Iron chief Wharton "amazed" at number of applicants for management job
SCUNTHORPE United have had more than 20 applications for the vacant managerial position at Glanford Park.
Chairman Steve Wharton and his board of directors will meet tomorrow to sift through some of the names.
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PLEASING RESPONSE: Scunthorpe chairman Steve Wharton has so far received around 20 applications for the vacant managerial job.
The Iron chief is giving no clues away about the identity of anybody who has already applied.
But the list of applicants is not just from managers out of work looking for a new job. It is believed to include one or two people who are already in work elsewhere.
Former United defender Alan Knill at Bury is one name being favoured by the bookies.
Another is more recent club skipper Andy Crosby, who moved down to Southampton with former Iron boss Nigel Adkins last September.
"I have been amazed really by the number of applications we have had," said Wharton.
"We must have had more than 20 in by now – and that is without us having advertised the job.
"There is a board meeting tomorrow at which we will discuss the managerial situation.
"We will have to decide whether to go ahead and advertise or whether we feel we already have sufficient options that we can look at.
"The one thing I wonder is if by not advertising we might miss out on attracting a good candidate who might be interested."
Only after tomorrow's meeting will the board know what step to take next.
"It is likely we will want to look at drawing up a short list of two or three people that we would like to interview," said the chairman.
"We would like to have someone in place as soon as possible, but the important thing is that we make the right choice."
Former Iron boss Brian Laws is still favourite with most bookmakers for a return, though he was reluctant to comment when he spoke to the Telegraph earlier this week.
Whoever comes in, Wharton believes, will inherit a good job.
Although United are not a club that splashes money around, they do have finance to spend.
"It really is a myth about not giving managers money to spend," said the chairman.
"We never said no to Nigel Adkins and we did not say no to Ian Baraclough.
"The one manager who did not have much money to spend was Brian Laws."
Wharton confirmed United had been prepared to smash their transfer record by paying £500,000 during the January transfer window to sign Kilmarnock striker Conor Sammon, who turned them down and later signed for Wigan Athletic.
15 Comments
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by steven, Scunny
Wednesday, March 23 2011, 9:34AM
“I'll try ,i think what he is saying is scunny fans are plastic Liverpool supporters and probably laws is rubbish and not very loyal to the club . I agree Laws failed elsewhere and Scunthorpe Utd out of sheer pride shouldn't even entertain him .”
by Eddie Murphy, Beverley Hills
Wednesday, March 23 2011, 9:24AM
“Anyone care to translate that brainspill?”
by B, Cluff
Wednesday, March 23 2011, 9:19AM
“Laws is the right man for tthe job .The wannabe Liverpool 5th team ( Scunny ) supporters must of got their hopes up when King Kenny turned up for a cuppa ,but left with because the club had no ambition and should speak to Laws .”
by Hedonist Puncture, Application Shredding Bin
Wednesday, March 23 2011, 7:59AM
“Since this has turned into a bit of a Wharton bash, then here is my pennyworth.
Wharton is the son of a bloke who started out delivering coal and built a business from there. A coalman, He inherited the business and sold it on. A pretty ordinary bloke, without charisma, who inherited his father's financial success. I don't characterise him as an upper class twit, as O'Rielly does.
His business style is typical of the cautious, cut cost, risk averse type. This style means that while the business may remain, growth will be stifled. Yes, we may be debt free, but we are going down. Our revenue stream will be cut drastically and the chances of improving it will become even harder. The Championship league is a step too far and unsustainable with the business model we have.
Managers will be attracted to this for one reason only, security of employment in a world of uncertainty. This will perpetuate the risk averse nature. We as supporters may get to see the sun on occasion, but forget the sunscreen, as we won't be in it long enough to get burnt.”
by Gavin, Scun
Tuesday, March 22 2011, 6:36PM
“Amzing how Wharton was ready to spend 500k on a player, then only a matter of weeks later he sacked the man who identified him.
You could write a Magnus Opus on stuff that we 'could' have done - we 'could' have smashed our transfer record of loads of rumoured targets, we 'could' have built a multi storey stand, we 'could have moved grounds...thing is - we never do anything, it's just a constant steam of BS with Wharton.”
by Arfur Daley, Winchester Club
Tuesday, March 22 2011, 6:05PM
“I wouldnt trust Wharton if he came up to me and said 'I am going to build a 7million pound stand'!”
by Shareholder, At the AGM
Tuesday, March 22 2011, 5:55PM
“Mark - Nearly right, in Wharton we've been "trussed"
No one will have any say in the next appointment other than the Chairman.
My club, my ball, end of story”
by boom boom, scunny
Tuesday, March 22 2011, 5:54PM
“Oh yeah - 'In Wharton we trust'...
Why? He appointed Hammond, Holland and Wagstaffe and 'groomed' Bara for two years! Its not as if he even bought the club - he inherited it and was forced to be the chairman because no one else would work for him!
I have no faith at all in Wharton - it wouldnt suprise me if Laws was already in the job, seems very odd that Wharton is trying to sign Hayes, Williams, Rose etc with no manager in place.
WHARTON OUT!”
by mark, scunny
Tuesday, March 22 2011, 5:46PM
“in wharton we must trust. if we want this golden era to continue, even if this means going down for 1 season. But if he'd (wharton) put up at the start of the season I don't think that we would be in the S**t we are in now, but thats the way the cooky crumbles as some might say, footy as become 1 big gamble these days, and not only with money. we need somebody who as a knack for motavating the players but as also got a good footballing brain.or at least the coaching team between them. Kevin keegan spings to mind, but he would need a decent assistant maybe Graham Taylor; nor they would cost more than the minimun wage UP.THE.IRON”
by O'Rielly, Scunny
Tuesday, March 22 2011, 5:46PM
“He also demoted Adkins back to spongeman in 2004, to bring Laws back...such was his faith.
When Adkins was appointed - it was hardly Whartons doing now was it....put in charge along with Daws/Baraclough/Crosby in a caretaker role, Nigel was not on Whartons radar as he courted Peter Beagrie and anyone else - 4 wins and a draw and suddenly Adkins emerged as not only the cheapest option but also as the ONLY option.
Wharton is a berk - an upper class twit with no idea ... the only reason we are anywhere near solvent is because (unlike every other club) we have avoided rebuilding the ground, had we shown any intent youth/transfer/stadium wise we would be in the same position as everyone else.”