Davies and Warnock pull out of running for St Mirren job

ST MIRREN suffered a double blow last night as Billy Davies and Neil Warnock both ruled themselves out of the running for the vacant manager’s job. The Paisley club had turned their attention to former Sheffield United, Leeds and QPR boss Warnock after firstchoice Davies opted against a return to football in the Scottish Championship. However, while refusing to rule out taking a job in the SPFL when he moves north in 18 months, Warnock also decided against the post. Scheduled to make a presentation to the St Mirren board last night, Davies said: ‘I have always shown respect to every club which has approached me. I met club officials at St Mirren a few times and thoroughly enjoyed the talks we had. But I won’t be a part of the future of St Mirren. I wish them well.’ Asked what his future holds, he said: ‘Let’s wait and see. There are interesting times ahead. I am waiting for the right club with the right ambition and the right opportunity for me to progress as a manager at the right level. I am not restricting myself to Scottish football.’ Gus MacPherson, who has impressed as manager of Queen’s Park since leaving Saints in 2010, has been linked with a return, with former Inverness boss John Hughes and ex-St Mirren player Jamie Fullarton also in the running. But Warnock has turned down the chance to meet chairman Gordon Scott, despite the lure of spending more time at his holiday home in Dunoon. ‘I spoke to someone in London at the weekend who is friendly with the chairman of St Mirren,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘He told them I had a place in Scotland and was coming up this week and might be able to help out, whether it’s finding a manager or players. ‘In 18 months, when I move up there, I might do anything. I would like to help, just as I would Morton if they asked me. It’s not right for me at the minute.’