Blyth Spartans and Darlington name interim caretaker managers with more sackings confirmed by North East clubs in the sixth tier.
Graham Fenton was the next boss to lose to his job, in another day of significant managerial changes for the National League North.
All within December, the likes of Spennymoor Town, Darlington, South Shields and now Blyth Spartans are searching for a new manager, days on from beating South Shields 3-1 away from home.
Fenton leaves the Spartans sitting 14th in the table with 31 points from 24 games played, 7 points from the playoffs and 5 points above the drop zone.
Graham Fenton has been relieved of his managerial duties and placed on gardening leave.
We express our gratitude for Graham’s efforts since being appointed as first-team manager in August 2022; his contributions to the whole Club are hugely appreciated.
— Blyth Spartans (@Blyth_Spartans) December 28, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
The Club can announce that Graham Fenton has been relieved of his managerial duties and placed on gardening leave.
Blyth Spartans would like to express their gratitude for the work in which Graham has done at Croft Park since being appointed as first-team manager in August 2022.
He guided the Club to preserve Step 2, National League North, status during the 2022/23 season and has played an instrumental role in the development of the youth set-up via Tyne Metropolitan College too, taking full charge of the under-19s at the beginning of this current campaign.
From making 131 appearances and scoring 18 goals, having a brief spell as caretaker manager back in 2004, to being in charge for the past 16 months, his contributions across the whole Club are hugely appreciated.
In the interim, Jon Shaw will take full charge of the first-team. Further information and announcements will follow in due course.
The further update was as follows: The Club is pleased to announce that Jon Shaw has been appointed as First Team Manager.
Jon’s first game in charge will be against one of his previous clubs South Shields at Croft Park tomorrow. Jon has signed a contract with the Club until the end of season 2024/25.
Speaking on his appointment, Jon said, ‘It’s a really proud day for me becoming manager of a club with the history of Blyth Spartans. I’m grateful to the club for giving me my first opportunity in management and I can’t wait to get going and I will give everything to put out teams you can be proud of. I also want to wish Graham, who I’ve had 2 great spells as assistant and learnt a lot from all the very best for the future.’
Jon, who will now hang up his playing boots to manage Spartans, calling time on an impressive 2 decades of playing professional football, went on to talk about the importance of Saturday, ‘We have a great game in prospect tomorrow at home vs South Shields, the support was fantastic Tuesday and no doubt helped the players to a great performance and result. With the changes at Shields and the expected reaction, it would be brilliant if we could pack Croft Park and get right behind the lads.’
We congratulate Jon on his appointment and wish him well for the future. Please get behind Jon and players, especially tomorrow in what will be a difficult derby game.
Following the 2-0 defeat at Scarborough, Darlington also parted company with manager Josh Gowling.
Caretaker manager Danny Rose has since been placed in charge of the team on Saturday for the home game against Scarborough.
Danny said: Well obviously the circumstances you know aren’t what you expected them to be, but in terms of the game you know the the players you know are looking forward to to put it in a performance um and ultimately trying to get a result you know they’ve worked hard this evening um luckily to to get the facilities of Middlesbrough again which which is great you know and the players just want to do well they just don’t want to do well for the football club you know for themselves as well and ultimately that’s what we’re striving for
Interviewer: It’s a matter now of everybody pulling together to get us a couple of wins
Danny: Yeah this is the messages that I gave to the players, as a group as players, you know coaching staff, you know the board, fans we need to be united we have to be together, spoke to the players about when I’ve been in this situation myself as a player and when I’ve or we as a team have got out of it it’s been on a United front it’s been where everyone has been together with a common goal and when that’s not the case it’s gone the other way so you know those were the clear messages to the players tonight that we have to be together as one you know if players aren’t in the team then support the player that has the jersey at that moment in time because you know if the roles were reversed then they’d want your support as well and I think that’s really really important in terms of the group as a whole ultimately striving for the ultimate which is which is results on a consistent basis will you change much in terms of the lineup and the tactics um I’ve got a couple of ideas you know in terms of you know what I’d like personally um so there might be one or two you know slight tweaks to what we’ve done previously but nothing major um without giving us obviously too much away but ultimately I think it’s more of a mindset shift for the players that they need ultimately obviously to go and get a result.
Interviewer: What’s been the reaction of the players to Joshua’s departure
Danny: Well it’s a difficult one because they enjoyed really enjoyed working with him, you know a lot of the work that we’ve done I have done you know it’s done in a real professional manner, again ultimately striving for results and and performances I said their number one goal is is to do well for the football club and that’s what we’re striving for so that their focused now is on Saturday I said to them about you know we don’t have time to dwell on on what’s happened and all we can do is control what what we do moving forward and that’s been the focus
This is how fans reacted as Blyth Spartans and Darlington name interim caretaker managers with more sackings confirmed…
ON DARLINGTON:
@VicQuaker: Free shot for you here, Danny, to put your hat in the ring. Take it with both hands.
@beatroute66: All the best, @Danny_Rose7 – you know what we need tomorrow! 🤞 ⚫️ ⚪️ ⚫️
@DAWUK17: Great interview. All the best Danny
@quakerette: Will be behind you 100% tomorrow @Danny_Rose7
@richarddbaker: Best of luck, Danny.
@CarlHorner: I like Danny Rose. Don’t think he should be in contention for the job at this point regardless of what happens in his interim spell but there’s a future potentially decent coach/manager in him and he’s right in what he says here. Unity throughout the club required.
@ShaneHillman79: Love this. Good luck mate 👊
@TrevorOakley1: He clearly has fans within the club given he appeared to be bolted on to Gowling’s ticket. Difficult to judge his ability, especially when you consider he’s been on the coaching staff for nearly all of our dreadful year.
ON BLYTH:
@thatmarkgodfrey: Who’s doing their garden at this time of year? Something not right.
@cwhiteman92: Lads can we not have ONE WEEK without crisis?!
@Cole15Williams:
absolutely mind blown at this, but on the other hand…
JON SHAWS GREEN AND WHITE ARMY
@geordiegaz83: If he has left to go to another club fair enough, if he has been sacked it’s a disgrace, no other manager could of got more out of the players than he has and put us in a better position than other managers before him could.
@azzaleedsfan: Does getting Blyth into the football league after 2 seasons & then play offs in League 2 on FM qualify me for the job?
@DanRolls7: This football club WILL be my cause of death
@danhumee10: Jon shaws green and white army !
@notsobigearl79: If he’s on gardening leave, can he sort your pitch out for February 6th please #UTI
@KingKiessling04: Got Blyth into the prem after 7 years on FM last year. Did ruin the club finances by signing a £120m player on instalments but it’s fine we levelled out when I sold the whole back line. Anyway I’ll send my CV xx
@cfcalex03: North east and gaffers in the NLN haven’t gone well this week 🤣
@SnrPolitoHolt: Massive mistake. Great guy! Couldn’t get the signings through the door in the summer and yet improved from last season. Was great with the u19s too.
— Durham Mariners 1888 (@DurhamSSFC1888) December 28, 2023
https://t.co/NzQpWznhmw pic.twitter.com/3fQYzbhqQK
— Seals Live (@SealsLive) December 28, 2023
You must be logged in to post a comment Login