Fenty: Slade is Next Buckley

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 29/05/2004

JOHN Fenty, Town's major shareholder, has compared new Grimsby Town manager Russell Slade to former Town boss Alan Buckley, and believes he has the necessary qualities to bring the good times back to Blundell Park.

Speaking to Mariners Net, the Grimsby-based businessman revealed that they had identified Slade as a potential candidate several months ago, presumably around the time that Nicky Law was appointed.

"We saw what he did at Scarborough; they were on the brink of disaster. He brought the club round, he took them almost to promotion. Last season he took them on a fantastic cup run.

"We believe that Russell has got what this football club needs. We've spoken to him extensively about his management style, about what size of the playing budget he needs, about the type of players he wants to bring in and how he wants to go about it."

"We thought Russell Slade had attributes not dissimilar to Alan Buckley - Grimsby Town's most successful post-war manager.

Russell's background is not dissimilar to that of Alan Buckley, who came to Blundell Park from Kettering, and used his knowledge of non-league football to bring a clutch of cheap signings to the club, many of whom formed the backbone of the side for the next decade.

"He's got a very good understanding of the type of football that we need to play here at Grimsby. We are very confident that he has the contacts in these lower divisions that will allow us to take Grimsby Town forward," continued Fenty.

"We understand the types of players that he wants to bring in, that all fits within the budget that has been agreed in principle.

"We have six players contracted to us at the moment which is a starting point some clubs would relish.

"What we need now is for all the supporters to rally around us. Come and buy the season tickets, come to all the games at the beginning of the season and lets just see what our two manager's can achieve."

Meanwhile Russell Slade has admitted that taking on the job at Blundell Park is a huge challenge that he is relishing.

"We've got very few players at the club at the moment. But I see that as a positive really, as we can build a new team.

"Any players that don't want to stay here, for whatever reason, can go. We want players that want to play for this football club and that are committed to this football club.

"We will create the right work ethic from bottom to top. Hopefully I can put a squad together that is capable of getting in the top six."

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