{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from November 2005

SHIRTLIFF NAMED AS NEW MANAGER
2nd November 2005 14:34


from Mansfield 103.2: the press conference

http://www.stagsnet.net/mp3/ShirtliffJob011105.wma
--------------
from BBC Nottingham:
The Chairman of Mansfield Town, Keith Haslam, has been explaining his thinking behind the appointment:

"I'm relieved. Peter Shirtliff was the first choice. I discussed things with four other applicants but I think Peter, with the way he has conducted himself over the last four or five weeks, has swayed me."

"I think he is a very calm, collective person who doesn't rush into decisions. He's very level headed, he's not up and down but he's a strong character as well."

Hear the interview with BBC Radio Nottingham's David Jackson:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/2005/10/keith_haslam_on_managers_appointment.ram
-------------
FIRST STEP ON THE LADDER TO SUCCESS...
Evening Post, 02 November 2005
Peter Shirtliff's success as caretaker manager at Mansfield Town has seen him rewarded with the job on a permanent basis. And, as he tells STEVIE RODEN, he is not going to waste this opportunity

All the great managers started somewhere. Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho are no exception.

But so did the likes of Carlton Palmer, at Stockport and Mansfield.

However, Palmer's former assistant Shirtliff, having been shortlisted at three clubs in the past, is determined not to mess up the chance he was finally awarded at Field Mill yesterday.

After being put in temporary charge six weeks ago when Palmer walked out, Shirtliff has started to turn the clubs' fortunes around.

And, after three wins from the last four league games, including a first away victory in seven months, Shirtliff has done enough to convince chairman Keith Haslam to give him the job.

The former Sheffield Wednesday player has signed a deal until the summer of 2007 and, after winning the first battle, is totally focused on being a success in his first managerial role.

Shirtliff, who has worked in coaching roles at Barnsley and Leicester, said: "I am really pleased and delighted to get the job and looking forward to getting stuck in.

"It is something I always wanted to do. I have been patient and worked under good people. And the experience of doing that has stood me in good stead.

"I have been for interviews in the past and got on shortlists. That has happened three times but it has not come off because they wanted more experienced managers, so it is difficult to get the chance.

"That is the hard part. But once you get that chance you have to take it and that is what I am determined to do here.

"I have learnt a lot from my previous roles. Everything from organisation and team playing.

"But, at the end of the day, it is all about the players. If they get it right on the pitch you are the best manager in the world."

However, Shirtliff is not about to make dramatic changes at Field Mill.

Paul Holland will continue to work as a coach and there are no immediate plans to bring in an assistant manager.

He believes sticking with the current staff is a good policy as all of them, including Shirtliff, could have been shown the door had a different manager been brought in.

"My number one priority is to keep improving the squad, both individually and collectively, and with a couple of additions we can do that," said the 44-year-old.

"That is what I am looking to do. But I am not going to rush into anything like staff appointments.

"It has happened to me twice that when a new manager has come to a club they have had completely new staff. I did not want to demotivate the staff here by doing that.

"I am happy with how things are looking at the moment and I will be continually assessing to see if we can improve.

"Paul Holland has been helping me and doing a good job and he knows players at this level."

But Shirtliff wants to make changes to the scouting system to help him research opponents and look at new players.

He said: "More important is the need for people to assess games, assess opposition and scout players. That needs sorting out with some urgency.

"I have one or two people in mind that, hopefully, I can speak to in the next week or so and move along in that direction."

The only target he is setting is one of improvement.

"I have just got improvement in mind," he said. "There is no way I will stand here saying this is going to happen and that is going to happen.

"As a squad they will come together and keep improving. "Performances have improved, but we are not going to stand still and hope that is automatically going to continue, because it is not.

"We have a lot of hard work in front of us but players are happy when they are getting the right results and confidence comes from that.

"The fans have been great with me and I cannot grumble at all and long may it continue.

It is their club and the fans which are important.

"They are desperate for success and I am going to look to improve the squad and, if we can do that, we will get the right results and start to climb the league - and there will be something to cheer about."


------------

Shirtliff appointed Stags boss at last
CHAD website, 1 Nov 2005
AFTER six weeks in a caretaker role Peter Shirtliff (44) was finally appointed as the new Mansfield Town manager this morning (Tuesday)
The former Sheffield Wednesday star seems to have finally gelled a group of very talented youngters into a team unit over that time and results have greatly improved.
Chairman Keith Haslam had over 60 applications and the rumour mill has been working overtime as to which way he would turn since Carlton Palmer quit on 17th September and the team slumped to the bottom of the entire League.
But Shirtliff has finally got the nod, signing a two-year deal, and will now prepare his side for Saturday's FA Cup first round clash at Rotherham United (3pm).
Ironically, his two predecessors, Keith Curle and Carlton Palmer, both began their full-time Stags managerial career with FA Cup ties too.
"Obviously I am very, very pleased to be given this chance," said Shirtliff.
"Somewhere along the line every manager in the country has been given a chance at some stage and now mine has come.
"Having said that, it wouldn't have come without the recent performances on the pitch so I am very grateful to the players.
"The longer it has gone on the more I wanted the job. But I was aware if a new man came in I might find myself out of a job.
"That has happened to me twice when a new man came in and wanted his own staff - but that's football. Now I am just looking forward to getting stuck in.
"I am chuffed to bits. It is something I have always wanted to do and I have been patient and worked under some good people which has stood me in good stead.
"Three times I have been for interviewed for managers' jobs and been short-listed. But then they have appointed an experienced manager.
"It is difficult to get the chance - that's the hard part. I have got that and now I have got to take it."
There is no immediate sign of Shirtliff appointing an assistant manager.
"I am not rushing into any staff appointments," he said. "Paul Holland has been helping me and will continue to do so.
"Most importantly I need to sort out the pre-match assessments of opposition and scouting for new players. That needs sorting with some urgency and I have some names in mind."
Shirtliff is a very hands-on manager and a respecetd coach,
"I like being on the training ground and I think the players like that as well," he said.
"I think it is good for the manager to be on the coaching pitch, particularly at this level, and I believe this squad can come together and keep improving.
"I think the players wanted me to get the job. The performances have improved, but we are not jut going to stand still and hope it will continue. There is a lot of hard work in front of us."
Unlike his predecessor, Shirtliff has quickly won the backing of the Field Mill faithful and attendances have started to dramatically improve.
He said; "The fans have been terrific, particularly at home, and hopefully will continue to back the players. If we keep getting results, I am sure they will come back in numbers.
"I hope we can keep getting the results for them as, let's get this right, this is their club.
"They are desperate for success, which is the same at every club, and we will try to give them something to cheer and look to climb the league.
"I am setting no particular targets but looking to improve match by match and week by week, individually and collectively. With one or two additions to the squad I believe we can do that. I am not going to say this or that is going to happen."
"I am very pleased with the appointment," said chairman Keith Haslam.
"I think Peter has conducted himself in an excellent manner as caretaker.
"I had a lot of applications for the job and I looked at them carefully. But, obviously, Peter came out on top.
"It was a difficult time for him to come in when Carlton went. But he has been very calm with the situation. He has not rushed into anything and shown a lot of calmness which I like.
"Everyone has a smile round the club at the moment so I felt Peter was the obvious way to go.
"I filtered through all the applications in the first week or so and narrowed it down to about five.
"Peter just continued to get on with the job and since then has just got stronger.
"Every caretaker manager wants to prove he can do the job and Peter has grasped his opportunity. He brings some coaching excellence to the club and it was a good judgement by Carlton Palmer to bring Peter to the club in the summer."
Haslam was under fire from some quarters for not making a quicker appointment but said: "I have been waiting for the right time to make an appointment and I think this is the right time.
"It was an important decision for Mansfield Town and has not been taken lightly which is another reason I have taken six weeks.
"We had to let the dust settle. But now we can move forward.
"You don't appoint a manager when you are doing well so it is always an important decision.
"It has been a good six weeks. We have grouped ourselves together and the players are playing with a bit of confidence now.
"Everyone has got to have the opportunity and Peter came here in the summer to assist Carlton but, obviously, with the intention that, if the manager's job came along, he would be applying for it.
"His ambition was to get into management and it has probably arrived earlier than he thought.
"But Peter has experience and knows the game and the type of player he is looking for. He has much respect in the game."
During his 18-year professional career, central defender Shirtliff had two spells at Sheffield Wednesday and also played for Charlton, Wolves and Barnsley.
His greatest achievements as a player were a third place finish in Division One in 1992 and winning the League Cup in 1991 - both with the Owls.
Shirtliff retired from playing in 1997 before coaching and assistant manager spells at Barnsley and Leicester.

---------------
Shirtliff gets the job at last
CHAD website, 1 Nov 2005
PETER Shirtliff was finally appointed the new manager of Mansfield Town this morning.
Shirtliff has been in charge in a caretaker role for the past six weeks which has seen Stags hoist themselves off the foot of the table.
It was announced this morning that Shirtliff has now been given a two-year contract to take over the role full time.
Full story to follow shortly.
-------------
SHIRTLIFF NAMED MANSFIELD BOSS
http://www.sportinglife.com

Peter Shirtliff has been appointed Mansfield manager on a permanent basis after guiding the Stags to successive League Two victories.

Shirtliff was initially promoted from assistant to caretaker manager after Carlton Palmer quit the club in September although Town won only one of their next five league matches and slipped to the foot of the table.

But a 4-0 Field Mill victory over Barnet and a 2-0 triumph at Cheltenham have propelled the Stags off the bottom of League Two and a point clear of danger.

And now chairman Keith Haslam has handed the reins to Shirtliff on a full-time basis after sifting through 50 other applications.

Shirtliff, 44, enjoyed an 18-year playing career as a defender which started when he signed apprentice forms with Sheffield Wednesday in 1978. He then joined Charlton before returning to Hillsborough before spells at Wolves, Barnsley and Carlisle.
----------------
BBC Nottingham online:
Updated 09:30am, 01.11.05
Mansfield Town have appointed Peter Shirtliff as their new manager. It follows a six week stint as caretaker boss. After a playing career that lasted over 20 years which included two spells at Sheffield Wednesday as well as time at Charlton, Wolves and Barnsley Shirtliff has been hoping to move into football management. He's worked successfully as Dave Bassett's assistant at Leicester City and with Danny Wilson at Barnsley before being brought to Field Mill by former Stags manager Carlton Palmer in the summer. It is this association with the unpopular Palmer, though, that has meant that Shirtliff has had to work hard to win over supporters, something he has slowly managed to do. Mansfield have won three of their last four matches and have climbed off the bottom of league two. It is that form that has ultimately earned him the manager's job. He has been given a two year deal.

The newly appointed Mansfield Town manager, Peter Shirtliff, has been talking to BBC Radio Nottingham's David Jackson:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/2005/10/peter_shirtliff_stags_manager.ram
----------------
SHIRTLIFF WINS STAGS JOB
Evening Post, 01 November 2005
Mansfield Town were today set to appoint caretaker boss Peter Shirtliff as their new manager.

Billy Dearden, Paul Hart and Stuart McCall have all been linked with the Field Mill job.

But chairman Keith Haslam has taken his time and with performances and results improving under Shirtliff, is believed to be ready to give him the job ahead of the more experienced options.

Shirtliff has been in charge for six weeks, since Carlton Palmer quit after the 2-0 defeat at Rochdale.

He has led the Stags to three wins in their last four league games.

An official unveiling was due to take place at Field Mill today, but the chairman was remaining tight-lipped about the appointment.
--------------

 

Latest | November 2005