Welling United are delighted to confirm Ryan Maxwell as the club’s new First-Team Manager.
The Belfast-born boss enjoyed an extensive playing career as a midfielder in non-League football, representing the likes of Grays Athletic, Dagenham & Redbridge, Heybridge Swifts, Tonbridge Angels, Braintree Town and Boreham Wood amongst others, as well a spell in Scotland with Hamilton Academical and Raith Rovers and in Wales with Llanelli.
Maxwell also spent time at Park View Road as a Wings player during the 2006/07 season and represented Northern Ireland at U21 level.
His coaching career began with Walthamstow in 2018 as manager, departing after a two-year spell to join Braintree United.
Having steered Braintree to National League South safety during his two-year stay with the Iron, he left in 2022 before being named Sittingbourne boss in January 2023.
A near-three-year spell with the Brickies saw Maxwell secure a legendary status with the Kent club, leading them to the play-offs in 2024 and 2025, securing a club-record 101 points last season on their way to a second-place finish and the play-off final – Sittingbourne’s highest finish in any division since 1996.
His record-breaking 2024/25 campaign also saw him lead his side to their highest ever league goals tally of 117, while conceding their fewest goals in a season (29) since 1990.
Maxwell also oversaw a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy last season, beating Enfield Town, Salisbury City and Southend United along the way.
He will be joined in the dugout by Assistant Manager Billy McMahon and now joins the Wings tasked with steering the club back up the Isthmian League Premier Division table and will take charge for the first time on Tuesday evening as Welling host Folkestone Invicta in the Velocity Cup.
“I’m really, really proud and honoured to be named as manager of such a great club,” said Maxwell after putting pen to paper in DA16.
“There is a big job on, I know what I’m walking into and we need to go on a good, strong run. It may not happen overnight and there will need to be patience, but we will do it and we will turn it around.
“Welling United are a big club in non-League and that made it a big draw for me. The location is fantastic and the potential is there for growth. Yes, it’s in a bad period, but I want to put it back where it should be.”
Wings CEO, Paul Barnes, added: “We are delighted to welcome Ryan to Welling. He is someone I know extremely well, having seen first-hand the pivotal role he played in the rise of Sittingbourne. Under his influence, they became one of the toughest and most competitive sides across all competitions. His record speaks for itself.
“From the very beginning of this process, we were determined to appoint a manager who embodies the values of our club. Someone who understands what it means to wear the badge, demands commitment, and leads a team that leaves absolutely everything on the pitch. Anyone who has faced a Ryan Maxwell side will know these qualities well — intensity, work ethic, discipline, and a refusal to back down. These are the foundations of his approach.”
