BREAKING | David Hopkin appointed manager
Greenock Morton Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of David Hopkin as our new first-team manager on a three-year contract.
Greenock-born Hopkin returns to Cappielow for a fourth time after two separate spells as a player and a period on the backroom staff that saw him serve as development squad coach, interim manager, and assistant.
The 48-year-old bookended a glittering career in England – in which he scored a play-off final winning goal for Crystal Palace, captained Leeds in the Premier League, and won seven Scotland caps – with his local team.
After making his Morton debut aged 19 in 1989, he went on to earn a £350,000 move to Chelsea in September 1992 before returning to Sinclair Street after a decade down south, making a total of 58 appearances.
Since leaving his Cappielow coaching role in 2015, Hopkin has managed Livingston, memorably guiding the West Lothian outfit from League One to the Scottish Premiership in two seasons, along with a spell at Bradford City.
Chairman Crawford Rae identified the former Ton midfielder as his number one choice to fill the vacant post and is thrilled to have been able to bring him back to the club.
He said: “Attracting David back to the club is a massive coup for us, especially when he has been offered so many positions since leaving Livingston.
“David is a phenomenal coach and we are delighted that he will be working to further develop our home-grown talent while building a squad that will hopefully bring absent supporters back to Cappielow.
“David knows that it will take time to build and mould his team for the future, which is why we are both delighted to commit to a three-year term.
“This will provide the stability that we consider vital as we look to build a strong foundation upon which we can take the club forward and give us a chance of taking this fine club back to the top flight.
“To achieve this, we need your help. Moving forward we want to see supporters have greater involvement at Morton and have a greater say in how the club will be run in the future.
“If our supporters really want to see the club flourish then this is the time for our fans to get involved with Morton Club Together (MCT) and make a pledge.
“Every penny donated will go directly towards raising Hoppy’s budget while increasing the MCT shareholding in Greenock Morton from shares gifted back from the Rae family.
“I firmly believe we are seeing the dawn of a new era for the club and look forward to working with our management team, players, and our supporters to bring success back to Morton FC. Let Morton club together.”
Image: Jonathan Mitchell
