Former Bristol City and Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has been confirmed as the new permanent boss of Taunton Town.
In a social media video, Gary Johnson was confirmed as the new first team manager.
He said: "All Taunton fans, I am delighted to be here...I'll see you all very soon."
The 70-year-old has been managing since the mid 1980s and got his first job at Newmarket Town before guiding Cambridge United in the early 90s.
Following a spell at Kettering Town, Johnson had a spell managing the Latvian National Football Team around the turn of the Millennium.
He is best known by football fans in Somerset for his two stints at Yeovil Town, firstly between 2001 and 2005 during which time the Huish Park side gained promotion to the football league and then from League Two. He returned to the club in 2012 for three years.
Johnson also had a spell in charge of Bristol City followed by Peterborough United, Northampton Town, Cheltenham Town and Torquay United.
His most recent role in football was in May 2024, when he returned to Cheltenham Town as Director of Football. During this time, he helped the club to stabilise following relegation from League One, while also playing a key role in recruiting several players who later generated substantial transfer fees. One notable example was the sale of Ethon Archer to Luton Town, a remarkable story in which Johnson took Archer from the Sussex County Leagues to Torquay United while in charge of the Devon-based club, and then to Cheltenham Town in League Two as Director of Football.
He now takes over following the resignation of former manager Richard Luffman following the side's 3-0 defeat at Evesham United.
Speaking to the club in his first interview, Johnson expressed his delight at his new appointment.
He said: “I’m always excited about a new challenge, and I’m excited about this. I’ve only been here a couple of times with teams, but I’ve always felt there’s a good passion on the terraces, and there’s a chance to build the club.
"I’ve looked at the team, and I think it’s a decent team. I think they’ve got a chance to be much higher at this level than they are at the moment.
"It’s really important to work towards getting into the National League South at least. I saw that as a good challenge — but a big one.”
Johnson takes charge of the Peacocks as they look to pull away from the drop zone in Southern League Premier South. His first match in charge will be Gloucester City at the Cygnet Health Care Stadium on December 27.
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