Get an in-depth look into Sutton’s brand-new First Team Manager: Chris Agutter
Hailing from West Sussex, Chris Agutter’s footballing journey began with a brief playing career at Brighton & Hove Albion, and mirrored the start to his managerial pathway.
Indeed, the newly appointed Sutton boss saw his coaching career also begin at the AMEX, serving as Youth Team Manager with a focus on youth development and education, which was evident early on, and it was this grounding that helped him build the tactical and developmental expertise he would later carry into senior management.
Having initially spent five years with Albion’s Community Trust, he followed it up with two years in charge of the Academy as Foundation Phase Coach, before joining Eastbourne Borough in June 2015.
His time at Priory Lane saw him balance dual roles as Academy Manager and First Team Assistant, allowing him to blend youth and senior responsibilities which became a hallmark of his approach, ensuring that academy and first-team football were closely aligned.
Furthermore, a 17th place finish in the National League South was accompanied by victory in the Sussex Senior Cup, with a single goal from Nat Pinney securing a 1-0 victory over future club Worthing, and saw him lift his first piece of silverware in his career.
However, his time at Eastbourne came to an end midway through the following campaign, with Chris making the move to Hastings United via a brief return to Brighton. Initially joining in an academy capacity, he quickly became First Team Manager and oversaw steady improvement in results, and peaked when his side found themselves top of the Isthmian South East Division until his tenure was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which curtailed for two seasons just as his team was building momentum.
Nevertheless, his ability to develop players and instil a clear playing style was already evident, and he eventually secured that long-awaited league title, guiding the club to promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division as champions the following year.
His progress soon earned him a move into the Football League with Stevenage in November 2021, where he coached the Under-18s and Under-21s and later served as Interim First Team Assistant Manager. This gave him invaluable experience of the demands at professional level, but his ties to Sussex football remained strong.
After a spell back at Brighton’s academy, Agutter returned to Hastings in October 2023, inheriting a side in 14th place. By the end of the season though, he had guided them to a 7th place finish, marking an impressive turnaround, as well as taking them to the Sussex Senior Cup Final for the first time in 24 years.
Photo Credit: Hastings United Football Club
That resurgence at Hastings made Agutter a natural candidate when Worthing began the search for a new manager in 2024. The club was clear about its priorities: they wanted a coach who could maintain their established philosophy of possession-based, attacking football while also overseeing a joined-up pathway between academy and first team, and Agutter fit the bill perfectly, being confirmed as Adam Hinshelwood’s successor in May 2024.
His first season in charge at Woodside Road was nothing short of impressive. Worthing recorded their highest ever points total in the National League South, amassing 88 points and finishing just one short of the title, having been one of the six clubs that embarked on a dramatic final day of the season. Under Agutter’s leadership, the team not only maintained their attacking identity but also grew into one of the most consistent sides in the division, and saw him named as the division’s Manager of the Month for April. The near-miss was bittersweet, with the Rebels going on to face play-off heartbreak at the hands of eventual finalists Maidstone United in the eliminator round, but it confirmed that Agutter had quickly stamped his mark on the club.
Beyond results, his coaching philosophy has been one of his defining qualities. Known for high emotional intelligence and strong man-management, his background in youth coaching makes him a strong believer in academy pathways, and Worthing empowered him to shape not just the first team but the wider footballing culture of the club.
Photo Credit: Worthing Football Club
Following on from that record-breaking first season, Worthing extended his contract until the end of the 2028/29 campaign, and was a clear vote of confidence in a manager who had not only delivered results but had also aligned seamlessly with the club’s values, but it is therefore not a surprise that Chris will have been short of potential suitors at a higher level.
At 37-years-old, with a UEFA A Licence and a reputation for developing teams that play attractive, attacking football, his rise through the ranks of English football is far from over, especially if his trajectory so far is anything to go by.
And indeed, he now arrives at Gander Green Lane with plenty of experience, which, blended with our recruitment, makes him a good fit to turn our luck this season.
