Leigh Robinson leaves Taunton Town to take charge at Truro City

Peacocks coach Michael Meaker will also move to the Cornish club, with Rob Dray and Matt Villis in interim charge at Taunton.

The County Gazette reported earlier today (Monday) that Robinson had been subject to an approach from the White Tigers, and the move has been officially announced this evening.

Taunton Town chairman Kevin Sturmey told the club website: “Of course when any one leaves a football club after over six years there will be disappointment but for this time Leigh has been fantastic to work with and the club is in the best shape it’s ever been in.

"We must thank Leigh for his efforts and the success he has brought to the club and town, plus also our thanks to Meaks who has been part of the set up when things were a lot better than the early part of Leigh’s tenure.

"Both of them will go down in the history of Taunton Town as very successful and as a result have moved on to a higher level albeit only slightly and of course our aim is to be in the National League and hopefully higher in the future.

"What we need to do now is re-focus and keep moving forward. Rob Dray and Matt Villis will take charge of team affairs with immediate effect with Dave Lukins as our Therapist so not a lot changes.

"I have total faith in Rob and Matt plus the players are so focused on their football it will be back to normal tomorrow night and on Saturday. Rob and Matt are an integral part of the management team, as is Dave, so we move on; history cannot be changed and we focus on the future.

"Sometimes a perceived setback can turn in to a positive as our structure perhaps needed tweaking both on and off the pitch. We aren’t inventing the wheel, we just need to fine tune it.

"The players are the same, Rob, Matt & Dave are the same, the Board is the same – we now need to deal with the future and recruit to complement what we have, not knee jerk, react and rush to appoint.

"I’m not always conventional in my thinking and while I am sure there will be a lot of people interested in coming to the Viridor Stadium it has to be right for the current Board, Management and also the players.

"They are the ones who have achieved for us in the last two seasons. I believe in our players, trust them as players and respect their knowledge about football as too often players are ignored by people who really have no experience of playing or being involved in sport at a good level.

"They also know how a dressing room works and if you have never been part of that it is a very different place to what people think."

Rob Dray said: “Today is the end of a fantastic management reign in the club’s history and personally I would like to thank Leigh for bringing me here. We’ve had a great working relationship along with Meaks, the dynamics worked and had some great success in the last two years.

"We are not broken – Matt and I will provide the stability and continuity for this great club and thanks to Kevin and the directors for entrusting us to take things forward.

"We are in a great position in the new division, fantastic growing fan base and importantly for me a great chairman and board who are a constant source of support to us both.

"So the message is nothing changes, we have the same philosophy as Leigh and Meaks which is simply winning games of football.”

Robinson has enjoyed a successful stint in the Taunton hotseat since taking over in May 2012. The club reached the first round proper of the FA Cup in 2016 - the first time in 35 years the Peacocks had made it that far - and romped to the Evo-Stik South West title last season.

He joins a club currently sitting second bottom in National League South with just three points - and no wins - from eight matches this season.

Truro are currently playing their home matches at Plainmoor, home of Torquay United, and have the lowest average gate in the division so far (220).

Taunton begin life without Robinson at home to Street in the Somerset Premier Cup tomorrow night (Tuesday).