St Albans City interim chairman Nick Archer and owners Lawrence Levy and John McGowan have appointed James Gray and Graham Golds as joint managers of the first team.

The pair have impressed over the last fortnight as caretaker managers following the sacking of David Howell. Back-to-back wins over Leamington and Bedworth United strengthened their case and earned them the chance to take over on a permanent basis.

Levy said "After the recent run of excellent results, particularly the outstanding 3-0 win against an unbeaten Leamington team, the board felt that it was only right to confirm their appointment as managers. We know that the team will continue to support them in their new role.”

Archer said: "James and Graham have formed a great working partnership and impressed in their role with the midweek youth team, which made them the right men for the job. Elevating people already at the club has great advantages and, personally, I am looking forward to the new era and to the second half of the season. We received a significant number of high calibre applications for the position and are grateful to all those who expressed an interest.”

McGowan said: "The board is committed to strengthening the management team and the squad, to ensure a sustainable future for the club. Promoting talented people from within is part of that long-term vision and we delighted that James and Graham have agreed to become the managers."

The pair have proved popular and successful managers of the St Albans City Under-18 mid-week youth team. Gray is also club captain while Golds has played for the Reserves in the past. They both live locally.

Their first game in charge after their appointment is on Saturday at home to Banbury United.