daniel are aware that he is a passionate student of the game who is well respected within Tasmanian football circles. Daniel has been a key member at Devonport during one of the most successful periods of any club in Tasmanian football history where he has been involved in winning four league titles, four Lakoseljic Cups and representing the club in the Australia (FFA) Cup.

Daniel was born in Lancaster, England before relocating to Tasmania in 2015. He initially played with Devonport Strikers before spending the 2018 season as captain of our NPL Team at Launceston City, he went on to win the Peter Savill Medal in that same year. Daniel returned to Devonport in 2019 as a player and progressed to playing coach of Devonport’s Northern Championship team.

Nathan spent his youth playing for Metro Claremont and representing Tasmania. His early senior playing years were spent at Hobart Zebras and New Town Eagles, before signing as Devonport’s #1 goalkeeper in 2018 upon returning from Victoria. Whilst he was playing, Nathan was regarded as the top goalkeeper in the state winning three league titles and two Lakoseljic Cups. In 2018, 2019 & 2020 Nathan also won the Golden Glove Award for most clean sheets before his retirement at the end of the 2021 season.

Whilst being highly respected in Tasmanian football, Nathan’s professional career sees him as an ASCA Level 2 accredited Strength and Conditioning coach, with a master’s degree in High Performance Sport and a PHD in Exercise Science. Whilst completing his PHD, Nathan spent time with AFL club Western Bulldogs working as a Strength coach and within their Sport’s Science department.

As an extension of Nathan’s assistant coaching role, he will utilize his experience to support our NPL Program through both Goalkeeper Coach and Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Danny Linger, (President – Seniors); “Daniel’s ambitions as a coach align with our ambitions as a football club and we believe the appointment of both him and Nathan are an exciting key moment for Launceston City FC. We all share the same vision and together we want to continue to build on the progress made over the last couple of seasons and take the next step towards achieving our goal of developing a professional environment with sustained success, ultimately cementing ourselves amongst the top football clubs in the state. The professionalism and experience they will both bring will support us to continue to build the desired high standards and drive the progression of our football club.”

We are extremely excited to welcome Daniel and his partner Amelia; and Nathan and his wife Kira into the Launceston City Football Family and look forward to supporting them to realize success.

FORZA JUVE

 

Please read a statement from Daniel Syson below:

“Firstly, I would like to thank the board of Devonport Strikers, Rod Andrews, Drew Smith, and Chris McKenna for all providing me with opportunities over the last eight seasons that a player from overseas could only dream of. The success and memories are what makes our sport special, and I feel so honored to have been a part of such a successful decade for the club. I would also like to thank my teammates that shared that journey with me and the Devonport community for the support.

The experience of having coaches on the journey of success like Peter Savill (Neil Warnock type of manager) to the likes of Rick Coghlan, who showed me an abundance of tactical knowledge and analytical data to support sessions and how to get the best from his players tactically and personally. This experience will pay dividends in my coaching career and shape me as a coach.

I am extremely excited to be appointed head coach of Launceston City FC. To have Nathan alongside me who I’ve already shared success with and who shares the same drive for success will enable us to push the team and each other to be as competitive as the top sides in the NPL.

I’ve come to Launceston City to not only change the environment and level of professionalism, but to get the club competing and we will be active in terms of recruitment, and we will be selective in the players we bring to the club in terms of quality and personality. Ensuring we add to what is already an exciting young side so that the goals that the club and myself and our coaching staff have set are mutually achieved.

I am looking forward to working with a great team we have put together and I am really eager to get started in what will be an exciting 2023/2024 seasons and beyond for us all involved at Launceston City FC.”