Stafford Rangers expect to appoint a new manager by the end of this week after more than fifty candidates applied for their vacant hot-seat.
The Northern Premier League club's officials, who've been whittling down the flood of candidates to a shortlist for interview, are planning to make their fourth appointment in two years following the departures of Neil Kitching in 2018, Steve Burr in 2019 and Andy Fearn and Alex Meechan at the end of the abandoned coronavirus-blighted 2019/20 campaign.
Former joint manager Fearn is over-seeing the process, having stepped upstairs at the NPL Premier Division club to take on the role of director of football.
Rock-bottom when the season was written off and saved from the drop by the FA's controversial decision to suspend all promotion and relegation below the National League, fundraising fans at Marston Road have raised more than £50,000 in recent week to see Rangers through the pandemic and football's long lockdown.
Mega fundraisers at @SRFCofficial are setting the pace in the @NorthernPremLge ?? Much more like in Sunday's paper which is FREE to read as a digital edition until Saturday night after a huge response from happy readers!???? https://t.co/AiT56YcP0D https://t.co/JbvDY3EFNi
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“We have reached the final stage and will make an announcement regarding the management team by the end of the week,” Fearn told the Stoke Sentinel on Wednesday.
Stafford Rangers chairman Alan Gee added: “I think our next big news will be the appointment of a new first team manager and people are eagerly waiting this announcement.
“We have used a system that has been used by other clubs, that has been successful, compliant and safe. The delay in our process has been down to awaiting advice on social distancing, with us giving it every chance to take on face to face interviews or having to deal with it online.
“We keep our fingers crossed for hiring the right man, with the relevant qualifications and outlook!”
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Images courtesy of The Non-League Paper & @SRFCofficial/Twitter
