TAUNTON Town chairman Kevin Sturmey has outlined the reasoning behind the club's new management structure.

Rob Dray has been appointed as head of football, with Matt Villis as first-team coach and centre-half Keith Emmerson moving into a player-coach role.

READ MORE: Big match preview - Dray urges Town to "grab their chance" with FA Cup first round place at stake

Speaking about the decision, Sturmey told the County Gazette: "Manager and assistant manager are becoming quite old fashioned and, I think, will become quite rare.

"I look a lot at how other clubs run and I particularly admire Bristol City [where Lee Johnson is 'head coach' with two 'assistant head coaches'], who are one of the best run clubs around. I think they are building something special and they are certainly a club to aspire to.

"I think football is moving towards having a lot more specialist coaches, whether that's physical or technical, and we have to constantly evolve on and off the pitch.

"We make no secret that we are ambitious and want to be playing at a higher level. A lot of clubs get promoted and then stagnate, but we want to keep pushing forward."

With regard to how the responsibilities will be divided, Sturmey said: "Rob [Dray] controls everything football-wise at first team level. He is very passionate about the club and this role suits his skill set perfectly.

"He has an incredible network of contacts and he can choose to bring people in that he needs, whether that is for one game or a longer period.

"Player recruitment will be under Rob's remit, but it has been for the majority of his time here. Even when Leigh [Robinson] was here, Rob would identify players and Leigh would seal the deal.

"Keith [Emmerson] is well qualified - he is assistant manager with the Army team - and he's a great leader. He is very knowledgeable about the game and the fitness side of things, and he will continue to be very useful on the pitch as well."

Dray added: "It's nice to have clarity - it's helpful for the fans, the players and for the three of us.

"We can now crack on with things like adding to the squad and affecting those small 1%-ers.

"Continuity and stability is important and I think the three of us compliment each other well. We are trying to get every box ticked and this is a part of that.

"I have a good relationship with the fans - they pay our wages and have a right to be entertained.

"It's all well and good to take the plaudits when you are winning games, but it's just as important to front up and be honest if things don't go your way.

"There is a certain level of trust within that, but we have a growing fanbase and it is important to try and nurture that as that all contributes towards attracting players and getting more money in at the gate."

The Peacocks have a big FA Cup tie to look forward to this weekend, travelling to National League South side Billericay Town in the fourth qualifying round.

Victory would put Town in the first round proper for the second time in three years, having not previously not made it that far since 1981.

"It would be amazing - it would mean so much to the club and the town," Sturmey said.

"We showed two years ago that we could compete and I think we are a lot stronger now than we were then.

"Even this season we have shown we can beat teams at Step 2 level, so we have nothing to lose. We will go there and give it our best shot."