Shropshire

By Nick Southall BBC Shropshire

Nick Southall follows AFC Telford across the country

Wednesday, 26 May

There's no doubt Andy Sinton's CV includes some big clubs.

He played for Sheffield Wednesday, Tottenham and Wolves in a career which goes all the way back to the 1980s.

He became one of the lucky few to represent his country, winning 12 caps for England. But it's now in the manager's hot seat where he'll be judged.

He started his managerial career with Fleet Town in Hampshire, in one of the most successful spells in the club's history. He now takes a step up on the managerial ladder with ambitious AFC Telford.

Sinton was up against strong competition with Mark Cooper and former Blackburn defender Jeff Kenna both vying for the job. Chairman Lee Carter told BBC Radio Shropshire that Sinton impressed them during the interview process and they're delighted to have him on board.

I personally think it's a great appointment for the club. Not just because of his playing experience, but because of his enthusiasm for the job. He has gained vital experience as a football coach, setting up his own soccer schools. I hope he'll prove to be an all-round good appointment for the Bucks, enabling them to build on their successful youth set up.

His first real task will be to decide which players he's going to keep and who will go? The honeymoon period doesn't last long as a football manager.

Vauxhall Motors 3-1 AFC Telford

There's not much to say really about Saturday's result, other than it summed up a season that promised so much for the Bucks and delivered so little.

To be fair, in the end, the result meant little and expectations, for once, were pretty low.

On Friday (as reported first by BBC Radio Shropshire) AFC Telford parted company with management duo Rob Smith and Larry Chambers. Despite all the frustrations of the season, Rob and Larry should be remembered for the success they brought the club, as well as this season's disappointments.

But AFC Telford United and their fans are justifiably ambitious and now all attentions turn towards rebuilding the squad and, first of all, appointing a new manager.

There's no doubt there will be lots of people applying for the vacancy. Last time the club started their search for a new manager they had over 30 applications. The Telford job is still regarded as one of the biggest in non league football - so who are the runners and riders?

For what it's worth, these are my thoughts of who could end up in the mix...

All images courtesy of Getty

Gary Brabin

The 39-year-old, former TNS, Southport and Cambridge United manager is now working as the chief scout for Richard Money at Luton Town. Brabin started his professional football career in December 1989 with Stockport County.

In a long career spanning 20 years, his longest stint as a player was at Hull City from 1999-2001 where he made 95 appearances. His managerial career started as an assistant to Ken McKenna in 2007, but quickly took up the role as Southport manager and guided them into the play-offs before becoming Cambridge United manager.

In 2008-09 he took Cambridge to the play-off final at Wembley but they were beaten by Torquay. He was rumoured to be a potential manager for Lincoln City before Chris Sutton got the job.

He has plenty of experience and has enjoyed success in his short managerial career so far, must be a leading contender if he applies for the role.

Mark Cooper

Signed for Fulham for £40,000 in the 90s, but only made 14 appearances. The midfielder had a long spell with Exeter and also Birmingham City, where he was signed by his dad Terry Cooper. In 457 appearances he scored 115 goals, which is good by any midfielder's standards.

Like Gary Brabin, he has had a successful start to his managerial career, starting off as player/assistant manager for Tamworth, a club he made over 100 appearances for. But he soon became manager, taking over from Darren Gee.

Cooper achieved promotion into the Blue Square Premier with Kettering Town. He was then snapped up by Peterborough in the Championship, but only lasted 12 months.

He's a free agent at the moment, but will he want to drop down to the Blue Square North after managing a Championship side? Or will he wait and see what other jobs come up in the Summer?

Jim Harvey

A highly respected manager in non league football especially. Most people I have spoken to about Jim Harvey only have good things to say about him.

He can boast the role of assistant manager to Sammy McIlroy when he was in charge of Northern Ireland's national side.

Harvey took Morecambe into the football conference in the 90s and his other clubs include Forest Green, Chester City and now Stalybridge. You would think the Telford job would be tempting - a challenge to see if he can take them into the Blue Square Premier. He will soon be out of contract at Stalybridge.

Andy Preece

Preece is an up-and-coming manager who would be a popular choice in some quarters of the Telford fan base. A former striker, who is best known for his time at Bury during the late 90s. In May he signed a one-year contract at Northwich, and he has done a good job under difficult circumstances. Could be a contender.

Brian Little

Little still has over a year left on his contract and, after taking over from Steve Charles at Gainsborough, his side have finally found their form and have finished the season strongly.

The former Aston Villa, Leicester City and Wrexham manager would be a high-calibre appointment, but he looks settled at Gainsborough.

Paul Carden

Carden I admit is a complete outsider, but Cambridge United rate him very highly. The tough, battling midfielder is now Martin Ling's assistant manager and he still plays in the Blue Square Premier.

He nearly left cambridge when Gary Brabin parted company, but the U's believe he will be a good manager in the future. Is he ready to take on his first managerial role? Would he be Gary Brabin's assistant?

Jeff Kenna

Kenna is a former Southampton, Blackburn and Kidderminster player. He has strong links in the West Midlands, and rumoured to have applied for the Kidderminster job when Steve Burr replaced Mark Yates.

What are your thoughts? E-mail me: [email protected]

AFC Telford 2-4 Corby Town

Well the final home game of the season and a sad day in more ways than one.

Telford lost 4-2 against a Corby side who still have a chance of making the play-offs. Their manager Graham Drury has done an incredible job and they may just squeeze into the promotion battle - but they need to win all their remaining games.

For Telford it was the same old story I'm afraid this season. Manager Rob Smith said they just haven't been good enough.

There were spells in the game when I thought the Bucks played well, with Matt Blair and Kevin O'Connor standing out for me in midfield. Andy Brown scored two goals and proved why he's such an important player for the club.

Then in the post match interview with the manager he told me that defender Lee Vaughan looks set to leave the club and he may well have played his last game at the New Bucks Head.

A player who first signed under Bernard McNally, he has been a great servant for the club and shown great loyalty when he could well have moved on. Vaughan is such a talented defender at this level and I'm sure nobody would want to prevent him playing at a higher level in the Blue Square Premier.

As I finished my commentary I could see Vaughany wiping away the tears and applauding the fans. I think we knew then that he will probably be going.

With just one game to go, the end of the season couldn't come quick enough for everyone at the club. There are lots of decisions to be made about the players' and manager's future. The club will have to act quick either way to make sure they can rebuild during the summer.

Workington 2-1 AFC Telford

Well that's it for this season, it is now mathematically impossible for the Bucks to reach the play-offs.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Workington and we had a warm welcome as usual from the officials at the club who always look after us.

Watching from the commentary box I thought this was a much more assured performance by Telford and they really should have got a point, if not all three, from the game.

That said, Workington took their chances, and I wish them the best of luck in their pursuit of promotion. Their manager Darren Edmundson has done an incredible job at Borough Park.

From AFC Telford's point of view, it's a season to forget and a time to rebuild during the summer, I'm sure they're going to be busier than ever to put things right.

AFC Telford 0-1 Stalybridge

It's not over until it's mathematically impossible. I may be clutching at straws, but with six games left to go, they need to win virtually all of them, and still rely on other sides to drop points to have any chance.

Being truthful, most people would probably agree that the Bucks won't make the play-offs and as their manager Rob Smith told BBC Radio Shropshire in the post match interview, it's not the last few games where the season has been lost.

The inconsistent form in the first half of the season meant Telford have been chasing the pack ever since.

Again the same old problem of failing to convert chances in front of goal came back to haunt the Bucks. Stalybridge rode their luck at times and I felt there were spells in the game when Telford played well, but if you don't score goals then you can't win.

AFC Telford 1-1 Eastwood Town With just seconds to go it looked as if Telford's hopes of reaching this year's play-off were all but over.

Meikle had scored for Eastwood against the run of play but up popped Danny Carey Bertram to poke the ball past Danby to score a late equaliser in injury time.

Before the game the Bucks had set themselves a target of picking up six points against their play-off rivals.
A defeat would certainly put them under pressure to beat Stalybridge on Saturday. It would also have seen Eastwood leapfrog above the Bucks.

So I think it's fair to say that Carey Betram's goal has kept their season alive. How ironic that with the difficulties he's had this year, that Carey bertram became the hero. It's quite fitting as well because he has worked hard this season to recapture his form and in recent months he has shown why he was the Bucks' leading scorer last season.

Striker Mark Beesley signed just hours before the game from Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season and his link up play with Andy Brown up front worked out really well.

However it's still the final third where Telford continue to struggle to convert chances and if they are to make the play-offs they need to find their scoring boots very quickly.
Telford 0-0 Solihull Moors

Telford fans would have gone away from the New Bucks Head very disappointed their team couldn't get three points. The goalless draw wasn't the best of spectacles for the fans, who again have been left frustrated by Telford's inconsistent form.

There were positives from the game though. I thought defender Adam Dugdale had a solid game and midfielder Liam Blakeman was the only player who looked as if he could supply the ball to the strikers.

It's now three league games since the Bucks scored a goal and they have only got one point from those matches. That's not the form of a side who are going to get promoted.

Apart from the top two teams in the league, Fleetwood and Southport, the others have had mixed season. It seems very few teams have been successful in stringing together wins.

I still think Telford have a chance of reaching the play-offs, but they need to find their winning streak now. Whichever teams finish the season strongest will find themselves in the play-off places. It's in the Bucks' hands, but will they grasp it?

Blyth 4-0 Telford

It took us four and a half hours to get to Blyth - and it was a miserable four and half hours back to Shropshire after Telford slumped to a 4-0 defeat .

We were already on hour way to the North east when we were told about a second pitch inspection after several days of heavy rain in the Newcastle area. It was passed fit to play and the home team team took full advantage.

The Bucks reverted to a 5-3-2 formation to strengthen their defence and provide options with the wing backs to support the midfield, but Blyth exploited gaps in the defence perfectly.

Ian Graham and Paul Brayson caused the Bucks all sorts of problems throughout the game and it was no surprise to see them scoring two apiece.

Telford hardly tested the Blyth goal keeper and their old problem of failing to be clinical in front of goal raised its head again.

I felt sorry for the fans who travelled all that way to watch a very disappointing game of football. After all a win would have moved the Bucks up into the play-off places, alas it didn't happen.

I think the manager Rob Smith hit the nail on the head, now is not the time to keep going back over the inconsistency.

It's time to roll their sleeves up and pick up as many wins as they can in their last 11 games. Five of those are at home in the next six games.

That is a great advantage to have and with teams around them dropping points, it's still possible they can finish in the play-offs.

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