Do we need to bring in new ideas?

Last updated : 28 March 2004 By Patrick Hill
Scunthorpe United have an uncertain future. Dwindling crowds, a caretaker manager some dismiss and a league position dangerously close to the Division Three drop-zone.

Yet the men in power seem in no rush to fill the vacant manager's position at
Glanford Park.

United have historically appointed their managers from within, the only time they have recruited from outside the club in nearly twenty years was in March 1996 - even then it was re-appointing former manager Mick Buxton.

The vacant manager's post at
Glanford Park is yet to be advertised and as yet it isn't certain if it will be advertised at all. Much depends on the results Wilcox delivers before the directors next meet in a fortnight.

Whatever the board may publicly say, it seems they are giving Russ Wilcox every opportunity to make the job his own.

The big question is whether or not the fans would see the appointment as the cheap option - installed because the board want a cheap manager who won't make demands - or as the right choice to add continuity and take the club forward...

Either way, the alternatives must be considered.

The latest poll results on Iron-Bru.net suggest Nigel Clough is the fans choice, with more than a quarter of the overall vote. But how many realise Clough's Burton Albion are currently struggling in the Nationwide Conference, having lost seven of their last eight games?

Closely following Clough is Mark Lillis. Currently the assistant manager at
Stockport County, Lillis is lovingly nicknamed Bhuna by Iron fans and played a pivotal role in winning the Iron promotion at Wembley in '99 as Laws assistant.

It is interesting to note that the two front runners as far as the fans are currently concerned, as well as the third most popular selection 'Someone Else' would all result in external appointments.

Although there is small support for Peter Beagrie, Paul Groves or Paul Wilson to take charge it seems blatantly clear that most Iron fans think it is time for a new person to bring in new ideas to the club.

It will be interesting to see how the situation develops, the club's directors owe it to the fans to spread their net far and wide to search for the most suitable candidate.