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Archived News from December 2010

MANAGER SHORTLIST DOWN TO FINAL FOUR
22nd December 2010 11:11


Shortlist down to final four
mansfieldtown.net, Wed 01 Dec 2010
Chairman John Radford is considering four names for the much-wanted managerial vacancy at Field Mill.

http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2234312,00.html?

We can reveal that an appointment could be made very soon after the interviewing process to find a successor to David Holdsworth began on Monday.

Caretaker manager Duncan Russell is amongst the final four candidates.

We can confirm that nine names were on the original shortlist, but only four have reached the interview stage.

After sieving through over 40 serious applications, Mr Radford has insisted that the new manager's brief will be clear - to get us back into the Football League as soon as possible: "I don't want us to be here (in the Blue Square Bet Premier League) for too much longer," he said. "A club of our stature, with our history, fan base and infrastructure, is well equipped to make a quick return to the Football League and beyond.

"I will not be appointing a manager who will try and use this club as a stepping stone. I am down to the final four now and will be looking to bring in someone who has a proven track record and a high win ratio.

"The new manager will be given my full backing in what is a very exciting time for the club. I am aware of how desirable the position is, and am pleased with the standard of applications we have received. I believe it reflects the type of club we now are - one which shows great ambition and has the resources to return to League Two and even further."

One of the candidates, Duncan Russell, has already expressed a desire to take over the post.

"'Russ' has done well in his temporary spell as manager, gaining four points from six games and the players appear to have taken to him well," said Mr Radford.

The new boss will have money to spend in the January window should it be required, but must first evaluate a 32-man squad, one of the biggest in the division.

"The new manager will have permission to add extra quality to the squad if needs be, however, I am of the opinion that we have some of the best players in this league. I don't think there'll be too much tinkering required."

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Smith happy with either Penney or Foyle as new boss at Stags
Evening Post, 2 Dec 2010
ADAM Smith today gave the thumbs up to two of the managers in the frame to succeed David Holdsworth at Mansfield Town.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Smith-happy-Penny-Foyle-boss/article-2960136-detail/article.html?

Dave Penney is favourite to land the vacancy and had the tricky left-winger on trial at Darlington.

Martin Foyle, meanwhile, bossed Smith for two seasons at York City and has already told the Post of his interest in the job.

The man who has scored three goals in 18 appearances for the Stags this season feels either of them would be prudent choices.

"I have met Dave before when I went on a trial and though I don't know him really well, he seemed a really nice bloke," said Smith.

"He has got a good reputation and past history, doing very well at this level and the one above with Doncaster.

"Martin is a great bloke as well, who has helped me in my career and did terrific things at York.

"In the two seasons I was there, we reached Wembley twice (FA Trophy and Blue Square Premier play-off finals), so he has already proven he can be a success at this level.

"There were no hard feelings between us when I left York for Mansfield. I rate him highly as a manager."

Smith knows Mansfield have to move on from the departure of Holdsworth, who left two weeks ago today.

But he felt the former Sheffield United boss was doing a good job and should have been given longer to turn things around.

He said: "I think we were on course under David and he was going to turn things around.

"He was one of the best managers I have worked with, without a doubt, and gave me a lot of confidence as a player.

"I think maybe the club could have showed a bit more faith and let him regroup because I think things would have got better pretty quickly."

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PREVIOUS STORIES ABOUT DAVE PENNEY:

David Mark "Dave" Penney (born 17 August 1964)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Penney

Playing career
Born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire,[1] Penney entered professional football at the relatively late age of 21. He had been working as a bricklayer and playing for nothing at Pontefract Collieries for 5 years before he was spotted by Derby County scout Ron Jukes, who recommended him to manager Arthur Cox. He was offered a contract at the then Third Division club and they climbed two divisions before he left for Oxford United for £175,000. He then went on to Wales, where he played for Swansea City and Cardiff City. After a while Penney decided he wanted to go back up North, so he joined Doncaster Rovers in 1998.

Managerial career
In 2002 Penney hung up his boots to pursue a career in management and he remained at Doncaster taking the managerial job on a full-time basis. After a well-placed finish in his first season, Penney guided Doncaster back into the Football League with victory in the play-off final in the 2002–03 season. Their stay in Division Three wasn't long though as he managed Doncaster to the Division Three title. During a further two seasons of cementing Doncaster's place in Coca-Cola League One Penney famously masterminded victories over Premier League sides Manchester City and Aston Villa, and nearly overcame Arsenal in the Carling Cup quarter-finals before finally being beaten in a penalty shootout. Penney left Rovers on 30 August 2006 as he felt he had taken the club as far as he could. He was shortly appointed manager of Darlington on 30 October 2006, but he returned to Doncaster with Darlington for a Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie on 9 January 2007. Doncaster won the game 2-0 and Penney received a hero's reception from the home fans at the new Keepmoat Stadium.[2]. On 6 May 2010, through mutual consent, he left Oldham Athletic.[3] Falling attendances was one of the reasons why Penney was relieved of duty[4]

Managerial statistics
As of 6 May 2010.
Team Nation From To Matches Won Drawn Lost Win %
Doncaster Rovers England 22 April 2000 31 May 2000 6 4 1 1 66.7
Doncaster Rovers England 27 December 2001 30 August 2006 241 114 62 65 47.3
Darlington England 30 October 2006 30 April 2009 139 60 35 44 43.2
Oldham Athletic England 30 April 2009 6 May 2010 48 13 13 22 27.1

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Oldham confirm Penney as manager
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/o/oldham_athletic/8025908.stm
30 April 2009

League One side Oldham have confirmed Darlington boss Dave Penney as their new manager on a two-year deal.

Penney replaces Joe Royle, who took temporary charge of the Latics in March after the departure of John Sheridan.

On Tuesday, former Everton boss Royle announced he was to leave Boundary Park after failing to win in eight games in his second spell in charge of the club.

Penney resigned as Quakers boss earlier on Thursday after almost three years in charge of the administration-hit club.

The Latics will not owe Darlington any compensation because of the League Two side's financial situation.

Oldham managing director Simon Corney told the club website: "We are delighted to be able to welcome a manager of Dave's calibre to Boundary Park.

"He is a very professional and thorough person who ticked all the boxes and who has an excellent track record."

Penney guided Doncaster from the Conference to League One, the club's highest league position for 50 years.

He left in August 2006 and was appointed Darlington boss two months later.

Penney's Darlington have faced an uncertain future since the club went into administration and had 10 points deducted in February.

The Quakers were in contention for a promotion place this season before having their points taken away.

Penney told BBC Radio Manchester he would speak to the outgoing manager as a priority.

"I'll pick Joe Royle's brains," he said. "I'll do the same with Tommy Wright, Lee Duxbury and Tony Philiskirk as well as anybody that I can to get some feedback from and find a lot more about the club quite quickly.

"I'm going to have a chat with everyone. I played with Tommy at Doncaster so I know him quite well and he doesn't live far from me."

Meanwhile, Royle has dismissed suggestions he may have stayed at Oldham beyond the end of the season.

He told BBC Radio Manchester: "I came to Oldham specifically to see the club through nine games to buy time to find a manager.

"They needed breathing space to have a look at CVs of the managers in the frame and I was very much a caretaker.

"There is always an 'if' factor in football and if we had won six games in a row and gone into the plays-offs, who knows? But I only ever came for nine games."

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Manager Dave Penney parts company with Oldham
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/o/oldham_athletic/8665408.stm
6 May 2010

Oldham Athletic manager Dave Penney has parted company with the club.

Penney took over the League One side in April 2009, replacing Joe Royle who had been in a temporary role at the club after John Sheridan's departure.

Oldham director Simon Corney told BBC Radio Manchester: "Perhaps even Dave himself felt things were not quite right so we decided to part company."

Ex-Latics striker Andy Ritchie said: "I think they need someone with experience now it's not worked out for Dave."

Corney added that within 10 minutes of releasing the news of Penney's departure, the club had received 20 genuine telephone calls enquiring about the vacant position.

"It is a hard job here, there's no doubt about it," he said. "We have had a season where we are in a division with the likes of Charlton, Leeds, Norwich, Southampton and Huddersfield.

"You're talking there about clubs with four or five times our budget. It's very, very difficult to compete and the fans have to realise that."

The club has also been facing falling home attendances, with a season low of 2,833 turning up to watch the side's 3-2 defeat by Brentford in March, while just 4,225 people attended the side's last home game at Boundary Park, which Oldham drew 2-2 with Southend.

"We have had a lot of injuries but some poor performances too and we have lost quite a lot of fans because of that," said Oldham chief executive Alan Hardy.

"I think the fans haven't been happy and they have showed that by not coming to the games."

But former Oldham striker Ritchie admits many supporters still hope for a repeat of Oldham's halcyon days, when he starred up front in the top-flight at Boundary Park.

But Ritchie added that expectations would make things difficult for any new manager.

"They do remember those times and that's right but it is going to be one hell of a journey to ever get back to that," Ritchie said.

"And, being a realist as I am, I don't think they will hit that, though I think they can make the Championship.

"To get back to the heady days of the Premiership, you need an Uncle Jack Walker, God rest his soul.

"Being brutally honest, when you go to Boundary Park now it's looking tired and one of the major stands isn't there any more."

Former Darlington boss Penney has endured a tough season at Boundary Park, with the side currently lying just four points clear of the relegation places.

The Latics lost 3-0 away to Yeovil on Saturday in what turned out to be Penney's final game in charge.

Martin Gray, the assistant manager, takes charge for the weekend's final League One game of the season at home to Charlton.

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