Pete Whitehouse steps up and sets sights on catching Tividale

Whitehouse leads his team against Bewdley Town tomorrow in his first game since being confirmed as Wayne Spicer’s permanent successor, having originally been placed in caretaker charge.

Rangers sit second in the table, 13 points behind Tivi, though they have three games in hand.

Whitehouse said: “Our aim will be to win the league, until the point where it is mathematically impossible.

“I’m pretty confident we can catch Tividale. The plan is to simply take each game as it comes.”

The hopes of Rangers and the rest of the division were given a boost when Tivi lost just their second game of the season, 2-1 at home to Bilston Town Community, last weekend.

Whitehouse, who has previously held junior coaching roles at Chesterfield, Walsall and Shrewsbury, is making the step up after running the club’s academy.

He said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge. It has always been my long-term ambition to be a manager.

“I was involved last season as first-team coach and I had expressed an interest in stepping up. With Wayne having left, I got my chance to show what I can do.

“Clearly the board were happy with what they saw during that time. This feels like the right time to take my coaching career to the next stage.”

A brief period of rebuilding is expected with Jamal Fuller and Liam Hughes the first two players to depart.

Fuller has joined Romulus, while Hughes has moved to Midland Premier League outfit Lye Town. Whitehouse, who has his UEFA B coaching licence, hopes to add several new faces.

“We’ve brought a couple of lads who were on the fringes of the squad in from the cold,” he said.

“We have also identified three primary targets, who we would like to bring to the club.”

Tivi will aim to get back on track when they visit lowly Dudley Sports, while Wolves Casuals go to Shifnal Town. Wednesfield are at home to an improving Cradley Town.

In the Midland Premier, third-placed Walsall Wood will be aiming to bounce back from last weekend’s FA Vase exit and keep the pressure on leaders Ilkeston when they host fifth-placed Shepshed Dynamo.

Sporting Khalsa, who knocked the Wood out of the Vase, also face fellow title hopefuls when they host Worcester City.

Lye Town are at home to Coventry Sphinx, AFC Wulfrunians travel to Dunkirk, while Wolverhampton Sporting welcome Stourport Swifts.

West Midlands League

Premier Division: AFC Bridgnorth Bilston Town Community; Black Country Rangers v Bewdley Town; Dudley Sports v Tividale; Pegasus Juniors v Malvern Town; Pershore Town 88 v Shawbury United; Shifnal Town v Wolverhampton Casuals; Wednesfield v Cradley Town; Wellington v Hereford Lads Club; Wem Town v Haughmond.

Division One: Worcester Raiders v Team Dudley; Wyrley v Telford Juniors; Bromyard Town v Bustleholme; Droitwich Spa v Allscott AFC; Old Wulfrunians v Newport Town; Sikh Hunters v Willenhall Town; Tipton Town v Darlaston Town (1874); Wrens Nest v Gornal Athletic.

Division Two: Warstones Wanderers v AFC Bentley.

Division Two League Cup: Church Stretton v Gornal Colts; FC Darlaston v Rock Rovers.

Birmingham Amateur Cup: Tipton Town Reserves v Gurdwara GNP.

Midland League

Premier Division: Boldmere v South Normanton Ath; Dunkirk v AFC Wulfrunians; Highgate United v Long Eaton United; Loughborough Uni v Coventry United; Lye Town v Coventry Sphinx; Romulus v Quorn; Sporting Khalsa v Worcester City; Walsall Wood v Shepshed Dynamo; Westfields v Ilkeston Town; Wolverhampton Sporting Community v Stourport Swifts.

Division One: Heather St Johns v Heath Hayes; Lichfield City v Brocton.

Division Three: Enville Athletic v AFC Church.