Favourites to become new Barnet boss; Aldershot make appointment

The favourites to become new Barnet boss has been revealed while Aldershot Town make a very quick appointment after their sacking.

42-year-old former Premier League player Harry Kewell failed to win any of his matches in charge of the Bees, who have lost five times and drawn twice in the National League this season.

Barnet are second from bottom of the standings, with Dover – who started the season with a 12-point deduction – the only side below them.

Club Statement: Harry Kewell#BarnetFC🐝

— Barnet FC 🐝 (@BarnetFC) September 20, 2021

CLUB STATEMENT:

Barnet FC have parted company with Head Coach Harry Kewell and Assistant Coach Paul Butler with immediate effect.

The Club’s Head of Football, Dean Brennan, said: “It was clear how much Harry Kewell wanted to have a positive impact, but ultimately the results and the poor start to the season have dictated our decision.

“The plan for this season was for Barnet FC to be challenging in the top half of the table and that is still very much our aim.”

The Club will now begin the process of recruiting a replacement and will provide an update once this has been completed.

Dean Brennan will temporarily assume responsibility for first-team matters whilst the Club looks for a permanent replacement.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Harry and Paul for their efforts made during their time at The Hive London and we wish them every success going forwards.

Barnet FC will make no further comment on this.

– STATEMENT ENDS –

Meanwhile, Aldershot make a sacking and appointment in the same day with Danny Searle leaving and being replaced with Mark Molesley who most recently managed in the EFL.

CLUB STATEMENT:

Aldershot Town have appointed Mark Molesley as First-Team Manager on a deal until the end of the 2022-2023 season.

The 40 year-old former Weymouth and Southend boss will be assisted by the returning Terry Brown and also Tom Prodomo as Assistant Manager, with Brown completing Molesley’s management team in a separate role to Prodomo.

This decision will also see former Assistant Manager Anwar Uddin leave the club too, and we would also like to place on record our sincere thanks to Anwar and his efforts during his time with Aldershot Town too.

Upon his appointment, Mark Molesley said: “I’m delighted to be back at a club that is very close to my heart.

“My dream came true when I became a professional footballer at this club and I would be lying if I never thought of going back to the club as a manager.

“I just think any success I have ever been involved in has been built around great people and speaking to the Chairman and seeing some familiar faces, I know that there’s good people at this football club who want the same things I do.

“My connection with the club is the reason I wanted to come back and I can’t wait to get started.”

Chairman Shahid Azeem added: “Firstly, we want to thank Danny and Anwar for his commitment to the club during a difficult period as previously mentioned, but despite this, there were successful periods during his tenure too and we are grateful for his efforts.

“But we’re excited for the future with Mark and Terry returning to the club and looking forward to seeing them returning to The EBB Stadium.

“If you look at Mark’s managerial career, he’s had success with Weymouth before, earning him a move to the league and not only that, they’ve been here before on and off the pitch, so they know the history of the football club and they know what it means to the club and also to the supporters too.

“We want everyone to get back supporting the new management team and let’s hope for a successful season.”

Aldershot Town have appointed Mark Molesley as First-Team Manager on a deal until the end of the 2022-2023 season!

Molesley will be assisted by the returning Terry Brown and also Tom Prodomo as Assistant Manager!

Click below for more details 👇

🔴🔵#TheShots

— Aldershot Town FC (@OfficialShots) September 20, 2021

Terry Brown said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and excited to be back at The EBB Stadium.

“My role is to work alongside the board to ensure that we have plans in place for our long-term future, I’m delighted to be able to bring Mark Molesley into the management position here.

“He’s an absolutely perfect person for the role here, he’s had successful spells with Bournemouth u23s working his way under Eddie Howe,  then having first-team experience and winning promotion with Weymouth into the National League, then took an impossible task at Southend, working in an extremely difficult environment.

“Mark will bring in with him in his own staff, Tom Prodomo who he’s worked with before and that management team is an extremely ambitious team that aspire to be Football League managers in the near future.”

Molesley rejoins the club in a managerial role, having previously become something of a cult hero for The Shots during his playing days, scoring important goals against local rivals Woking FC back in 2014 and the infamous goals that earned Aldershot Town an FA Cup replay back in the same year, before scoring the winner in the replay at The EBB Stadium just 10 days later.

After beginning his managerial career with stints within Bournemouth’s youth systems, Molesley enjoyed great success in charge of now-Vanarama National League side Weymouth FC.

In his first season at the helm, he guided them to the Southern League title, with the side amassing 86 points.

Molesley’s impressive record with The Terras continued, as he guided Weymouth to back-to-back promotions after reaching the Vanarama National League for the first time since the 2008-2009 season, with a 3-0 penalty shoot-out victory over Dartford FC.

The former Shots midfielder’s managerial performances earned him a job in the League with Southend United but after difficult circumstances, left the club seven months later.

Molesley is joined by a familar face for Aldershot Town fans in Terry Brown, who previously managed The Shots between 2002-2007 and is now back with The Shots as a member of his backroom staff.

Brown ended up winning the league by a clear 13 points from nearest rivals Canvey Island in his second season in charge.

Brown and his players had an impressive first Conference National season by qualifying for the end-of-season play-offs. Aldershot Town beat favourites Hereford United on penalties before finally succumbing to Shrewsbury Town in the final on penalties.

The following season, now armed with a full-time squad, Brown equalled the achievements of the previous season by again qualifying for the play-offs. However, his team went down to another penalty-shoot-out defeat, this time to Carlisle United, despite leading 3–1 at one point in spot kicks.

Brown has also had previous success with AFC Wimbledon, having led the Dons to the Football League for the first time in the club’s history, beating Luton Town 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in the Conference play-off final. Brown led them to safety in their first year in the Football League.

– STATEMENT ENDS –

So who are the favourites to get the job permanently? BetVictor have taken a look at revealed then contenders…

NEIL SMITH

Neil Smith is an English former professional football player and most recently first team manager at Bromley.

Smith was appointed joint caretaker manager of Woking in March 2007 with Graham Baker following the departure of Glenn Cockerill, helping the club to stay in the Conference National.

On the 4th of May 2007, after failing to get the job full-time, Smith was released by Woking following the appointment of Frank Gray as manager. Two weeks later Smith was appointed as the new manager of Conference South side Welling United following the departure of Adrian Pennock to Stoke City. He held the job until the 7th of January 2008, when he was sacked. Shortly after this he signed for Bromley as a player.

Smith joined Grays Athletic as part of their coaching staff in February 2008, he then joined Tim O’Shea, with whom he worked with at Grays, at Croydon Athletic as a coach and again followed O’Shea to Lewes as his assistant. Following Lewes’s relegation he re-joined Bromley at the start of 2011–12 as part of the coaching staff. Following the departure of Mark Goldberg in February 2016, Smith took over the role on an interim basis. On the 4th April, after a successful run of games, Smith signed a two-year contract to become the club’s new first team manager, before then being axed, to which he was left gutted by. At the time of his departure, the Ravens had been sitting 7th and in the National League playoffs, the club went ton to lose in the playoff quarter finals.

BetVictor odds: 10/1

SOL CAMPBELL

Sol Campbell (real name Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of National League club Southend United.

He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August 2019, and was heavily praised for performing a miracle in keeping them up, before leaving due to the problems at the club.

A centre back, he had a 20-year career playing in the Premier League and an 11-year international career with the England national team.

BetVictor odds: 8/1

CURTIS WOODHOUSE

Curtis Woodhouse BEM is an English former professional footballer turned professional boxer and football manager, most recently in charge of Gainsborough Trinity. He played football as a central midfielder, and competed as a light-welterweight boxer. He is the former British light-welterweight champion. His career in the EFL spanned across nine seasons, earning four caps for the England U21s. Woodhouse’s professional boxing record stands at 29 fights 22 wins, 13 of which are by knock-out, and 7 defeats.

He started his footballing career with York City’s centre of excellence before joining Sheffield United. In November 2001, he was transferred to Birmingham for a fee of £1 million, before joining Rotherham in January 2003, on loan for five months. He then joined Peterborough on a free transfer in October 2003. In May 2005, he joined Hull City for £25,000, before joining Grimsby Town just eight months later in January 2006. He retired at the end of the 2006–07 season.

Woodhouse stated that he had “fallen out of love” with football and decided to turn to professional boxing, despite no previous experience. In September 2006, he won his first professional boxing match, defeating Dean Marcantonio, on points, knocking him down twice in the final round.

He was convicted of assaulting a police officer and of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in April 2006. As a result, he had his boxing licence suspended for five months by the British Boxing Board of Control, despite the incident happening before he was under the BBBofC’s jurisdiction. Woodhouse returned to football in November 2006, joining Rushden & Diamonds in the Conference before moving to Mansfield in January 2009. After leaving them, he moved to Harrogate Town. At the end of February 2010, he joined Sheffield in the NPL. Before the start of the 2011–12 season, he moved up two divisions in the football league system when he joined Conference North outfit Eastwood Town.

Since then he’s managed Sheffield, Goole, Hull United, Bridlington Town, Tadcaster Albion and Gainsborough.

BetVictor odds: 16/1

DEAN BRENNAN

Dean Brennan is an Irish former footballer and manager. He is currently Head of Football and the temporary manager at Barnet.

After a career, mainly in non league between 1999 and 2012, he went into management and his first job was as caretaker at Hemel Hempstead Town in March 2010.

Brennan began a second spell with Dunstable Town at the start of the 2011–12 season. He joined as player/coach and managed the team in cup ties. In May 2012, he rejoined Hemel this time as manager and helped the Tudors to their then-highest ever finish (fourth in Southern League Premier Division) this meant that they had qualified for the playoffs. They reached the final against Gosport Borough, where they drew 2–2 which sent the game to penalties which was lost 5–4.

The following season saw promotion to the Conference South, after winning the Southern Premier League by 10 clear points.

After a disastrous start to their first season in the Conference South, Hemel improved and finished in 9th position, also reaching the First Round of the FA Cup where they lost at Bury 3–1.

The 2015–16 National League South season saw Brennan’s Hemel narrowly miss out on the playoffs as Whitehawk pipped them on the final day to fifth place.

In September 2018, Brennan and his assistant Stuart Maynard were appointed by team owner Glenn Tamplin as the managerial team at National League South side Billericay Town, however, both had their contracts terminated by Tamplin after less than four months in the job on Wednesday the 16th of January 2019.

On the 12th of February 2019, Brennan was named as the new manager of Isthmian League Premier Division side Kingstonian, though, on the 16th of March 2019, following a breakdown in relations with a club director over player liaison and team strategy, Brennan and Maynard re-evaluated their position and resigned after just five games in charge.

On the 21st of May 2019, Brennan was named as the new manager of National League South side Wealdstone, with Stuart Maynard as his assistant manager. In the shortened 2019-20 season, Brennan led the club to automatic promotion to the National League, as champions of the National League South. In December 2020, he turned down an approach from Barnet to be their manager. On the 2nd of February 2021, Brennan resigned from his role at Wealdstone, with Maynard remaining at the club.

BetVictor odds: 3/1

MARTIN ALLEN

Surely he couldn’t right?! For a sixth time?!

Martin Allen is an English football manager and former player. He played more than 100 games as a midfielder for both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and Southend United.

Five years later, he took his first job in management, at non league Barnet. He has since managed Brentford, Milton Keynes Dons, Leicester City, Cheltenham Town and Notts County.

He rejoined Barnet as manager on the 16th of April 2012 on a short-term, three-match contract succeeding Lawrie Sanchez. In July 2012 he became manager of Gillingham and in the 2012–13 season led the team to the League Two title, earning Allen his first promotion as a manager and Gillingham’s first divisional title in 49 years. He was sacked as Gillingham manager in October 2013.

Allen rejoined Barnet for a fourth spell in 2014, leading the Bees back into League Two before dropping divisions to join Eastleigh in December 2016, a role he held only until the following February.

On the the 19th of March 2018, the departure of Graham Westley and the return of Allen as manager of Barnet was announced. In May 2018, it was announced that Allen had left the club, following relegation from the Football League.

Less than a week after leaving Barnet, Allen was appointed manager of Chesterfield, who themselves had seen relegation from the Football League at the end of the 2017–18 season. Allen was sacked on the 27th of December 2018, with the club sitting third bottom of the National League table. He hasn’t managed since.

BetVictor odds: 6/1

DARREN CURRIE

Darren Currie is an English former footballer who made over 600 appearances in the Football League. He is currently joint manager at Sheffield United U23 with Graham Coughlan.

In his playing days, he played for the likes of Shrewsbury, Leyton Orient, Barnet, Wycombe, Brighton, Ipswich, Luton, Chesterfield, Dagenham and Hendon.

In June 2018, Currie returned to Barnet as assistant manager, once again as assistant to John Still. Following Still’s retirement on the 28th of December 2018, Currie took over as caretaker manager of the Bees. He was made permanent manager at Barnet on the 23rd of January 2019.

Currie’s reign as Barnet manager got off to a good start following a 1-0 win away at Dagenham & Redbridge, a 1-1 draw at home to Boreham Wood and then beating Championship leaders Sheffield United in the FA Cup at Bramall Lane. They also took Brentford to a replay in the next round of the cup after a 3-3 draw at The Hive. Currie then led Barnet to the National League play-offs in his first full season in management, beating Yeovil Town 2-0 in the quarter-finals before losing by the same scoreline to Notts County in the semi-finals.

On the 12th of August 2020, Currie and his assistant Junior Lewis left Barnet after failing to agree a new contract.

BetVictor odds: 4/1