Trams announce new Director of Football

There’s real ambition building at Croydon ahead of the 2026/27 season, with the Trams making a statement appointment off the pitch by bringing former Championship and international footballer Sean Scannell to the club as their new Director of Football.

The First Division side announced the news this week and it certainly feels like a major coup for the club.

Scannell enjoyed an outstanding professional playing career, making over 300 Championship appearances and playing 130 times for Crystal Palace. He also represented the Republic of Ireland at senior international level and brings with him a huge amount of experience from across all levels of the game.

His career has included promotions from the Championship to the Premier League, National League to League Two and Isthmian Premier to Conference South, giving him valuable insight into successful football environments and what it takes for clubs to progress.

Away from playing, Scannell has also been heavily involved in mentoring young footballers and recently launched the Sean Scannell Soccer School for players aged between four and sixteen.

Speaking after his appointment, Scannell said he wants to “push the club as high as it can get to” and believes “the sky is the limit” for Croydon. He also described it as “an honour to be involved with the football club that he grew up next to.”

Croydon Co-Chairman Liam Blencowe praised the appointment, calling it “a very exciting appointment for the football club” and adding that having Scannell involved “matches the ambition we have to take the football club to the next level.”

For a club looking to build momentum both on and off the pitch, it is certainly a headline-grabbing addition for the Trams — and one supporters will hope signals an exciting future ahead.