SPARTANS ARE ON TO A SHAW THING WITH JON
JON Shaw has been preparing for life in the dugout in recent years – and now he is ready to embrace the challenge he is facing in his first managerial role with National League North club Blyth Spartans.
The former Luton Town and Burton Albion striker joined the Croft Park club at the start of the season in a player-assistant manager role – but stepped into the lead role in the dugout when Graham Fenton departed in late-December.
After going unbeaten in his first four games as a manager with a draw against Banbury United and wins over Gloucester City, Bishop’s Stortford and former club South Shields, Shaw enjoyed an overwhelmingly positive start to his managerial career.
However, there have been challenging moments over the last few weeks as an injury-hit Spartans squad fell to three consecutive defeats against Scarborough Athletic, Warrington Town and Hereford.
But, to their credit, Shaw’s men bounced back when a young side earned a last-gasp point against Scunthorpe United in midweek, despite being without several experienced players.
As he continues to settle into management, former Gateshead and South Shields star Shaw has admitted his connections with other north-east clubs means some may have been caught by surprise by his move to Croft
Park – but he stressed he is ready to take on everything that comes his way in Northumberland.
He told The NLP: “I couldn’t ask for a better first job in football to be honest with you.
“I’ve worked a long time, I’ve coached a long time and I’ve worked with some unbelievable coaches and managers, all helping me and guiding me towards what I always hoped would be a big opportunity.
“My relationship with certain other clubs in the north-east means some people might not have expected it to come at this one but when the Blyth fans turn out and the players are playing with the effort levels that are there, it’s an unbelievable place to play your football.
“So from my point of view, it’s a great challenge for me to start with and I am looking forward to what’s coming because it’s a loyal fanbase and they’ll turn up if the lads are putting the effort in.
“I just want to help them grow as a team and grow as a football club.”
Spartans face a testing end to the season with visits to the likes of title
contenders Tamworth and Scunthorpe both on the agenda alongside tough-looking home clashes with Brackley Town, Curzon Ashton and Chorley.
Yet the season has already been a positive one for Spartans as they have moved on from four consecutive battles against relegation to sit in mid-table in Non-League’s second tier.
The target for the remainder of the season remains a simple one for Shaw as he urged his side to maintain their levels of intensity and discipline to ensure they can round off the campaign on a high.
He said: “This league, from start to now, if you win a game you move one way, lose a game and you move the other, everyone beats everyone else and there is no point getting carried away.
“If we have that level of intensity with and without the ball, the discipline defensively and that’s a big thing in this level, if we do that, we will win more than we lose.
“Then it’s just about where that can take us by the end of the season.”