Matt Beard won two WSL titles with Liverpool and enjoyed managerial spells at West Ham, Millwall Lionesses and Chelsea; Tanya Oxtoby expecting a baby in early 2021; City are currently bottom of the WSL and without a win in their opening ten games
Friday 15 January 2021 10:56, UK
Matt Beard will take charge of Bristol City Women until the end of the season while manager Tanya Oxtoby takes maternity leave.
Beard left West Ham by mutual consent in November and will stand in to oversee first-team affairs for the Robins after Oxtoby announced she is expecting a baby boy early this year.
Oxtoby has been in charge of the West Country side for two-and-a-half years and guided the club to sixth and 10th-placed finishes during the last two seasons in the Women's Super League.
Beard brings experience to the new caretaker role having earned back-to-back WSL titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014. The coach has also enjoyed managerial spells at Millwall Lionesses, Chelsea, and West Ham.
Beard said: "I'm really excited and looking forward to the challenge.
"I want to come in and make an impact straight away with the players, the staff and hopefully that impact can turn into results.
"I've got a great relationship with Tanya. She's done a good job over the years here and it's exciting for her to have her first baby.
"It gives me an opportunity for me to come in to hopefully turn things around in the league. I'm sure we'll keep in contact over the course of the season."
Oxtoby added: "Given the circumstances and where we are with the pandemic, I think it makes sense for the transition to begin and I'm fully supportive.
"I know Matt well. At the forefront of my mind when I knew this process was going to start was the playing group and making sure the transition was as seamless as possible.
"The Board has decided Matt is the right person to come in and I'll support him 100 per cent however he needs, the players as well because I want them to reach their potential. I want us to stay in the Barclays FAWSL and I'll support, however, I can, to make that happen."
City are bottom of the WSL, having picked up just two points from their opening 10 matches, and face an away trip to Everton on Sunday.
