Beith Juniors have announced the appointment of a new manager.

Shaun Dillon has been confirmed as the man to fill the vacant managerial position, following the departure of Chris Strain.

Strain, the former manager, resigned from his role at the beginning of March after guiding the club to back-to-back West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) Premier Division titles. After a challenging start to this season, Strain stated that his decision to step down was made in the best interests of the club.

Dillon, who takes over the reins, has expressed his enthusiasm for building a team "the fans can be proud of" following his appointment.

The club confirmed Dillon’s appointment on Thursday, 3rd April, with the news that he would take up the managerial role at Bellsdale Park.

Dillon will be a familiar face to many, having spent two spells as part of the backroom team that assisted Strain during his tenure. He also brings significant managerial experience, having led local rivals Kilbirnie Ladeside on two separate occasions.

His first stint at Ladeside saw him work as co-manager alongside Tommy Molloy, a former colleague at Greenock Juniors. Dillon left Valefield in May 2022 but soon moved across the Garnock Valley to take up a coaching role at Beith.

In December of that year, Dillon returned to Ladeside as sole manager following Molloy’s departure. However, he resigned at the end of the 2022/23 season before making his return to Beith Juniors.

After Strain’s departure, Dillon expressed interest in taking over as manager and was appointed on a temporary basis. On Saturday, 5th April, he officially took charge on a permanent basis, leading Beith to a 2-0 victory over St Cadoc’s.

Dillon will continue to manage the team with the support of former Ayr United boss Mark Roberts and goalkeeping coach Jim Catterson, both of whom have been with the club since 2024 and 2023, respectively.

A club statement read: "Beith Juniors are delighted to confirm Shaun Dillon as the new manager of the club. Having spent two spells as part of the backroom team that won back-to-back league titles, Shaun immediately expressed an interest in stepping up following the resignation of Chris Strain.

"Having led the team in an interim role over the past few weeks, during which time positive discussions were held, Shaun now takes permanent charge. He will be assisted by Mark Roberts and Jim Catterson, with further additions to the coaching staff to be confirmed in due course."

Dillon remarked: "I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to manage Beith Juniors and to continue the good work we have produced over the last three seasons. I know how good a club this is, and I look forward to building a team that the fans can be proud of."