Applications arrived minutes after Cooper’s resignation was announced

The first eight applications landed in Windsor director Kevin Stott’s in-tray within minutes of the announcement of Mark Cooper’s surprise resignation as Royalists boss last month.

The club are in the process of replacing Cooper, who successfully guided the Royalists through three seasons, and they hope to be able to make a decision on who replaces him in the next few weeks.

With pre-season training and friendlies to plan and play, it’s something Stott is keen to get sorted as soon as possible.

He also thanked Cooper for his contributions over the last few seasons, calling him a ‘really excellent manager’,

Stott (above) said that he wouldn’t be surprised if

Cooper went on to become a football club owner in the future but added that wasn’t possible for him at Stag Meadow.

“I think within 30 minutes of making that announcement, we had eight applications,” said Stott. “That was more than a surprise. I have been away for a few days, so I haven’t caught up with Malcolm Williams (club secretary) in a while. But I have contacted everybody that initially made the application and had conversations so that’s where we are at. Once I’ve properly caught up with Malcolm, we’ll create a shortlist and then take it from there. I’d like to be in the position to make a decision later this week.

“We need to organise preseason training and friendlies and we are in the process of doing that. If I said I was relaxed, that would be wrong, but I think I am in control which is important.”

On Cooper's tenure as boss, Stott added: “The first thing I would like to do is acknowledge his contribution. Qualitatively,

he’s an excellent manager. I think that Mark is incredibly successful in his work life. I don’t know if you know but he runs Coopers Residential. I think his ultimate ambition is to own his own club. That’s where we’ve got to. For me, that’s what he ought to be doing and probably managing that too.

“But like I say, he is excellent. He has been a joy to have around in the sense that everything was incredibly well organised, professionally managed, and so on and so forth.

“I don’t know whether it’s near or whatever, but I think he is well-resourced from a financial perspective.

“He manages a substantial business, and, in my opinion, he ought to run his own club.

“He can’t obviously achieve ambition with us. For me that’s the right strategy for him. I can’t give him the club and the ultimate control that goes with that. He is aware of that. But, as I say, he’s been a joy to have around. I think it's important that he has the opportunity now to go and achieve his ambitions.”

Responding, Cooper said: “There's no secret that I offered Kevin a substantial sum to buy the football club, which he didn't accept. That's his prerogative, he's the owner of the football club.

“I feel that Windsor should be a step 2/3 football club and there's a lot of scope for it to be very successful.”