Rob Tuvey appointed AFC Wimbledon assistant head coach – with Chelsea man seconded

Chelsea’s U18 assistant manager James Simmonds has joined AFC Wimbledon’s coaching staff on a secondment – with Rob Tuvey appointed assistant head coach.

Dons head coach Mark Robinson, a Blues fan, recently made a presentation to the Premier League side outlining why they should send their young players on loan to his club.

But Simmonds is making the move to bolster Wimbledon’s backroom set up.

Academy manager Michael Hamilton will fill Robinson’s old role of loan manager.

Simmonds played for Chelsea’s youth team.

“I was really pleased with how it worked with Justin Cochrane from the England set-up last season,” Robinson told Wimbledon’s website. “We benefitted from his coaching ideas and general love of the game and I know he benefitted from the experience he gained with us.

“It will be exactly the same with James, who has been coaching with Chelsea for 10 years. He is a top-quality coach, who has a wonderful enthusiasm about him and will come to us with fresh eyes, which is healthy when you are continually evolving your working environment and building a culture.

“I have kept Rob Tuvey as my assistant for the simple reason that he was brilliant and has continued to be so in the off season. I think people get very confused with experience and age. Coaching is a specialised skill and Rob has been doing it for 13 years. I see him as a massive asset for our club in the same way as we would our best young players who effect football matches positively. Bayzo [Ashley Bayes] will continue to take more first-team responsibility, as well as coaching our keepers. Therefore, we have an excellent mixture of skill sets and personality. More importantly we have an abundance of creativity and open mindedness which will be key to our success.”

PICTURE: SEAN GOSLING