Shrewsbury Town have expressed their delight at the calibre of applicants the club’s vacant managerial position is attracting.It is understood people who have managed at a significantly higher level have thrown their names into the melting pot as the race to succeed Gary Peters gathers pace.
Managing director Rob Bickerton believes that is an indication of how Town’s standing in the game has risen since the move to the new 10,000 all-seater stadium at Oteley Road.
“I think the calibre of applicants we are receiving reflects the status that Shrewsbury Town now has,” said Bickerton, who has refused to put a time frame on when applications will stop being received.
“I can’t comment on the standard of applicants the club has had in the past, but I think what we have received over the last couple of days shows the great potential Shrewsbury Town has now.”
Bickerton refuses to commment on individual candidates, but Paul Simpson continues to be heavily touted as one of the leading front-runners, and it is understood the former Carlisle and Preston manager would be tempted.
Former Leicester and Coventry boss Micky Adams is another who has managed in the Championship who is known to be desperate to return to football.
Icelander Gudjon Thordarson - who earned promotion to the second tier of English football with Stoke in 2002 - is known to have expressed his interest in the job.
He had less than a year at Barnsley and spent just one season at Notts County, where former Town favourite Ross MacLaren was his assistant.
It is understood Bobby Williamson, who left Chester on Sunday, has forwarded his name to the Town hierarchy, while Martin Allen - whose MK Dons team were beaten by Shrewsbury in last year’s play-off semi-final - is also thought to be interested.
The job is sure to attract the attention of Town legend Ian Atkins, who is currently scouting across Europe for Sunderland, but Leroy Rosenior, one of three assistant managers employed by Gary Peters, has ruled out a return to Shropshire.
Steve Cotterill, Sammy McIlroy and Nigel Clough have also been linked.
32 Comments
I’m intrigued to know when this nonsense is going to come to an end! I wish this football club would hurry up and appoint another “manager”.
Perhaps they should appoint Mr Peasbody then he would’nt have time to make these silly postings
Why is it nonsense? … its the appointent of a manager, which takes time - i see you have put apostrophes over the word manager, … is that a dimwitted attempt at irony?
ignorance pure ignorance
Get a life will you….it’s only been 2 days!!!
‘How Town’s standing has risen in the game’ he’s havin a laugh!!!!!
Shame their standing hasn’t risen in the League!!!!
Mr bickerton is setting everybody up for a dissapointing anti climax by suggesting top managers are interested in coming to the club, because people are now mentioning names like Dowie, Hoddle, and allardyce when we,ll probably end up with another little known lower league manager, like gary peters, quinn, or king.
We need to stop fantasising about the great managers a big club like ours can attract and remember that web are just another small family club that punched above our weight for a few years in the second tier of english football.
I remember when we fired managers for getting us relegated, now we fire them for not getting us promoted
Come on now children.All will be sorted in good time. Put it into context.There has been a girls missing in Dewsbury for 10 days. That’s important.Town appointing a Manager will remedy itself,sadly looks like anly one outcome in Dewsbury.
For someone totally disinterested in sport and Shrewsbury Town H. St. John Peasbody seems to spend a lot of time reading the sports section of this website! Its not compulsory you know.
What is important is that a manager is appointed that knows all the ins and outs of the lower leagues. Some of these big names are all very well but many can only achieve results with a big budget.
Dear, dear Matthew: this news item appeared on the home page of the Shropshire Star website. I have no intention of viewing the sport section. Now run along.
Regardless of what the fans or the papers say the club will, like any other employer, appoint the applicant they consider best suited for the post.
Whether that is a well known name or a lower league manager remains to be seen, but we all seem to have forgotten the appointment many years ago of a managerial novice called Graham Turner.
As for Mr Peasbody (if that is indeed his real name)I assume that this is someone having a wind up………….and succeeding.
barnstaple buck it seems watching sunday league pub football week in week out has given you a sense of humour
Ha ha, you’re last comment there Harold just confirmed to everyone that you’re a wind-up merchant. Your cover’s been blown!!
I would like to question Mr Bickertons statement that time is on our side,we still need 10points,and onthe sides present form that wont be easy,any new manager should be given as many games as possible,not only to sto to try and gee the players up ,but also to get an idea whats needed for next season.
Micky Adams seems to be becoming a popular choice amongst fans too, and could be a realistic target for the club as he’s out of work and has experience in the lower leagues.
H. St. John Peasbodye -
Perhaps if you don’t like seeing sport on the home page of the Shropshire Star you could just try setting up the News section as your link to the site? Not having a dig at you, just a suggestion to make life less stressful
Ian Brightwell?
Ronald Mcdonald would be the perfect candidate
Harold is this the same item that appears under the heading “Sport” on the homepage? I can see how you preceived this to be a non sporting thread…
Frank Zappa - I concur with your comment.
We should all be flattered that Harold sees fit to spare some of his valuable time to actually read what we have written and make comment on it. If he was not really interested he would not bother reading about Shrewsbury Town or making comment. Needless to say he will not comment on what I have written, if he does I will be flattered that he has found it interesting enough to read and make comment on.
The Challenge to Harold therefore is, if the stories around Shrewsbury Town do not interest him, can he resist not reading them or making comment.
Denis - I don’t agree with you.
Got you Harold. Thank you so much for giving me some of your valuable time to read my comment and making a comment back. I feel it is a real privalage that you read the drivel I have written and made comment on it. The challenge now is for you not to comment again.
I have no further comment.
Got you again Harold. You obviously read it of which I am so so grateful and honoured. No further comment is a comment so you did comment. It is so wonderful that you are prepared to read this and add even a no comment. I am very privaledged. Can you rise to the challenge and not put down any feedback.
Stop it children or you won’t get your pocket money this week.
Denis - Your last sentence required a question mark.
Harold - Got you yet again. You are obviously reading my comments very carefully and spotting my misscakes. It is amazing that you continue to read and comment on my continuing drivel. I feel so so honoured. You just cannot resist making a comment can you???? Enough question marks? Surely you are not going to waste and give me even more of your valuable time commenting on all this rubbish I am writing. Well I am going to lunch now and I know when I come back you will have responded to this in some way.
Now Harold has gone a serious comment.
Personally I feel as a long shot Nigel Clough would be worth going for. He is I am sure very eager to manage a league club and would possibly have that magic touch that may be able to see Town progress to better things.
How was lunch, Denis? Did you eat it all or did you miss cakes?
Nigel Clough will not leave Burton Albion for Shrewsbury Town.
Harold well done you spotted the deliberate Misscake!!!!
Glad to see you can make a sensible comment. That may well be true about Nigel Clough but most football managers are always looking for a challenge so he may see it as a stepping stone into the League with the potential if successful to move on to another club and emulate his late father
Young master Clough has had many opportunities to move into the Football League from Burton Albion: after all, he has been at Burton for 10 years. I doubt that “The Magnificent Facility” [or “The Andro’s Fish & Chip Shop Stadium” as it will soon be known – you heard it here first] will be enticing enough for him to leave Burton.
Here we go I have proved that you cannot have a sensible conversation with Harold. It is so odd that someone who is not at all interested in Shrewsbury Town wastes their valuable time commenting on this page. Most normal people do not bother wasting time commenting on subjects that they are clearly not interested in.