BOLTON'S most successful amateur football manager of recent years is back in the game after two and a half years in the wilderness.

Paul Marriott led Eagley to top four finishes in the West Lancashire League in each of his five seasons in charge up to May 2013.

That last season was one of the most successful in the club's history when they won the treble of the Premier League Richardson Cup, the Lancashire Shield and the Hospital Cup.

He finished while he was on top with the intention of having six months out of the game and then returning, hopefully at a higher level.

But when he was refreshed and ready to build on his success at Eagley he found no one in the semi-professional North West Counties League was prepared to give him a chance.

After a couple of years of no encouragement he thought his time was up.

Then out of the blue he was offered the chance to manage Darwen in the NWCL Premier Division a couple of weeks ago.

"I thought I was done in football," said the 50-year-old Bolton man whose first move was to revive his old Eagley management partnership with Scott Campbell.

"I always wanted a season off then get back, hopefully in the North West Counties.

“The trouble is people in the North West Counties don't seem to rate the West Lancashire League.

"The truth is there's very little difference, if any, between the West Lancs League and the First Division of the North West Counties. It's a bit different in the Premier Division.

"I jumped at it. Darwen's the only club I'd have come back into football for. It's a really big club that get 200 watching them and there's a lot of potential there.

"The brief this season is to stop them getting relegated and then take it from there."

Marriott lives in Bromley Cross and, having played for both big rivals Eagley and Turton during his playing days, has Bolton amateur football coursing through his veins.

Could that big Bolton background see some players make the journey up the A666 to Darwen?

"They know where I am," he said. "Obviously I know a lot of people in Bolton and if they're interested in playing for me I'm here.

"I had a great time at Eagley and as soon as I got this job I wanted my old assistant Scott [Campbell] with me.

"He was coaching at Atherton Colls and I asked their manager Michael Clegg if I could have him and all credit to Cleggy he was great about it."