Fans favourite David Kelly was today warned he will not be considered for the Walsall manager vacancy unless he applies for the post.
The club’s former striker, currently out of work after successful No 2 roles with promotion-winners Neil Warnock and Billy Davies, was the first name on the lips of Saddlers fans after Richard Money’s shock exit this week.
For the first time, the Walsall vacancy has co-incided with Kelly’s availibility and he has cautiously declared an interest in pursuing the post with the comment: “If they’re interested talking to me, then I would be interested in talking to them.”
But owner Jeff Bonser today revealed that already his ‘In Tray’ is stacking up with some serious applications to succeed Money and that there can be no special favours for Kelly in the battle for the Bescot opportunity.
“I know David of course - I had just joined the board when he was sold to West Ham since when I have regularly bumped into him on his travels,” said Bonser today.”He went on to have a fantastic playing career and has worked with some top managers and I have always got on well with him.
“But if he is interested in pursuing this post then he needs to apply like everyone else. The first thing any candidate has got to show me is how much they want this job and that means applying. It’s no good waiting for a call from me - that’s not going to happen. The job is there for him to apply for.”
Bonser admits he is excited at the quality of candidates already coming forward, which already include, he says, ‘high-profile’ figures and managers of recent Championship vintage.
He will be looking to repeat the end-of-season announcements which preceded two of his most successful appointments, Money and Ray Graydon, both given the entire close season to plan promotion campaigns.
Other figures mentioned in dispatches have played a dead bat behind questions over their influence.
Former coach Mark Kinsella is still under contract at Charlton - but living in Solihull - and would not talk about the prospect of his interest while Martin Allen, sacked at Leicester just a few weeks into the season, also offered a firm “no comment” to all inquiries.
23 Comments
Does’nt matter who the manager is,you’ll still struggle next year,selling off the silver the Bonser way.
Av u got nuttin beta 2 do dan email on dis page -u r alwys on ea. Keep 2 yr own team - stop commentin on Walsall, go out an get a job
I’m on strike today…
don,t do it david !!!! we all think of you as an hero, but as as happened before in football, great players return and dont succed and leave a failiure, i,m not saying you cant do the job , but given the financail side of things, you will find it difficult to buy quality and will no doubt have to sell the best we have and i for one want to remember you as a legend, just look at merson great player, and we all know what happened when he bacame manager…
Judging by the overall poor standard of English in that initial post Wolf, then it really is no wonder that some of the youth of today make Steve Bull look like the Brain of Britain.
Oh God, what a surprise. Not only is the fool a Wolves fan, but he’s also one of those ‘on strike’ because his belief is that he doesn’t get enough pay, although he gets what is now - about 11 weeks holiday and those occasional teacher training days to ease them back into working life again.
Do me a favour and comment on your own team. Bought your 08/09 season ticket yet, or going to buy it in December when you’ve watched from your marking pile ?
Got my own back optimisicwolf, now go and stick to your team.
no don’t get Kelly,do us a favour and GET MUPPET MCCARTHY FROM US INSTEAD!!!!!!
Why are all these Dingles interested all of a sudden? I would love to see Kelly at Walsall, it is completely different to Merson who had no coaching experience and was going off the rails every 6 months. David has had some good coaching jobs and has in general been involved with successful teams, I hope he applies.
Optimistic is on strike? I didn’t know that there was a Tatter’s union! What’s he want? More carrots for his cart horse!
HANG ON A MINUTE, YOUR FANS ALWAYS POST ON OUR WEBSITE!!EVEN SOMEONE LIKE DAVID KELLY IS TO BIG FOR YOUR TINY LITTLE CLUB!! ALL YOU WALSALL FANS ARE JUST JEALOUS OF THE WOLVES, ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
JUST ACCEPT YOU ARE A NOTHING CLUB WITH A CRAPPY FAN BASE, CRAPPY STADIUM AND FOR SOME REASON YOUR FANS THINK YOU BELONG IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!! WHAT A JOKE YOUR CLUB IS
no kelly would be a good choice but we need sumone with managerial experience not an assistant someone to take us back to the championship were we belong. Cant see it but Iain Dowie or even Phil Parkinson ?
how can u wolves fans come on here commenting that we believe we have a devine right to belong in the championship when u dingles all believe u have a devine right to belong in the premiership, and lets face it that lasted all of what 5 mins when u got there? down by feb wasnt u? why dont u all concentrate on replacing MM at the end of the season because hes a waste of space rather than commenting on our current situation at the bescot stadium! And possibly like optimistic wolf u may require a job to keep ur mind occupied
Stuart - it’s all relative. Walsall looking to get in the Championship is no different to you dingles thinking they belong in the Premiership! Can’t possibly think why any Midland football fan would be jealous of the Wolves. For what money Walsall do spend at least we get some value for money. How many strikers have you got now? and still can’t reach the play offs. Get those “you’ve let us down again” banners ready for your home game with Plymouth.
and don’t think of dissin’ wolves or my boyfriend stuart…. ever again….ok
TO STUART WHEN THE WOLVES ARE A SO CALLED BIG CLUB THEN SAY SOMETHING. TRY BEING AS BIG AS WBA STOKE, BRISTOL CITY SHEFF UTD ETC ETC. YOU ARE A SMALL CLUB IN YOUR DIVISION.
16.small club ay? so tell me how many season tickets did we sell last season? was it around 19,000, I think norwich & ipswich only beat that so we beat all of those mentioned above, and another thing how are wba,stoke,bristol city bigger clubs than us? look yata we have loads of money, loads of fans, loads of history and what do you have? sadly for walsall you are nothing more than a league 2 side and as for wolves I don’t believe that we have a devine right to be in the prem but when their are teams such as reading, wigan, bolton even pompey and can you say they are bigger clubs than wolves, I don’t think so
Actually Stuart you are wrong, our average position over the years has been League 1 level. We are definately more than a League 2 side. I hate this ‘big club’ debate but it does annoy me that Wolves fans use it to constantly moan and criticise if they aren’t above what they perceive to be small clubs.
The thing is Wolves, you laugh at us thinking we should be in the Championship. The rest of the country laughs at you lot for thinking you should be in the Premiership.
Oh, and for the colour of your shirts. Nasty….
17 YOUR EX OWNER WAS SO BRITISH HE LIVED ABROAD SOLD THE CLUB FOR VITUALLY NOTHING. WHEN YOU WAS STUGGLING IN THE SO CALLED LOWER DIVISIONS I REMEMBER THE 3000-4000 CROWDS YOU HAD.
HOW MANY SEASON TICKETS DID YOU SELL WHEN YOU WERE STRUGGLING IN THE SO CALLED LOWER DIVISIONS I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE HAVING 3000-4000 CROWDS.
YOU HAD A OWNER WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SO BRITISH HE LIVED ABROAD. ARE FOREST AND LEEDS IN OUR LEAGUE SMALLER THAN WOLVES? YOU ARE AT BEST A MID TABLE CHAMPIONSHIP SIDE WHOSE FANS WANT TO GET RID OF YOUR MANAGER.
Whats all this about? backbiting and stupid childish remarks. I’m an avid Saddlers fan, have been for the past 50 years. But if they are not playing and one of the other 5 Midland teams are, and they are either on the radio or on the box, then I will support them and even shout for them. Is that so bad?? I hope Blues stay up, Albion win the Championship, Wolves reach and win the play offs , Villa finish in the top six and Coventry, with our ex super stars, stay in the Championship. Wouldn’t everyone be happy then??? I would like to think so.
17. Some cracking posts there Stuart. Just out of interest why are fan-bases, home gates, home gates of other clubs, etc etc so important to you? Are their other dimensions in your life that are lacking? Wolves have an admirable ‘fan base’.