Bowyer sent in to rescue the Ammies’ promotion bid
SALFORD City have announced the appointment of Gary Bowyer as their new manager until the end of the season.
Richie Wellens was sacked on Monday after less than five months in charge and Manchester-born Bowyer has been hired as his successor on a short-term contract before he returns to his role in Derby County’s academy in the summer.
A run of one win in eight fixtures and a scoring drought that stretched to more than 400 minutes with a 2-0 defeat to Cheltenham on Saturday signalled the end of Wellens’ tenure, and Bowyer now becomes the Ammies’ fourth manager this season.
Despite lifting Salford’s first piece of silverware as a Football League club 10 days ago – a penalty shoot-out victory over Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy – Wellens was told of his fate by the Class of ’92 on Monday after nine league wins in 25 outings.
Ex-Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Bradford City boss Bowyer said: “I’m delighted to be here. I’ve got to first and foremost thank Wayne Rooney, Darrell Russell at Derby County for being so helpful to allow me to come here.
“Obviously today is a case of meeting the players and setting the expectations of what we expect of them from now until the end of the season.”
With 11 games remaining and Salford six points beneath the League Two play-offs in ninth, 49-year-old Bowyer has now been tasked with igniting a late promotion push.
“We want them to be playing aggressive football both with and without the ball and have a right good go at these remaining 11 games,” he said.
“We have an opportunity like everybody else in this league to try and force our way into the reckoning to try and get into the play-offs and see if we can do that.”