Former Norwich City and Aston Villa coach returns to manage King’s Lynn Town for a third time
King’s Lynn Town have tonight appointed Ian Cullverhouse as their new manager.
Culverhouse, who will be assisted by Paul Bastock, returns for his third spell in charge at the Docherty Walks Stadium.
He replaces interim boss Joe Simpson, who stepped in following the departure of James Rowe last month.
Simpson's final game in charge saw him oversee the Linnets' 3-0 National League North defeat at Curzon Ashton this evening.
In a statement released this evening, the club said: "King’s Lynn Town Football Club is pleased to confirm that Ian Culverhouse has returned to the club as head coach, with Paul Bastock assisting him in the dugout.
"This will be Ian’s third spell at the Docherty Walks Stadium, having previously guided the club to back-to-back promotions and into the National League last time around. We welcome back both Ian and Paul to familiar surroundings.
"As we enter a new chapter, the club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Joe Simpson for his commitment and leadership over the past month.
"Few people embody the spirit of King’s Lynn Town like Joe. His professionalism, loyalty, and willingness to step up in a challenging period have been invaluable.
"Club CEO Bal Srai said: “Joe has given his all for the club during his time as interim Head Coach. He has shown honesty, dedication, and a genuine care for the badge.
"On behalf of everyone at King’s Lynn Town, we would like to thank Joe for steadying the ship and leading with dignity. He has earned the respect of everyone inside the club—players, staff, and supporters alike.”
"The club can confirm it hopes Joe will continue to play a role within the football structure moving forward, and discussions will continue with him regarding a broader position at the Docherty Walks Stadium.
"With Ian and Paul now in place, the focus turns fully to the pitch and climbing the league table. Now is the time for unity. We must stick together - players, staff, supporters, and the wider community.
"Your support will be crucial as we begin this next stage of our journey, starting with this weekend’s visit to Southport.
"Further updates and media interviews will follow in due course."
For Culverhouse, the return marks a reunion with a club where he has already written his name into Lynn folklore.
The former Norwich City defender first joined the Linnets in 2017, guiding them to the Southern League play-off final before departing under controversial circumstances.
He returned just a few months later and led the club to back-to-back promotions from the Southern League Central Premier to the National League, the highest level in the club’s history.
Lynn’s debut season in non-league’s top flight was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but under Culverhouse’s guidance, they established themselves among the country’s elite non-league clubs.
However, after a difficult start to the 2021-22 campaign, Culverhouse left for a second time after picking up just two wins in the opening 17 games of the campaign.
Since departing the Walks, the 61-year-old has built an impressive résumé.
After a short stint at Kettering Town, he took over at Boston United in September 2022, helping the Pilgrims retain their National League North status before guiding them to promotion via the play-offs in May 2024.
More recently, he was appointed manager of St Albans City in the National League South..
A UEFA Pro-Licensed coach, Culverhouse’s pedigree is well established.
Before his managerial career, he worked alongside Paul Lambert at Colchester United, Norwich City, and Aston Villa, as well as holding coaching positions at Wycombe Wanderers and Dagenham & Redbridge.
As a player, he made over 370 appearances for Norwich City, having begun his career with Tottenham Hotspur before later spells at Swindon Town and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Culverhouse will again be joined by long-time ally Bastock, who also returns to the club.
The popular former goalkeeper has served Lynn in various coaching roles and is a familiar figure on the touchline.
Tonight's game in Tameside played second fiddle to the breaking news coming out of the club.
Tony Weston opened the scoring for the Nash in the 24th minute before Alex Curran doubled the home side's advantage seven minutes from time and Brad Holmes added a third in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Tonight's defeat extended Lynn’s winless run to seven games and they remain without a league win since August 30.
Curzon Ashton: Hawkins, Poscha, Amado, Curran (Holmes 84), Spencer, T. Weston (Sobowale 78), C. Weston, Darby, Richards (Stobbs 78), Barton, Ezennolim. Subs not used: Rodwell-Grant, McLean, Ollerenshaw, Olufowobi.
Scorers: T. Weston 24, Curran 83, Holmes 90+4.
King's Lynn Town: Chapman, Hall-Johnson, Clements, T. Wilson, Clunan, Collins (Kamara 67), Dickens, Marriott (Lambert 80), Fleming (Gyasi 73), Williams, Crane (Omotayo 73). Subs not used: Chadwick, Forde-Brown, Maja.
Booked: Marriott