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Next Game: Rushall At Home In The League On Saturday 30th November At 3.00pm

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Names In The Frame


With another managerial vacancy to fill at Edgar Street, the one criteria laid down by chairman David Keyte is for a man with experience in the Conference.

The League Managers Association website offers a list of available managers, several of which have extensive Conference experience. In alphabetical order, Mark Cooper comes first. The 43 year old has managed three different sides over six seasons in the fifth tier. He was sacked by Tamworth when bottom of the table, only to bring Kettering in as Conf North champions a year later. More recently he was dismissed by Darlington amid claims by disgraced chairman Raj Singh that he was signing players without permission.

Martin Foyle took York to Wembley in both the FA Trophy and Conference play-off in successive seasons before leaving after an indifferent start in 2009. Reputedly interviewed at Edgar Street prior to Jamie Pitman's permanent installment, since York Foyle has been assistant to Dave Penney at Bristol Rovers and, most recently, has just completed the season with Northwich.

Sammy McIlroy is probably as famous to Bulls fans for edging his former friend Jimmy Harvey out of a job at Morecambe as he is for making both the Shrimps and Macclesfield a League side, winning the division twice with the Silkmen as well as a FA Trophy.

Dave Penney's last Conference experience was nine years ago as boss at Doncaster. Since their play-off victory in 2003, with a large budget, he has spent his time managing a variety of sides in Leagues One and Two.

Mark Stimson won Conf South and two FA Trophies with Grays before taking them to a third place Conference finish. Another FA Trophy followed at Stevenage before unhappy spells with Gillingham and Barnet. He returned to the Conference this season with Kettering, but quit in January as their financial problems came to light.

Not on the LMA website, but another possibility is Gary Lowe. The recently departed Hyde boss had a good record with Curzon Ashton in the NPL, including a FA Cup win over then League Two Exeter, before winning Conf North at the first attempt with Hyde. A former Bulls player, Lowe himself admits be being fiercely ambitious after quitting Hyde citing a lack of ambition at the club.

Meanwhile, on the forums, the name of Jimmy Harvey has resurfaced again. The Bulls legend took Morecambe into the Conference and to the verge of League promotion before illness saw his eventual forced removal. He then rebuilt Forest Green from relegation favourites to play-off contenders, had a brief spell at the soon dead Chester City, before arriving at current side Stalybridge Celtic. They missed out on the Conf North play-offs this season, his first full one in charge, by a point on a limited budget.