MALVERN Town have confirmed a host of player and staff retentions from their promotion-winning side.
Town claimed promotion to their highest-ever level in their 2025/26 Southern League Division One South campaign, earning a place in the Southern League Premier South- the seventh tier of the English football pyramid.
Town have announced that manager Lee Hooper - who was the club's first-ever mascot, debuted for the first team at 15 and went on to captain the side - will spend yet another year in The Hillsiders' dugout.
He will be joined by assistant manager and head of coaching Andy Bevan and first team coach Dean Rutter, with the trio looking to emulate last season's successes.
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On the playing front, former Football League forward and player-director of football Ryan Brunt has also signed on for another year, joined by Town captain Joe Tumelty.
Defenders Reece King and Matt Fulloway will also line up for Town in their first season at step three, along with midfielders Joe Bullock and Reece King.
Elsewhere dynamic winger Levi Francis has signed on for another season in claret and blue as will Harry Clark and defender Dion Molyneux.
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After heartbreak in the 2024/25 play-off final, losing 1-0 to county rivals Evesham United, Town made sure they got it right at the second time of asking by triumphing 2-1 over Bishops Cleeve in the play-off semi-finals and going on to beat Shaftesbury 3-2 in the final, in front of a record capacity crowd.
In the 2026/27 Southern League Premier South season, Town will line up against Basingstoke Town, Bath City, Bracknell Town, Chertsey Town, Chippenham Town, Evesham United, Frome Town, Gloucester City, Gosport Borough, Hanwell Town, Hanworth Villa, Havant & Waterlooville, Plymouth Parkway, Poole Town, Sholing, Taunton Town, Uxbridge, Wimborne Town, and Yate Town.
In pre-season the side will face off with Worcester City, Slimbridge AFC, Worcester United, Halesowen town, Stourbridge, Bromsgrove Sporting and Rushall Olympic.
