Tony Russell, the Lewes FC boss, is being touted as a potential candidate to take the reins at Princes Park.

Previous Darts manager Alan Dowson was sacked over a month ago, and the Club are still yet to have replaced the 53-year-old. It does, however, seem that progress is being made in the recruitment process.

Tony Russell, who formerly managed Cray Wanderers, appears to be in contention for the position. The 45-year-old has recently attended some of Dartford’s fixtures, leading to speculation that he is the most concrete name amongst a curated shortlist of “three or four” candidates.

His contract with Lewes is not set to expire until 2025, so it is unclear whether a move for the manager would be made during the season, or in the summer.

Russell spent almost six years at Cray between the 2015/16 and 2020/21 seasons. His most notable achievements with the Club are winning the Isthmian South East in 2018/19, and finishing 2nd in the Isthmian Premier the following season.

Since taking over at Lewes in 2021, he has transformed a relegation-battling side to a consistent contender for the Playoffs. In the last two seasons, the East Sussex Club have finished outside the Playoffs by just six points and on goal difference respectively.

He has also gained a reputation for his developmental skills; one example of this is the help he provided Ollie Tanner in his time at Lewes, leading to his £55,000 move to Cardiff City. Another is Deon Moore, who recently moved to Sutton United after joining Russell from Dulwich Hamlet, where he played a periphery role.

Another name that has been mentioned in recent days is Ross McNeilly. McNeilly gathered managerial experience last season with Aldershot and moved into a coaching role with Dorking Wanderers this campaign.

However, with his departure from Marc White’s staff occurring only recently, his chances of securing the job this far into the recruitment process seems unlikely.

Despite this, Kent Sports News understands that a decision is still yet to be made on the next manager. Interim boss Tony Burman has previously stated that the Club won’t be “rushed” into a decision, but it “does depend on how results go”.

After picking up his first win away to Dover on Saturday, further results against Slough and Taunton to ease any relegation worries may give those in charge more time to make a thoroughly informed decision.