Former Boss Hurst Returns to Boston
Wednesday, 14th Jan 2026 15:40

Former Blues boss Paul Hurst has returned to Enterprise National League Boston United as their manager.

Hurst was previously jointly in charge of the Pilgrims alongside Rob Scott between 2009 and 2011 takes over from Graham Coughlan, who was sacked last week.

The 51-year-old is joined at the Lincolnshire side by his one-time Town assistant Chris Doig.

In his initial spell with Boston, they won three trophies during 2009/10, among them promotion from the UniBond Premier League via the play-offs.

The next season, the Pilgrims were looking set for promotion before Grimsby swooped and took Hurst and Scott to Blundell Park.

Chairman David Newton said: “We are delighted that Paul has agreed to rejoin Boston United. We enjoyed great success during his previous spell at the club, along with Rob Scott, which led to a very successful period for Paul – and I was delighted to see him rise to managing in the Championship.

“I am sure some will point to the way Rob and Paul departed the club back in 2011. I had no issue with their ambition to manage at a higher level – but did not feel that it was done in the correct manner.

“The matter was dealt with at the time – and the club received the right compensation for their move. That drew a line under things for me, and I was delighted when Paul continued to bring teams over for pre-season fixtures, and we have kept in touch ever since.

“I am also delighted that Chris Doig has agreed to join Paul, once again, as his assistant which completes a very successful management team.

“Sadly that does mean that we have had to part company with Lee Bullen. It has been an absolute pleasure having Lee at our club. Not only is he an excellent coach, but also a top man with respect and good values. He leaves with huge thanks from ourselves – and very best wishes for the future.

“This is a key appointment for the club as we seek to not only cement our place in the National League but hopefully build on that going forward. As with all managers, we will support Paul all we can to achieve the club's ambitions.

“The support home and away has been just brilliant these past two seasons, so I am sure everyone will pull together as we move into this new chapter for the club.”

Hurst was appointed Town boss in the summer of 2018 after an impressive stint in charge of Shrewsbury, who he took to the League One play-off final.

However, the one-time Rotherham full-back lasted only 149 days, the shortest tenure in the club’s history, before being sacked having won only once.

Hurst’s last management job was back at Shrewsbury, however, he was sacked in November 2024 after just over nine months in charge.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

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Broadbent23 added 16:07 - Jan 14 Boston also has banger racing so this sounds like a good appointment.
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Radlett_blue added 16:10 - Jan 14 I do not wish either Paul Hurst or Deputy Doig well.
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bringmeaKuqi added 16:15 - Jan 14 This guy managed us for 15 games almost 8 years ago. Let's move on.
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Paulc added 16:31 - Jan 14 I'd forgotten about him....do we really need an update on this?
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Monkey_Blue added 16:39 - Jan 14 About his level but those having a go should recall that he was appointed after idiots who didn’t realise how well MM was doing with the budget he had and wanted some up and coming lower league manager who could sign loads of lower league gems…. Be careful what you wish for and be careful not to contradict yourself.
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Monkey_Blue added 16:42 - Jan 14 Hurst was truly awful but the Mick haters got what they asked for
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Bluearmy_81 added 16:58 - Jan 14 Never should’ve been manager of Ipswich Town football club as this is more his level but we have that idiot Evans to thank for that
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Bluearmy_81 added 17:01 - Jan 14 Monkey, Pep would have failed under Evans such was the chronic disaster that he was for this football club. Town fans never seemed to grasp who the elephant in the room was though?!
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Monkey_Blue added 17:07 - Jan 14

Bluearmy81. What was failure? Relegation? Mick never had us anything other than Top half and yet he was hounded out by idiots who think playing Football Manager meant they know the realities of professional football. I’d have loved us to play pretty football. Please tell me when Evans listening to fans led to relegation…. When he appointed hurst. We were top half despite all the terrible free transfers we signed under mick and the £25m in sales from the likes of Mings, Webster, Waghorn etc

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IndependentlyBlue added 17:08 - Jan 14 Hard to believe it was 7 1/2 years ago he was appointed. A lifetime away from where we are now
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Dissboyitfc added 17:26 - Jan 14 A very poor chapter in our history, some idiots want McKenna out, priceless!
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barrystedmunds added 17:27 - Jan 14 About his ceiling!
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Bluearmy_81 added 17:37 - Jan 14

Monkey, proving my point, you’re once again deferring responsibility from the owner! It was the fans fault for demanding MM out and him appointing Hurst?! Was it the fans fault he gave Lambert a 5 year contract when he had 6 months left?! Evans took over in 2007 and his goal was to get us promoted to the prem. Massive, abject, dismal, chronic failure for 14 years. Always the managers fault though and an external free pass from fans till 2021!! Such weird fans. Every other club in the country would have been revolting about 7 years before he finally left!!

Bluearmy_81 added 17:40 - Jan 14 Yeah the £25m that didn’t go anywhere near the squad. We bought embarrassing dross instead!! Not the merest wimper of protest from Town fans though! “It’s his club, he can do what he wants…” I remember hearing! Utterly tragic. It’s like the new management had to teach fans the basics of running a football club!
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runningout added 17:55 - Jan 14 trying to remove this horrendous chapter from my head. Then that name rears its head :-/
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armchaircritic59 added 17:56 - Jan 14 All in the past now guys, time to forgive and forget, we've finally move on to a better place. As for Boston, a few more years ago than I really care to remember, I used to go there now and then on a Sunday with friends to watch Speedway and it always seemed to be bloody freezing!
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Bazza8564 added 18:07 - Jan 14

Evans was paying McCarthy £800k pa and brought Hurst here on £140k. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys!

Like pretty much every town fan I was pleased to see MM go, his football was sh*t, our best song of the time. But Hurst brought us down to a new level, and then there was Lambert. Did you know he used to play for Dortmund by the way?

Putting that sequence through my head makes me realise how lucky we are . NEVER AGAIN!

Linkboy13 added 18:08 - Jan 14

Felt sorry for the guy he looked so out of his depth like a little boy lost. Those of us who have supported the club more than five minutes will remember playing Boston in a pre season friendly we won the game one nil i think with Ian Westlake scoring the winner. Joe Royle was the manager and we met him in the club car park he was very chatty and thanked us for coming.

armchaircritic59 added 19:24 - Jan 14

As humans we very frequently seem to end up blaming the wrong person or people. If a manager " fails " or a player is deemed " not good " enough by the fans, we blame the manager and the player. The person or people who bought them into the club are the ones to blame. It's rather like someone crashing into your car after losing control for no good reason, and blaming their car!

bobble added 20:10 - Jan 14 Everyones forgetting the dark lord when it comes to shi÷e managers..love to hear the top 5 worst in order....hurst or dark lord for top spot...?
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Bluearmy_81 added 22:15 - Jan 14 Jewell was probably the worst imho, we were utterly appalling under him
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michaeldownunder added 22:45 - Jan 14 John Duncan for me, terrible style of play, I stopped going till we got rid of him.
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 22:51 - Jan 14 Jewell gets the nod for the 7-1 defeat to Peterborough alone. Hurst and the dark lord run him close though
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d77sgw added 23:30 - Jan 14 Jewell and Hurst inherited fairly sh*te situations, with low expectations. Keane inherited a decent squad, playing well under Magilton, and was given, by standards then, a decent amount of money which he spunked on useless cr@p like Lee Martin and Priskin. He started the rot from which we struggled to recover for over a decade. Worst manager in our history.
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Dissboyitfc added 07:37 - Jan 15

think those 2 are equal top shyte managers bobble. In terms of the football played, john Duncan Hurst, MM Jewell utter dross! In that Group mentioned the football played under MM was the football i hated most, kick it long, defend deep only needing the midfield for defending, saving any attacking intent until 80+ mins ( game still goaless at this point ) a really hard watch! I do remember giving the runaway leaders Newcastle a good seeing to with some lovely football, the one and only truly memorable performance under MM.

In a different era now!