WRIGHT LEAVES A VOID!
Steelmen search for a new boss
CHAIRMAN Stevie Noble says he has an open mind about who will take over in the Corby Town managerial hotseat following the shock departure of Tommy Wright.
Wright had only returned to take charge of the Steelmen for a second time in May, but he offered his resignation last weekend due to work and family commitments.
That bombshell has left the Southern League Division One Central outfit with a gaping hole to fill. They set a deadline of midnight on Friday for applications and have been encouraged by the response.
Noble told The NLP on Friday: “We have been inundated and the quality has been good.
“We are totally open-minded and have started interviewing. We’ll try to get it down to three, four or five for a second interview and we’ll probably be at that stage this time next week and hopefully try to appoint the following week.
“The sooner we can make a decision, the better so the new manager can make his plans. Time is of the essence.”
But Noble also wants to make sure everything goes smoothly this time following Wright’s brief tenure.
“Most of the managers have got the qualifications, but the difference is sitting down in front of them and finding out what they can do for your club,” he explained.
“If we need to do second interviews with six, seven or eight, so be it. We have got to do it properly.”
Changing
You can understand why there would be plenty of interest. It’s only four years ago that – under Wright – the Steel Park outfit were playing in National League North.
Since then they have dropped two rungs of the ladder. Last term, they were third in the Division One Central table when the campaign was cut short in March, chasing down front two Berkhamsted and Halesowen Town.
Noble said: “We have been at this level for three years and it’s crucial to get out of it.
“We were doing well last season and the year before we fell a bit short. We want to get to the next level.”
But it certainly won’t be former Nuneaton Borough, Darlington and Stratford Town boss Wright leading them there.
Commenting on his departure, a philosophical Noble said: “It’s not ideal, but the lad had personal issues and his work situation is changing. It’s as well to be done now rather than two or three weeks into the season.
“In this day and age with the coronavirus, it’s not the end of the world. We’ve got a job to do and hopefully we’ll get the right guy.”
Ex-Leicester City and Barnsley striker Wright, 35, who led the Steelmen to the Southern Premier title in 2015, told the Northamptonshire Telegraph: “My work commitments are due to change in mid-October and I just can’t commit to the job the way they need me to so I chose to step down and give the club the best possible chance to appoint the right manager who can commit 100 per cent.”