Scott Lindsey gives his first interview on becoming York City’s new head coach, following the controversial sacking of Stuart Maynard.
Three months after winning the National League, Maynard parts company, and now the club have to quickly adjust, adapt, prepare for the life in League Two with a new man in the dugout.
The Minstermen start their season in 7 days with the Carabao Cup Preliminary Round stage, playing host to Lindsey’s former club Crawley Town.
York City Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Scott Lindsey as the club’s new Head Coach.
Lindsey joins the Minstermen ahead of our return to League Two, bringing with him a vast wealth of experience working across the EFL.#YCFC🔴🔵
— York City FC (@YorkCityFC) July 27, 2026
The club said in a statement on their website: “York City Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Scott Lindsey as the club’s new Head Coach.
“Lindsey joins the Minstermen ahead of our return to League Two, bringing with him a vast wealth of experience working across the EFL.
“An experienced League Two manager, Lindsey has previously taken spells at Swindon Town as well as taking charge of Crawley Town, where he guided the club to promotion from League Two via the play-offs. He has also held a role at Milton Keynes Dons at this level. His coaching career began with a caretaker spell at Lincoln City before enjoying non-league success with Chatham Town.
“In his playing days, Lindsey spent time across the EFL and non-league pyramid, including a spell at local sides Goole Town and Bridlington Town.
“Lindsey will be assisted by assistant manager Joao Alves and first-team coach Gary Elphick, and will take charge of his first game against his former club Crawley Town on Monday, 3rd August.
“Tomorrow’s game against Peterborough will be managed by Joao and Gary.”
THE INTERVIEW:
Interviewer: Scott Lindsey, welcome to York City Football Club. You join us now in a whole new exciting unknown era as we return to the EFL for the first time in 10 years. You’ve been in today seeing the facilities, seeing the ground. What’s your first impressions?
Scott Lindsey: Thank you. Yeah, obviously really impressed with the stadium and meeting some uh good people behind the scenes as well. So yeah, listen, I’m really excited to be given the task of the head coach here at York City Football Club. It’s a massive football club. fantastic fan base. Some really good people to work with and for. So yeah, I’m really excited to be here.
Interviewer: Let’s just move into your past and your knowledge and wealth of knowledge at this level in League Two. You’ve worked at Crawley before, got promoted with them out of this division a couple years ago. What’s your knowledge then of the division as a whole and what fans can maybe expect from your team?
Scott Lindsey: Yeah, I think my knowledge is um the fact that I’ve been a manager at several clubs at this level and the league above as well. So yeah, I’m going to be leaning on that knowledge and experience in order for us to be really good. What the fans can expect from my team is a really hardworking team and, you know, possession dominant. You know, I don’t want to come in here and rip the coaching book up. It’s not what I’m here to do. It’s already got a winning culture. I want to jump on the bus with the players and continue that. But what you will see is a team that is really willing to work hard for the badge for the club for the fans.
Interviewer: I just want to delve into that promotion season a little bit more. It’s kind of special I’m sure. You went into that season as one of the relegation favourites with Crawley and ended up getting promoted out of the playoffs. Talk to me about how that happened and how did you make that happen and what was the kind of collective like around that season?
Scott Lindsey: Yeah, I think it was more about uh instilling a belief in into the players that we’re capable of doing this and I look at the squad that we’ve got here at York City that the squad’s very very good and I’m sure we can, you know, I’m sure we can do the same if not better. And you know the team I had at Crawley were kind of put together and you know misfits from non league and you know players that have probably not played at a level and we galvanised he group together and and really instilled that belief in inside the team and we had a confidence and a swagger to go and play the way we did and eventually we got promoted playing that way and I’m really proud of that body of work of mine and the players and the staff and everybody was connected, everybody kind of swam in the right direction, the same direction, and it it made it a lot easier.
Interviewer: Just want to talk a little bit about your links to the club and to the city already. You played sort of nearby in the likes of Goole and then obviously with Bridlington Town as well. What other links do you have to the football club and the city as a whole?
Scott Lindsey: Well, I was brought up in a town 5 miles north of Scunthorpe, which isn’t a million miles away from here. So my dad was a was a professional scout after he finished his playing career and I used to I used to go with him to to games and Bootham Crescent was one of the stadiums we used to visit quite a lot and I remember kind of late 80s watching York a lot as a teenager and I remember you know queuing for me ticket in Bootham Crescent and the excitement of of going to a game and feeling what the the club meant to the fans. Like I say, I’ve got a cousin who lives in the city. My auntie and uncle lived in the city, so I understand what this football club is. I understand the city. It’s a lovely place, and obviously it’s got a real passionate fan base. So I’m excited to be part of this football club.
Interviewer: I guess just finally, obviously supporters watching now might be a bit confused as to, you know, as to why we’re sitting here today. What message would you give to them?
Scott Lindsey: Look, I think it’s been a really hard 24 hours, 48 hours for the supporters, and I completely understand that. But we’re going to need them now. You know, we’re going to need them. We want them to get on board and really support the players and get behind the team because, you know, with my experience in League Two, we’re going to need every little 1 percents. And certainly the fans can give us more than that. And, I know what the fans are here. They’re very, very passionate, obviously. And you know, and I know it’s been a tough kind of 24 hours and the news that that’s just broke and I completely understand it, but we’re going to need them. And you know, and I call out to the fans to really jump on board it.
York City announce new head coach; Matt Uggla posts after sacking Stuart Maynard
Here’s the social media reaction as Scott Lindsey gives his first interview on becoming York City’s new head coach…
@SuperJoeFelix2: The headline “Head Coach” says it all really, hes in no control
@SaxtonYorkie: When do we get the post about season ticket refunds?
@DerwentReds: Perfect fit. Never hangs around at a club for long. Only a clown would accept a job at this circus.
@tommyf1996: Judas Christ, that’s a poor appointment #ycfc
@haughycfc: Direct your anger at the owner’s decision, not the new manager who has not done anything wrong and we are now relying on to lead us this season
@rocknrollnobody:Win % last season:Stuart Maynard – 73%Scott Lindsey – 22.6% until sacked by Crawley in March for being shit and in serious relegation troubleJust absolutely baffling.Lindsey got Crawley from L2 to L1 via playoffs in 2024. Otherwise, his win % has never been higher than 41%
@OffTheLineBlog: The critic will point towards his last spell at Crawley and the 22% win rate. I’d argue that his success first time around was quite an outlier given results > underlying data. I can’t mount a serious case for Lindsey over Maynard as City boss. Big gamble for #YCFC.
@DanTakesOnFooty: “Head coach” tells you all you need to know here. I’m out of words to describe what’s went on at York now still just leave it with, ridiculous. #YCFC #MinsterMen
@HCfootball01:The fake transfer pages need to use their heads, and just go“York are interested in Danilo Orsi”“York make bid for MK Dons midfielder Liam Kelly”“York are interested in free agent defender Dion Conroy”“York are interested in Crawley midfielder Jay Williams”High % of getting a couple right.
@Shanemarshall78: Wealth of experience with an awful win percentage and plays a style of football nothing like this squad is capable of, fucking brilliant this
@Dave_Crypt0: What a fucking joke! Why the fuck have we swapped a title winning manager in Stuart for someone who’s season at MK Dons fell apart and was sacked, and subsequently went on a 10 game winless run at Crawley…and was sacked! #YCFC
