3 weeks into the 2024/25 season, and Blyth Spartans are once again on the lookout for a new manager after a dreadful start to the season.
While we can debate where the blame lies in respect of that all day long, it has to be said that this season is not a complete write off just yet.
Despite what some may say, the fact is we do have players in this squad that a rather capable individuals, as well as some that will (with the right manager at the helm) likely burst out into the scene over the coming months, and some that will develop into solid and capable players at this level.
Reinforcements are of course needed in certain areas, but with the right appointment and some wise moves in the transfer market, the season can of course be saved.
To save some time though, I’ll start with some of the former players and managers who people have said they’d like to see at the helm across social media in the last 12 hours so. While I’m sure we all of us have our old favourites we’d like to see back, some of the names banded about simply won’t be taking over as manager.
Starting with Robbie Dale, as people have seemingly made a big deal about him being at the match yesterday. In all honesty, Rob just likes going to Spartans matches when he gets the chance it would seem. He had expressed an interest in management many years ago, however at this moment in time, I gather he’s just happy enjoying his retirement after over 20 years in football.
As for Graham Fenton, he seems happy enough to be working for the Tyne Met Academy and doing some scouting work. While it feels like a life time ago since he was manager, it’s only been 8 and a bit months since he departed as first team manager. He doesn’t seem to be all that interested in a return to management by the sounds of things, and just seems happy with what he’s doing now.
Like Rob, he just likes getting to the odd Blyth match when he can. Plus he obviously works for the Academy set up, so I really wouldn’t read too much into him coming to Spartans games. In Premier League football, the press like to make a fuss over these sort of things, but in non-league football it isn’t like that. In short, former players and coaches coming to watch matches is not a big deal at all.
While we do like to joke about Harry Dunn taking charge, realistically, it’s just not going to happen. Harry has been involved in scouting for nearly 15 years now, and has done a very good job by all accounts in roles at Darlington and Bishop Auckland. He’s still with the Two Blues at present in a role there, and likely wouldn’t be interested in a move to Spartans, even if we had a backroom role for him.
As for Tom Wade, while hasn’t been involved in management for a few years now, he’s the only one of the former Spartans personalities that has been ‘linked’ with the job that could realistically return to the club in some way. While these days it’s probably best to go with a manager who’s got their finger on the pulse and in a job, having Tom involved in some way or shape wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. While the Director of Football role is obviously occupied, I’m sure some sort of role could be found for him.
Anyway, onto the contenders. Some of these have been mentioned before, some obviously haven’t. So, here’s 9 realistic(ish) appointments that would make sense.
Nathan Haslam – Whitby Town
A well-respected Tyneside based manager; Haslam would be considered a young manager at just 43 years old. He has however he has been involved in club management for over 10 years, having previously manged Marske United, Bishop Auckland and Whitley Bay before joining Whitby in 2020 – so it’s safe to say he’s got more than enough experience to take the Blyth job on.
Haslam led Whitby Town to the FA Cup 1st round last season, where they were defeated by Bristol Rovers after overcoming National League South side Chelmsford City in the previous round. He also led Whitby Town to a 12th place finish in the NPL this season with a fairly modest budget for that level, while attracting some entertaining flair players in Nathan Thomas, Stephen Walker and Junior Mondal.
Late in pre-season of 2023, Haslam’s Whitby side came up to Blyth and quite frankly bullied us. They were aggressive and completely out played a rather strong Spartans side. They played some good entertaining football but certainly weren’t afraid to play a bit of long ball football when needed.
A character who naturally commands respect, Haslam could be the man to build the club back up from the ashes. As a former agent, Nathan will no doubt have plenty of connections at just about every level of football as well.
He has just signed a 2 year deal with Whitby Town at the back end of March, but I’ve no doubt if both sides want the move – a deal could be worked out.
Alun Armstrong – Unemployed
A man who needs no introduction, Alun of course won the Northern Premier League Premier Division in his first season as Spartans manager and led us to the National League North play offs, before he jumped ship to Darlington in 2019. Despite being hampered by COVID, he led Darlington to the FA Cup 1st in 2019/20 and then the 2nd round during the 2020/21 campaign.
After a poor start to the 2021/22 season where he found himself under some immense pressure, he managed to turn it around and pull together a new squad that then challenged for the title in 2022/23 season. They of course ended up falling away from contention and Alun was sacked in August 2023.
Alun and Blyth reuniting would certainly be an interesting scenario. Last time he joined Blyth he inherited a very good Spartans team and just needed to add a bit quality to solidify us as a top National League North side, so the idea of him coming in and taking charge of a below average squad is an intriguing concept.
Though Alun (allegedly) did like to send his CV about while managing at Blyth, he did have the lads playing a really attractive style of football and gave us all some great memories. The idea of running it back is somewhat appealing, if Alun has the resources to bring in the right players.
Yes he’s currently working with the Gateshead Academy side, but that wouldn’t stop him from taking up a role at Spartans. Andy Inness being a prime example of that.
Chris Swailes – Unemployed
Another familiar face, Swaz left Dunston UTS just about 12 months ago after a successful 7 years as manager. Across that time, he managed to win the Northern League in 2019, winning ‘Manager of the Year’ in the process while putting together an absolutely solid team in what is now the NPL East.
On top of that, he also guided them to a Northern League Cup and took them to the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup, which is the furthest the club has ever gone in that competition.
A vastly experienced player, coach and manager – Swailes is certainly a strong character who would be able to completely reset the football club and put us back on track. Given his long history in football, he’d no doubt have plenty of contacts as well.
Swaz did leave Dunston for what were described as ‘personal reasons’ at the end of the 2022/23 season, and of course we’ve no idea what those reasons are. However, if he is interested in getting back into football management with more or less a blank canvas, Blyth would be a good opportunity for him to do just that.
It’s understood he now lives down in Sheffield though, which if true would hoy a spanner in the works on that one.
Jon McDonald – Dunston UTS
The Man who replaced Swailes as manager of Dunston back in 2023, having joined the club as Assistant Manager back in 2021, McDonald has kept the good times rolling at Dunston in recent years. He almost led the South Tyneside outfit to promotion last summer, as has picked up a few gems from the lower leagues in recent years, including Jack Maskell and Josh Robson.
Holder of a UEFA A Licence, Jon is a well respected coach and manager in the local non-league scene. Having had spells as manager at North Shields, West Allotment Celtic and Blyth AFC (the one Barry Elliot made an arse of) as well as a long spell as number two at Morpeth Town, he’s amassed years of experience and knowledge in local football. Capable of unearthing a hidden gem and attracting talent, Jon would be solid appointment.
Dunston have started the season rather well though, and I’d be surprised to see him abandon that project to take up a role at Spartans. Especially with so little room to maneuver in the transfer market.
Chris Hardy – Bishop Auckland
The man who’s just overseen Bishop Auckland’s return to the Northern Premier League, Chris is a manager with a solid track record with years of success under his belt.
Taking charge of Guisborough Town back in early 2008, he led them back into the first tier of the Northern League during the 2010/11 season, after they finished runners up in the Northern League’s second tier. North Riding Senior Cup victories came in 2011 and 2014 as well.
During the 2013/14 season he led Guisborough to 4th place in the Northern League’s top division, as they netted 100 goals in the league thanks to Danny Johnson and Mickey Roberts – with Hardy implementing a free-flowing attacking style of football.
In December 2015 he made the jump to Whitby, and he took his entertaining brand of football with him. In his first full season at Whiby he guided them to 6th place, just missing out on the play offs. A poor season the year after would follow as they lost key playmaker Dale Hopson, however they did bounce back and finish in 11th place in the 2018/19 season.
In 2020 he resigned as Whitby manager but re-entered football management in 2021 with Bishop Auckland. In his first full season at The Two Blues he led them to a 3rd place finish, before eventually winning promotion this season – with Bishop Auckland only losing twice this season in the league.
Again, Hardy would be taking a bit risk in leaving Bishop Auckland for Blyth – but if he’s up for the challenge, he could be another wise appointment. Experienced and known for playing good football, we could do a lot worse than him.
Daniel Moore – Hebburn Town
An unlikely appointment given Hebburn’s rise in recent years, Moore was a well-respected player for years in the Northern League – winning the FA Vase with Spennymoor Town back in 2013 as well as several Northern League titles.
He took charge of Shildon in the Northern League in January 2017, and racked up a 59% win rate during his 223 games in charge. After leading them to a JR Cleator Cup and a Durham Challenge Cup win, he left the club in 2022 to take the job at Hebburn Town.
In his first season at Hebburn he led them to the play offs in the NPL East, though they would fall to Long Eaton United in the semi’s on penalties. This year though they managed to win promotion to the NPL Premier Division as champions, snatching the title from Stockton Town on the final day of the season.
He’s led his side to a decent start in the NPL Premier Division this season, and will likely end up leading them to a top half finish. Leaving Hebburn for Blyth would be a brave one, and possibly an unwise one at the moment.
Michael Dunwell – Stockton Town
The man behind Stockon’s rise over the last decade, Dunwell has led Stockton from the depths of the Wearside League to the verge of the NPL Premier Division over the last 10 years. Across those 10 years, Dunwell has won 9 trophies as Stockton manager as well.
With the demise of Norton and Stockton Ancients in the early 2010’s, Stockton Town began to rise up in their place with Dunwell at the helm. After winning the Wearside Legue 3 times on the bounce between 2014 and 2016, they were finally promoted to the Northern League 2nd Division – which they won at the first time of asking.
COVID put a holt to their progress, though they would end up being promoted in 2021 due their league record – and they’ve made quite the impact in the NPL East, despite letting the title slip from their grasp this season. He also led them to Wembley in 2018, where they lost 1-0 in the FA Vase final
Dunwell may be difficult to snag, as he’s obviously well entrenched at what is his local club. He’s built up a brilliant team of players at Stockton over the years, and has finally been rewarded for his success once again with promotion this summer. Another ambitious target, but yet another example of the sort of manager we need.
Marc Nash – Newcastle Blue Star
The current Tyne Met Academy and Blue Star manager, Nashy has had more than a few successful spells in football management, and may well be up for the role of first team manager.
After starting out at Whitley Bay and helping to stabilise them, Nash moved onto North Shields in 2018. After two seasons impacted by COVID, he guided them to promotion in 2022, as The Robins stormed to the Northern League title.
He resigned at the end of that season though, having guided Shields to safety, however they’d be automatically relegated due to issues with the stadium. Since then he’s taken over at Blue Star, stabilised them and guided them to promotion in just a few short months.
Experienced in dealing with teams in crisis difficult situations, Nashy wouldn’t be a bad appointment at all. He’d be more than capable of making some difficult decisions in respect of personal, and he would be far from a yes man.
David Stockdale – Blyth Spartans
The current interim manager, Stockdale’s only role in football coaching/management was his role as ‘Director of Football’ at York City last season. It’s probably a bit difficult to really judge him on that, as York City have been a shit show for years (pot calling the kettle black, I’m aware).
Arriving at Spartans in late July, his appointment seems to have gone down well behind the scenes, and training has gone a lot more smoothly since he arrived. Depending on how long Spartans plan on spending looking for a new manager, it’s unknown just how long Stockdale will get to stake a claim to the managerial role.
While he hasn’t done anything wrong at Spartans, and seems to have gone down well with players and staff at the club, he clearly isn’t the experienced non-league manager that we need. Then again, Alun Armstrong wasn’t when he was hired, and he seemed to do okay at Blyth! Of course the team he inherited was a world away from this one though.
Stockdale would ultimately be a gamble, but a huge improvement on the previous manager.
That now pretty much finishes up the more sensible options. Obviously there will be a few other local managers out there that are probably worth a shout, but 9 targets feels like enough!
Ultimately though, whoever the club chose to go for, it needs to be a sensible appointment. No more PR stunts. No more ex Newcastle United personalities looking for a payday. No more jobs for the boys. Simply get a manager in who actually wants to be here, knows the local non-league scene and has a plan.
This appointment is quite simply make or break.