Newell Gets His Man

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 27/11/2008

GRIMSBY have appointed former Luton Town assistant manager Brian Stein to the club's staff. Brian Stein comes to Blundell Park as chief scout and coach of the Mariners.

Stein's appointment does not mean that Assisstant Manager Stuart Watkiss is to leave; instead Stead will be an additional member of the management and support team, for the time being at least.

Stein's contract is until the end of the season, when Watkiss's current deal is believed to end.

Around eight years ago in the Championship Town had an additional member of staff when Paul Wilkinson was First Team Coach (Lennie Lawrence and John Cockerill were the management team I believe). However the then Chairman Bryan Huxford removed Wilkinson as a cost-cutting exercise, a point coincidentally from which Grimsby's long decline could have been argued to have started.

A club statement read: "The board sees this appointment as part of its medium to long-term planning and addresses the difficulty of bringing players to the club, as has been the case in the past."

Grim Rob Says The club's wording does seem to imply that Stein will eventually replace Watkiss when his deal expires in the summer. If Town could not afford an additional member of staff two divisions above where they are now then it seems unlikely it's a luxury that the Mariners will tolerate more than they have to.

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