Queen of the South appoint Marvin Bartley as new manager

Queen of the South have appointed Marvin Bartley as the club's new manager.

The 36-year-old former midfielder joins the Scottish League One side from Livingston where he was assistant to David Martindale.

Relegated from the Championship last year, Queens parted ways with former manager Willie Gibson in December 2022.

Grant Murray has served as interim manager since.

Following the appointment, Chairman Billy Hewitson said: "We are pleased to have Marvin on board. Following the departure of Wullie we received a positive response from a wide variety of applicants. We have taken a couple of weeks to weigh up our options and are confident that Marvin was the best candidate.

"He is young starting out in management but has experience having been part of the coaching team at Livingston. We welcome him to Palmerston as we aim to push up the table."

Bartley started his career at Bournemouth under Eddie Howe who also took him to Burnley. 

He eventually moved north in 2015 when he joined Hibernian where he helped them win promotion and the Scottish Cup.

After leaving Easter Road he joined Livingston where he took up a coaching role alongside playing, before retiring from the field last year.

The new manager said: "I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to become Queens manager.

"I have enjoyed being assistant at Livingston and owe David Martindale a huge debt of gratitude for the time taken to help mould my management style, but I feel the time is now right for me to make a step up and be my own boss.

"My experience at Livingston, coupled with the knowledge accrued playing under Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche puts me in good stead to make the most of the opportunity at Queens, which is a great club with a lot of potential.

"They have a strong youthful squad and with a few additions I’m confident we can climb the table. I am looking forward to the challenge and can’t wait to get started."

Queen of the South are currently eighth, six points off the play-off places.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.