New manager appointment getting closer

With no game, again, this weekend it allows those who run the club to step up their search for a manager to replace the departed Craig Brown.

The job of finding the new man has been entrusted to Chief Exec Leeanne Dempster and Vice Chairman Derek Weir. Dempster told the Supporters Trust Q and E evening that they had received 30 excellent applications and from this they had drawn up a short list of people they want to speak to.

On Thursday Dempster also mentioned appointments had been made to speak to the first round of people on their list.

There has been the usual list of suspects in the frame with John Hughes making his case in the media, with Gus McPherson being listed as the bookies favourite (please God no!!). There was even speculation of a Jimmy Calderwood/Chris McCart combination.

Given John Boyle has a habit of springing a surprise and ignoring the usual suspects it was no surprise to read three names that were not immediately apparent.

Ex Celtic defender Alan Stubbs, a coach at Everton, is being listed as the favourite at the moment after being interviewed in the last couple of days. Ex Ranger Stuart McCall and former Celtic Striker (and brother of Well striker John) Chris Sutton have also been interviewed.

It’s beginning to look as though we will know who the new man is by the start of the week and have a new man in place for the Boxing Day game with Rangers.