Richard Joyce admitted he had “a lot to think about” before making the switch from manager of Thornbury United to a coaching role at Evesham United.
Joyce made the move to United in late January, describing the decision as difficult but ultimately an opportunity he could not turn down.
“It was a decision I had to think about a lot, if I’m honest,” he said. “I’ve gone from being a manager – albeit two levels lower – to a coaching role, so it’s a very different position. I’d also built something significant at Thornbury over the last few years, which made it hard to walk away from.
“I felt this was a new opportunity to challenge myself in a different environment. Moving up two levels from a coaching perspective and working at Evesham gave me that opportunity. As difficult as it was to leave Thornbury, I felt this was the right time to take that step and see where it could lead.”
🗣️ Richard Joyce Joins the Evesham United Coaching Staff ⤵️
— Evesham United FC (@EveshamUnitedFC) January 24, 2026
📆 Sat 24 Jan
🌐 https://t.co/E2pPF2qbLt
🔴⚪️#TheRobins pic.twitter.com/PwqhZYIJVO
There were several factors behind Joyce’s decision to join the Southern Premier South side, including the step up in resources and infrastructure compared to Thornbury.
“One of the main reasons I joined was how well the club is set up,” he said. “The facilities are excellent: a modern stadium, a 3G pitch on site, proper analysis rooms – everything is there.
“At this level, not every club has that access. Being able to train and analyse at the stadium makes a huge difference. Even though Evesham have one of the smaller budgets in the Southern Premier South, they do so many things right from a financial point of view, and that really stood out to me.”
Joyce had a successful tenure at Thornbury United, overseeing 171 competitive matches, but acknowledged it was a steep learning curve.
“The biggest learning curve was understanding the level and what it actually takes to be successful,” the 33-year-old said.
“That includes how you set up tactically, the type of players you recruit, and the limitations you’re working within. More than anything, though, it was the experience.
“I managed Thornbury 171 times competitively over four years, which is a huge amount of football. When I started, I hadn’t managed a single senior game, so to build that level of experience was invaluable.”
The 33-year-old highlighted last season’s 12th-place finish in the Hellenic Premier Division as a standout achievement and how much it meant to him.
“It was the highest league finish in the club’s history at that level, and across the entire English football pyramid in its 128-year history,” he added. “Given how competitive the Hellenic Premier Division is at Step 5, that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
For Joyce – known as “Joycie” – success is about more than results. It’s about understanding the game and consistently finding ways to beat the opposition.
“For me, it’s about really understanding the division,” he said. “Knowing the opposition, knowing how to hurt teams, and knowing what it takes to be successful week in, week out at this level. I reached that point at Thornbury over time, and I want to build that same level of confidence and knowledge here.”
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