Thetownend.com

here (http://www.swindontownfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10341~1208028,00.html)

we are mo mals red and white army.

Can't we just call him Big Mo?

We are Big Mo's Red and White Army!!! :D

Byrne as assistant. Still getting his antics then I see.

:shock:  god there was still part of me that thought it was rumours of a football rumours.com porportion.

well he has acheived loads as a player but then so did mcmahon.

i just hope fitton does not turn into a rikki hunt character  :|

For fuck sake, another Scot  :x

I'm still not decided yet, I'll give him a couple of games before I make my mind up about him.

Interview with him in the Adver (http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/swindontown/headlines/display.var.1945703.0.exclusive_interview_malpas_vows_to_take_town_to_the_next_level.php)

not a good enough appointment!!

one word - disgusted!

He may have interviewed the best, but I am staggered if he really is he best man that applied for the job. More like a luggy stitch up. And it's certainly not an appointment that will get the csuals rushing to the ticket office.

That said, Fitton has bought the right to appoint who he wants. We'll just have to get behind Mo and hope he can do it,

That's it fatters, nothing like giving the bloke a chance is there? Jeeeez.

Haven't we learnt in the past that box-office-based appointments aren't what we need for stability? Wise and Sturrock were good for this club - but we can't always survive with bouts of success, then upheavel as they move on.

Frankly, we know very little about Malpas. Most comments on here are based on ohter people's partisan opinions. He's ours now. Our man, and part of our new club which we fought to get hold of again. Good luck MM.

 :goodpost: Spot on Moonie. Pleased to see Byrne retain a role as well, for the stability point of view plus he's shown he can get the players to work for him and keeps the tight link between first and youth team setup.

great appointment IMO, just what we needed someone willing to show a bit of loyalty.. we cant handle appointing someone who is going to go elsewhere in 18mnths again

Gets my 100% support unless theres reason not to.

I don't want a big name who comes here and just buggers off at the next opportunity and if stability is what he will provide then Im all for it.

Glad Byrne is assistant as hopefully can integrate youth players eventually into first team and help ensure we don't lose young talent like we have done in the past.

And I would guess a natural progression for Jeremy Newton to take Byrne's old job and Williams to take Blackley's.

Face it, Fitton is the last man to appoitn somebody without a VERY good reason to do so. Malpas must have been superb in te interview - and ticked every box going. Fitton seems to know his football and has money and pride at stake with this appointment. this will not be on a whim, and I for one trust him.

55 caps for Scotland, manager of the u21s As well as managing Dundee United and Motherwell.... Plenty more experience than all the other manager mentioned put together. Heard contrasting reports on him from my many contacts north of the border, but he gets the benefit of the doubt and I will behind him 100% until he gives me reason not to.

not going to get the crowd back tho is it .. fair play to Fitton if hes sorted out the finances .. and certainly given us a club to actually support but this seems a very poor appointment - im 100 percent convinced Malpas is a crap manager

by the way im not going to say another word about the appointment I think ive made my views clear

Not a bad appointment at all, well done Mr Fitton for not just going for one of the usual suspects who are looking for jobs.

Look forward to seeing how Maurice will settle in down at the CG.  Hopefully he'll bring a few Scottish players down with him, as we desperately need to get rid of a few of our players who don't really seem to be playing like they should.

The thing is that we just don't know. He may be a disaster, yet he may turn out to be the best manager we have had. I also get the impresiion that the players will have to graft under him.

No, results will do that in the short-term and making the town feel like it has some connection with the club will do it in the medium-long term. Whereas a "big-name" manager would perhaps put a few hundred curious casuals on the gate for a couple of games

Ok, so the crowds wont come rushing back immediately like the appt't of a 'big name'.

But if he brings consistancy to the playing style and the results are there, they will come back.

We don't need an up and down season with gates doing the same. We need to establish steady results for this year and then build next season.

If Malpas and DB can do that then good luck to them.

I have to admit that I'm concerned by some of the reports I've read from Motherwell, but the only record I'm going to judge him on is his record at Swindon.

My gut feeling?  Really not very sure.  But Fitton's gut feeling is clearly that Malpas is right for the job - and Fitton has a lot more money riding on this than I do.

Good luck, Maurice.  You're joining a great club.

Not what I expected, but I think this may turn out to be a sound choice - Fitton seems to be taking the long term view (loyalty) of not only sorting out the club finances from the ground up but the team structure as well - by bringing in someone with international experience and with experience of working with younger players.

My only worry is because Malpas is not the 'popular' choice then should results not go well to start with, some fans will be quick to get on his back and we could end up with a manager who's divisive, like a certain Mr King.

Frankly I've no idea whether this is a good appointment or not.  The bloke deserves a chance though.

Having byrne as assistant is logical, should allow an easy transition - we really needed the new manager to hit the ground running

PS  Does anyone know what style of football we can expect to see under Malpas?

Fatbury, everything about you is what I cannot stand about town fans, you jest moan moan moan this might shake up the lazy players we have and teh discipline may sort out your one and only Pook.

For fuck sake get behind the team, next your be saying im off to watch supermarine, in fact give me your address I will ersonally buy you a  season ticket for them and you can fuck off there

I'm happy. Good luck to the bloke.

One Word - Boring

FFS Give him a chance

ace. i cant wait to meet his daughter.

That's kind of my point, it's not the experienced manager we were lead to believe would get the job. It's all about minimizing risk for me,  and on the face of it we have not gone down that route.

And yes I take the point about stability and loyalty from a manager rather than a "name" who does one at the earliest oppertunity. If he does well (and I genuinely 100% hope he does) then a bigger club will come calling.  If he's crap he'll get sacked. Such is life, stability in football was over years ago..

But now I sound like a moaning Minnie. I am disappointed, but that is all. I will 100% get behind the man and the team. I've given my views and that's the end of it. No arguments, no sitting in the stands waiting for something to go wrong, just 100% support.

I'm quite happy to give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm just glad we haven't got Martin Allen, Paul Simpson, et al. Personally, I couldn't see the benefit of possibly paying £250k in compo for Martin Ling. I would rather use that money, once the takeover is complete, on the team, buying a few players, or get a number of loan players in, to help maybe, get us to the play-offs.

hmm you have a point there

Maurice  8)

And I'll bet you said the same thing when a certain Arsene Wenger was appointed at your beloved Arsenal!!  By the way Bushey, Fatters lives in Highworth so a season ticket to watch Hellenic League football may work out cheaper than Supermarine, then again they've just lost John Fisher and appointed a supposedly "crap" manager!

maybe now fitton has saved money by not paying out a managers contract we can afford a decent bid for cox?

on the positive side .. yes I can be positive!! .. hopefully Malpas will use his Under 21 Scottish contacts to sign up some of the brightest Scottish talents there are on offer

im not that up on Scottish youth football but surely there must be some talent up there we can poach!

I just wanted to get a bite but you havent, would you prefer Highworth or supermarine fatters?

Like most people I didn't see Malpas's appointment coming... and at first I was disappointed. I was firmly behind the potential appointment Lingy - but the cost of getting him out of his Orient contract might have been a stumbling block.

But Fitton is no mug and if he thinks Malpas is the man for the job, then with the work he's done recently in saving us from extinction - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Wise and Sturrock were both good appointments but neither stayed for that long - fitton seems to use words such as 'loyalty' a lot in his praise for Malpas - maybe stability is what Fitton is after - I just hope he has the nous as well.

I do think Fitton has missed a trick, though. What an opportunity to get the place buzzing again following the takeover, than by appointing someone like a lingy. Like someone said, Malpas isn;t a name that will get people flooding back. Yet...

For the time being I'll wish him the best of luck... he's the manager and whatever we all think we can't do owt about it - so lets get behind him. He could turn out to be awesome.

Good luck Mo Mo!

And I'd rather have a club with Malpas in charge than no club at all...

The statments and interviews offer detailed justification into the appointment. Would we have seen that level of justification before, I doubt it. I don't think any of us can say we're not surprised by the appointment but we've got 3 years to get into the championship. If it doesn't work out in the near future there's plenty of time for another manager. If it does work out it could be inspired.

Malpas is very experienced in football terms and not in management terms. Maybe that's the 'experience', who knows? I think like Wise when he joined Leeds, Motherwell were really in the shit when he took charge. We can't really judge until he's been given a stable footing.

A lot of people would have moaned if it was anyone but Ling. In my view I just want a team that plays good successful football. I don't care who brings it as long as the manager isn't a twat in a McMahon-esque way.

He's not exactly got a stunning managerial record has he? One season in charge at Motherwell where they finished third from bottom, winning a staggering 10 league games all season, and out in the third round of both cups, the first time they played any decent opposition.

Meh. He's going to have to convice us I suppose.

fitton does make a very good case for appointing him.

Fitton: "Trust us and wipe the slate clean"
Exclusive By Andy Cryer
Comment | Read Comments (1)
 
ANDREW Fitton has urged Swindon Town fans to wipe the slate clean and start trusting their football club again, after making his first big decision in a new era at the County Ground.

The chairman designate confirmed yesterday Maurice Malpas will be Paul Sturrock's successor once his consortium's takeover is complete and exclusively told the Swindon Advertiser why the Scot was "head and shoulders" above the rest.

Since the rumours of Malpas' imminent arrival came out after Saturday's cup draw, there have been murmurs of discontent from Town's supporters, but Fitton has appealed for calm and trust for his consortium.

He insists Malpas is one of the best qualified coaches in the country and expects him to bring loyalty, intelligence, stability, experience and passion to the County Ground.

He said: "One key issue is the fans have to learn to trust the board.

"This is something they have not been used to doing but they can't judge this board by the same criteria.

advertisement"We start with a clean slate, and while I accept I have to earn their respect, they must remember we have had nothing to with previous boards.

"From my point of view I would only make an appointment if I can improve what we have already got in place and that is what we have done with Maurice.

"They will have to learn to trust. Remember that conversation between Kevin Keegan and Newcastle fans when he sold Andy Cole.

"He went out in front of baying fans and said trust me'. I know the background to the decision and it was the right one I can tell you."

Fitton revealed he had seven names on a "high-quality shortlist", including caretaker manager Dave Byrne, but the moment they had finished interviewing Malpas they knew he was the man for Swindon Town.

He will become Town's fifth manager within two years and Fitton is keen stop the recent managerial merry-go-round that as all too often disrupted progress in Wiltshire.

"A key issue for me was loyalty," said Fitton.

"He played 600 games for Dundee United and was a real one-club man.

"We want stability after constant managerial upheaval, not a manager who will move on in the next 12 months again.

"He is very well qualified. He has been in charge of Scotland under 21s on and off for the last 10 years, which has seen him working with people like Archie Knox.

"He is experienced as a coach and experienced at working with younger players and developing them.

"We wanted a manager who could communicate properly and who was intelligent, some managers out there were not capable of those qualities. He is hard working, passionate and tactically aware and is very keen to impress."

While Fitton would not be drawn on the identity of the other managerial candidates, the Swindon Advertiser understands Leyton Orient boss Martin Ling, Colchester number two Mickey Adams and Southampton youth team coach Dave Hockaday were others in the running.

For many appointing a younger manager, with relatively little managerial experience, will be a surprise but Fitton insists every factor was considered before making their decision.

He said: "You don't interview people for fun, you do it for a purpose.

"We drew up a shortlist and it was very high quality although there were one or two names that people expected to be on it that were not because I knew I could not work with them and that is an essential part of it.

"They were all excellent candidates and every one of them could have done the job in their own way but some had issues we were not happy with.

"One asked for far too much money and I said you are probably ruling yourself out of the job.

"The other thing is we ended up in a situation where we had a jigsaw we wanted to make the right picture with.

"Maurice Malpas is one of the best qualified coaches in the land and is widely acknowledged as a truly great coach.

"He worked under Jim McLean for 10 years and he was one of the best tactical managers of all time.

"He has played in the UEFA Cup final, the European Cup semi final, played in two world cups and if you think about it he has a similar CV to Paul Sturrock.

"He had the right credentials and let me tell you the decision was night and day with regards choosing him. It was clear to us the minute we finished interviewing him we had found the right man to take Swindon Town forward."

Malpas's stint in charge at Motherwell between May 2006 and June 2007 in the Scottish Premier League was not the most successful period but Fitton has urged Town fans to look at some of the reasons why.

He said: "Some people might say he did not have a great time at Motherwell but he had a successful time under Terry Butcher then they went through a bad period.

"But if you look at some of the factors during that time, like administration and takeovers, you would think Swindon Town fans should understand what that does to a club."

I'm quite glad we haven't appointed a "name". Not because they will end up doing a runner, but because the expectation level is lower. If we go and appoint someone like Ling, we'll expect results instantly. With someone like Malpas i'd like to think we'll subconsciously have less expectation and will therefore put less pressure on the players.

I like the idea of no-one being sure what to expect and that we don't know how good he could be. As with any relatively unknown manager, i find the whole appointment quite exciting. He could turn out to be amazing, we just don't have a clue.

Sure a big name manager is exciting, but it would appear their football is not. It's a big generalisation, and perhaps it's due to caution from experience, but football under both Luggy and Wise was pretty boring and nothing like the sometimes enjoyable and often highly watchable roller-coaster King provided. 8)

Stay-aways will still stay away, but let's be honest, they'll use any old bullshit excuse to continue on their path of not going. Most stay-aways are only fans in their own minds and through their own constant bitter declarations about the club they "support".

I'm pleased, but then whomever was appointed (they could have appointed Steve McMahon for all i care), my support for the club wouldn't have changed.

He's not Martin Allen and he's not Andy King. That's good enough for me to begin with. He will have to win some matches, of course, if he wishes to retain such undying levels of loyal support.

And I echo sentiments expressed elsewhere that Fitton has earned the right to appoint whoever he likes by virtue of the small matter of saving the club from extinction.

Good to see a Scottish appointment. I will give him the benefit of the doubt Macari and Hoddle were not proven when they first came here. Lets support him and the new era. The main thing is we have financial security.If it doesn't work out we could always get rid of him.


Whos that taking over the club. Its Andrew Fitton!!

Fatbury you really are a tit!

Out of all the managers that were linked with the job, which ones were going to excite the fans and bring them flocking back? none of them! THe problem is, there are too many arseholes in Swindon that would rather support Chelski, Man Yoo, The Arse or the Scousers and see proper football as being beneath them.

Cant say I happy with appointment.

He's Scottish,hes called Maurice and looks a bit like Mr Burns from the Simpsons.He's not what Fitton said he was after either,whatever way he dresses it up.

But ...

Im fed up with hating,so Im going to give him the benefit of the doubt and give him my support.I'm going to change my name by depol to Maurice and get his face tatooed across my chest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7169493.stm

Four days ago Malpas was looking at quitting football altogether.
Not sure what that says about how good he is......

Like the hat though.

You think sturrock had something to do with it, a word in the ear for an old tangerine?

Like any appointment it can go either way I suppose. Watford appointed someone with a good coaching record, good qualifications, and who performed impressively at interview and it's worked really well for them.

I'd be a bit more open minded about it if he'd not already had a chance as a manager, and been a bit of a failure.

are we not worried that the Scottish FA didnt want him?

Always helps if you read the article not just the headline:

No.

At least we can have some loyalty hopefully from the new man. Not just from the manager but hopefully a settled coaching team and not a team of people that will bugger off with the manager at the first available opportunity eg Paul Sturrock, Kevin Summerfield, John Blackley.

I did read the article Paul.

He clearly states that he was looking at quitting football altogether. It's a direct quote.

Make of it what you will, I just can't see Sturrock or Wise thinking of quitting football, can you?

no. They have already appointed him as caretaker in the past! :roll: Billy Stark has a big reputation for working with youngsters which is why he took over.

just for the record - he had 4 games as Scotland Under 21 coach

lost to Finland 3-2
drew with Denmark 0-0
beat Lithuania 3-0
beat Slovenia 4-0

he doesnt say that he was looking to quit football at all! He said he might have to look for a different job if he cant get a job in football. Two totally different things!

full record as manager of Motherwell

from 18-05-2006 to  01-06-2007  played 44 won 14 lost 22 drew 8

To add balance to that they went into administration during his tenure, and sold key players before that season started.

Fatbury one month ago we were all panicking thinking there would be no STFC in 2008.

AF has (hopefully) saved the day, in my book that cuts the guy some slack.  If he thinks MM is the man to take us forward then I'm inclined to go along with him.  As a STFC supporter I will give the bloke all the backing he needs.

Come on you reds!!

Good point, well made.

And Wise's record with Leeds was equally shit in the Championship...

What STA said. Look, it doesn't really matter one way or t'other. He'll either do a job here or he won't - perhaps we should wait until at least the first couple of minutes of the first game (or maybe even a little longer) before we start judging him a success or failure? But if the first throw-in under the new regime doesn't go our way, then clearly it will be time to call for the manager's head.

This is actually true if the reason the first throw-in doesn't go our way is because we have punted the ball straight into touch from the kick-off, as was the 'tactic' during King's glorious reign ;-)

Yeah mate totally different! Dear oh dear.

The point is a half decent manager wouldn't even consider quitting the game.. surely you must see that.

Seems to have been the same under Byrne, Sturrock and Wise too! :evil:  REally pisses me off, just pass the ball back and keep it. Whats the point in booting the ball forward in a rugby kick off stylee and immediately losing posession!!! anyway, thats for another thread!!!

What? and you have never made any contingency plans? :wall:

Im pleased.

In fact so pleased its all sorted im going to Walsall dressed as a morris dancer.  8)

I think it's positive.  Additionally, retaining Byrne as assistant may provide him with the required experience should Malpas leave. As a whole new team is not coming in all at once, you'd hope that there was some succession planning going on as well.

No-one knew how Macari, Ardiles or Hoddle were going to turn out did they ?

Good point - if Wise had been sacked at the end of last season, Leeds fans would have been saying "There you are, told you he was shit" just as some Motherwell fans apparently say about Malpas. Whereas I think now even though some will always hate him for being Chelsea, most would concede he's not done a bad job this season.

Aaaah, but if Andy King was appointed Motherwell manager some would be saying "he took Swindon to the playoff semi on a limited budget, and they never got relagated under him".




 :fishing:

Considering the state this club was in about three weeks ago, I'd have been quite happy to see Fitton appoint Roland Rat with Kevin the gerbil as his assistant.

I shall be behind Malpas all the way, until I'm given sufficient proof not to.

What, no place for that fucking old gooner Fatbury, with all this experience he must have now I thought he would be an automatic choice for most people!

Surely Kevin would get the physio job, what with his pink bucket.

I am not disagreeing with that comment at all Neville but you can counter it by saying no-one knew what Iffy, Beamish, Trollope were going to turn out ike either.

If we appointed Zinedine Zidane as manager some people would be milking their cocks dry right now. Just because Malpas isn't a name doesn't mean he'll be as good or bad.

its not so much the lack of a name as lack of any decent experience .. Sturrock had all the attributes - experience and proven track record -

If we are gonna pick an unknown quantity Id rather pick an ex player like Mooney and make him manager - at least we know we are gonna get a striker out of it!

You do baffle me sometimes Fatbury.

I don't whether to laugh or cry in despair at that comment

That's complete dog shit. If you don't have a job you don't get paid.

He'll not have been paid millions over his time as a manager, and few can afford to be without income for very long.

What should he do, live in povety, and hitch to any interviews he might get?

Don't know whether to  :shock: or  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: at that

I'm very underawed by this in all honesty, in fact I'm a bit disappointed.

I think you DO need a 'name' - it puts bums on seats and more importantly I think you need a manager whose a bigger profile than the players (like Wise or Sturrock) and will keep them in check.

I know Fitton's got lots of money to splash out sorting out the financial mess but this smacks of "cheap option"

this is a good posting!

How many of our current squad have been capped for their country over 50 times or played in European competition? If the players are not professional enough to respect that then they shouldn't be at our club.

again, how many more bums on seats do you expect to get at the CG with a "name" We arent gonna get a name big enough to make much difference.

Oh my god.........You really are a first class idiot sometimes......

I know nothing about this Malpas person, but will give him my full backing, like i hope most will do.

Why shoot him down straight away? He may not have the best record you would hope for, but things change.
People have come to this club before with not such a great previous record, i.e Barry Corr (Yes he may be a player, but still, people shot him down from the moment he joined us, yet he turned out to be a great signing)

Give him a chance!  :roll:

I think 'disgusted' is a bit strong, of course we've got to give the fella some time Fatters.

However you can't expect everyone to be delighted, I don't think hardly anyone on here Malpas as their first choice.

I will say this though, after this appointment I now sincerely hope the new bunch get their cheque books out, show some intent and sign that kid from Reading.

One word - twat!  :twisted:

Give the guy a chance for FFS, we haven't even kicked a ball under him yet and already we are building up for the 'Malpas out' chanting.

He'll get my backing and hopefully will get players, like your beloved Pook, to get their fingers out and play well week in week out.

Well it doesnt appear we are spending any money as that seems to have been the reason Ling wasnt selected - he wanted money for players

That "good posting" emoticon thingy really annoys me. It just looks really gay. Can people stop using it every other post please.

:stupid:

If you are going by my thread fatters then that is bollocks,I said he wanted money but from what i heard he wanted ALOT of money thats for players, himself and it would of cost us to buy his contract out

Ben is Colonel Frank Fitts in disguise, obsessed with being anti gay to hide the fact he's....

benisawanker.

 :goodpost:

 :goodpost:  :goodpost:

this was on page 2 of the thread...nice to see you kept your word fatters :?

honestly i'm actually not disappointed with the appointment, i thought i would be if it wasn't ling but fitton seems extremely keen and i trust his judgment. i think we owe him the benefit of the doubt at least.

i've even warmed to byrne, the continuity is important i think. i look forward to his first game in charge.

my thoughts all along have been 'as long as it's not allen i'm not fussed'

so i'm happy. in fact i'm quite pleased its a bit of left-field appointment. you know what guys like cotteril and adams offer, which whilst steady is neither inspirational nor spectacular.

fitton is certainly no mug and if he think malpas is head and shoulders above the other candidates he has obviously seen someone he likes and therefore i completely back the appointment

We'll see how this guy gets on. Fitton seems impressed so why not? I'll judge at the end of the season. If we finish mid table i'll be happy.

I like the randomness of it.

Agree the guy deserves a chance- but  not the appointment i was hoping for.

Not the post that I was expecting, I think that Bart deserves a chance too.

well i will give him my full backing.he certainly showed loyalty as a player so that to me holds him in good stead.i'm sure sturrock gave him a glowing report(and he blatantly knows his stuff)
so lets get behind the bloke and give him a chance.
mor ic es red and white army!

people need to get over all this "an x player should take charge"
bollocks!
nihollt for fucks sake!have a word

Fucking Nail, Head, Hit!

Two points:

1. Fatbury, stop being a cunt. If you don't like it, stop bleating like a spoilt child on here. If you can't support the manager/team, just fucking do one please.

2. Its not the most sexy appointment. Its not the big name, or ex player that we all wanted to cream over. But if Fitton thinks he's the Best Man for the Job, then I support that decision wholeheartedly.

andrew fitton for prime minister!

you sound like Obi Wan Kenobi there! :soapy tit wank:

plays for chelsea dont he

Look lets be positive for two reasons. First of all he's not Allen / Cotterrell / King etc - please delete as appropriate. Second of all and most importantly, he is Scum free.
Parkin hardly set the world alight before he came here. Maybe any mistakes Malpas has made in the past he's learnt from.
He has my full support unless he proves himself crap. A few wins and any of this negative crap will be forgotten.
Yes, his name has come from left field but give the guy a break.

Malpas certainly has good coaching experience, having been in scotland fulfiling various roles with the national team, he obviously got a bit of a rude awakening when at Motherwell and has cut his teeth as a manager.

Now he has to take all his coaching experience and the little bit of managerial experience he has had and put it too good use in the lower leagues of english football, he has a good reputation in the game as well.

I suspect he has good contacts in scotland so we will probably see some good scottish youngsters arrive, and he is keen on youth getting it's chance as well which can only be a good thing.

Fitton isn't stupid he is not going to the future of the club he is taking over on some guy that he is not sure off.

And of course there is contenuity with Byrne and Williams both getting coaching roles in the new setup.

There does seem to be quite a lot of good scottish managers out there as well, so the jocks must know a thing or two

If Fitton thinks that Malpas can do the job then that is good enough for me I will back him, and hopefully everyone else wil lget behind his appointment and collectively we can move the club forward towards the championship.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions and this is not aimed at anyone in particular you understand but any one who comes out with something along the lines of, for example....

"im 100 percent convinced Malpas is a crap manager"


....has to be quite the cunt.

I mean, I think it's fair to say that none of us know anything about him. Certainly not what he's like as a coach or a person. So how the fuck can anyone be '100% convinced' he's a crap manager. By making that statement, you're also saying Fitton's an idiot which is clearly way off the mark as well.

Amazing.

by the sounds of it, he's a model professional - or he was as a player - so i hope he can instill some of that professionalism into our side, as a few are still lacking in that department.

quite a few comparisons can be drawn between him and sturrock as well. both one club players for dundee utd and were both important members of their side during the 80s when they were quite successful, both represented scotland at two world cups and both are familiar with a number of our current side...

despite sturrock doing fairly well in his first managerial job, he was very poor during his tenure at dundee united as much like malpas' reign at motherwell, the side lost important players.

i'm 100% convinced that malpas is an awesome manager 8)

Promotions won out of this division, 0
Teams managed in this division, 0
Teams managed in this country, 0
Mangement Job, 1
Sacked, 1

Has never achieved anything as a manager.

Doesnt exactly fill me with confidence and he has no track record to speak of. Not what I wanted personally in a manager.

so, who spat their dummy out first?

and who spat it the furthest?

hysterics are always entertaining  :mrgreen:

Leeds fans said much the same of Wise at the end of last season, although you'd have to add in "Relegations, 1". Give them a chance, FFS

I make that out to be a 100% record.
Why are we complaining?

I'm sure they also added top 10 championship finishes and FA Cup finals, no?

fatbury and fatbury.

nobody else has been that bothered. apparently even the mongs on thisis are supportive of him!

No they didn't they ignored those rather salient facts, much like you're ignoring the fact he took over a side that had just gone into admin and had to sell their best players. You can make the stats say whatever you like, let's judge him on his record here, shall we?

dont think I take any pleasure in it because I dont

just very very disappointed at the decision and what the early indications are about the new board as a result of it

It is an appointment proportional to that of giving Onoura the job --

When Iffy was appointed most of the people on here were happy .. for 5 mins but I didnt want him from day 1 ...

When Wise and Sturrock were appointed I was happy that we had good managers with a track record who would pull in supporters ...

i guess time will tell ...

Attendances have hardly taken a huge dip since Sturrock left have they?
If fact there were only 4,000 + there for Sturrock's first game.

He will get judged on his STFC record. He will get the support of the fans. Nobody is saying otherwise.

The way people are defending him makes it sound like he will get harassed out of the county ground before a ball has been kicked.  Not so.

I think it is fair to question whether an unproven manager from the Scotland is the right appointment. We are football fans, it's what happens in every club the length and breadth of this country when a new managerial ppointment takes place! It doesn't mean he won't get support. It doesn't mean we can't stop moaning. It doesn't mean we are ungrateful that we still have a club to support.

so you're the oracle right?

You my friend are a fucking clown on one section your supportive of a player because no one else gives him a chance (Pook) and then on the board room section your critical of a guy that hasn't even managed a game.  

Time will tell, people who keep comparing this appointment to Iffy are fucking clueless Iffy doesn't have all his coaching badges, he hasn't managed a top flight team or an international team (Under 21's).  

There is no comparison you mong, when Malpas does well which he will with the squad we have and the players he will add to it then I am going to come back here and be a total cunt and rub it in your face, you will never be happy you spoon.

Well send Enda  :D

stfctownenda,

feel free to be a total cunt to him/her now, no need to wait until malpas succeeds.

i'm sure i speak for many when i say this.

Fair enough and the way some, yourself included, have expressed reasonable disappointment has been, erm, entirely reasonable. But the way some people are attacking him, you'd think we'd appointed fatbury as manager

I feel quite confident about Maurice "Woooo Woooooooo" Malpas. Despite not having much of a managerial record he seems to have a fine coaching pedigree and so therefore should be able to get the best out of the players, that alongsides some tactical nouse and man-management skills he could turn out to be very good for us indeed.

Man, I so cunting well hope that I am right.

now that would have been a crap appointment .. me as manager! i guess it could be worse!

And can I do the same if he IS actually crap?

Yes, those are the early indicators from a new board that is about to secure our immediate future by paying the CVA, the outstanding tax bill owed to HMRC and lift the transfer embargo that was imposed as a direct result of the failures of the previous board.....or have you forgotten that fact over the past 3 weeks.....

What exactly do you expect from Fitton fatters? Because if you expect him to appoint a manager on mega bucks, who is going to be given a bottomless transfer kitty, and to play sexy football a la Ardiles/Hoddle, then you are so far wide of the mark as to be laughable.

Immediate security of the club is the aim, consolidation in League 1 an immediate priority, then look to the future and aim for the Championship. You can't plaster over the huge cracks in the club immediately, it will take time, perseverance and patience from all, including the fans.

Time will indeed tell. And in the meantime, your total support for the team & manager will be most welcome.

Nope. Struggling with that bit.

Ironically it's Fatbury himself that's attacking him.

Bit of useless trivia: Malpas signed ex-town trialist defender Danny Murphy (QPR, Margate & Cork City) for Motherwell.

He will probably finish top half and you wont be happy with the football he is playing.  You strike me as someone who always likes to complain.  I seem to remember you posting a few weeks back that Fitton wasn't trying to buy the club he was just buying Sir Seaton and Diamond Mike some more time with the inland revenue for that comment alone I think your opinion/judgement is utter bollocks.  

Do you honestly believe that this is a similar scenario to Iffy taking? I can assure you Maurice wont be crap he will have a supportive board and good squad to work with and we will have a good season.  Just wait for the end of season 'FATBURY IN BEING WRONG AGAIN SHOCKER', wake up you idiot your spouting utter shit once again.  Why don't you go home and put an old Grazioli dvd on and whack one off whilst picturing him pulling birds in Edwards.

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

:soapy tit wank:

When Malpas was at Motherwell 3500 fans signed a petition to get rid of him

Ah well, at least you have a reason to live Bart.....

 floghorse

For the love of god Bart, for the love of god  :shake:  :groan1:  :wall: We could get a petition of close to that to get rid of you and fatters from here.  As has already been pointed out when Wise went to Leeds alot of fans were against him and synical at his appointment but you hear very little of them complaining now.  Give the guy a couple of games before you draw up your petition to get rid of him, were supposed to be celebrating having our club back but some of you seem intent on self harming  :emo:

I aint- just telling it as it is

Guess what, they were all fucking jocks as well!!

I'm gonna stick up for Bart on this one, he's just stating a fact that's all. If anybody else had said it then it would have been taken in a different context, besides which Bart has previously stated that he would support Wooo Woooooo Malpas despite his dissapointment!

Telling it as it is would be saying Malpas had a fantastic playing career representing his country over 50 times along with a loyal spell as a player for over 20 years with Dundee Utd where he played over 600 games.  He then went on to do an okay job in difficult circumstances at Motherwell where finances were hit hard and he had to sell players because of it, his under 21 record as Fatters posted earlier is actually quite good.  He is a highly respected coach and impressed Fitton alot at interview.  See when you look at it Bart its not all doom and gloom we can all do our research and try and find negatives and positives, I just find it hard to look for the negatives when we have got rid of Diamond Mike and still have a club to support.

Exactly- i am just telling you what happened.

My honest opinion is that Sturrock chose his manager- cannot see without his input Fitton would haveknown him from Adam

to be fair to the detractors, bryan robson had a glittering playing career too. that in itself is no reason to get excited about someone.

malpas' managerial career to date is no great shakes, in fact quite the opposite, but fitton has obviously seen something that inspires him, so let's back our man and see where we end up.

Just out of interest what is his under 21s record?

Asides from Malpas sending in his CV? Perhaps Sturrock whispered in Fitton's ear but somebody as successful in business as Fitton is doesn't do "Because he told me so"

was only 6 games wasnt it?

Fitton stated that he was the best qualified coach of all that they interviewed, now that doesn't make him a good manager, but that fact and his loyalty etc. are what, I believe, won the day.  For fuck's sake this club needs some form of stability, five managers in two years aint a good track record!

do you have proof of this or are you just being a fucking shit stirring cunt like usual?

of course he has proof, fatbury told him

Posted by Fatters earlier, not a bad record by all accounts.

Go onto the Motherwell forums and speak to the Motherwell fans- there will be your proof

Cant believe you spoke to all 3500 people that signed the petition in 1 afternoon, good work  :wink:

i'm sure that will provide a balanced opinion.

the scottish do like a good moan, don't they?

i bet they bloody love the internet up there.

would you like to show me this proof or are you just going to continue acting like the total cunt that you are?

Thanks Dazzza, does exactly what it says on the tin !

to save bart the effort, this (http://www.welltrustfc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=24328) is the only "petition" i can find.

400 replies, not all of which are signatures to the petition...so only a slight exaggeration eh?

To be fair we are going to have to put a brave face on this one and hope he gets off to a good start.

Motherwell fans basically all say he is shit. The only positive posts were that McLeish was shit there and he thenv did well at other clubs. Never seen a set of fans so down on our future manager.

But weve got to give him a fair go. Getting on his back is only going to piss Fitton off.

'Mo Malpas red n white army'  :|

That's extremely open minded of you. I thought you were 100% convinced he was crap???

I used to think you got a bit harshly treated on here. I take it all back. You deserve every last bit of shit you get.

For someone that comes across as a very nice chap in real life, he does kind of piss on his own shoes on here sometimes.  :D

My Buddha I hope that Fitton knows what he is doing!

You tarts actually think he's being serious half the time when he isn't though

Who, Maurice Malpas?

You reckon?  :o

In my more youthful years I was known to act like a Camels toe and then the next day say: "I was just kidding, and you lot fell for it, HA HA", and it worked....................

 up to the point that my friends and I got older (More mature)

So fatbury's the King of Comedy and I'm missing the point? :shock:

And there's me thinking he's a bit of a bell end.

Silly me :?

I didn't say he was funny

Sturrock : It wasn't me!



http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/swindontown/headlines/display.var.1948279.0.sturrock_malpas_was_nothing_to_do_with_me.php

more from the Sturrock class of bullshit!

If I was Fitton I'd be tempted to say bollocks to this and just let the club shut down. If this is the amount of crap he's going to get over a managerial appointment then God knows what will happen if we lose a couple of games.
If Fitton has stumped up the money to keep the club solvent then he can fucking well appoint the Yorkshire Ripper if he wants.
Lets look at it logically shall we. No club or STFC with Malpas as manager - its a no brainer isn't it. If Malpas is crap then he'll get sacked and we replace him. If he's good then everyone wins apart from the moaning fuckers who can't wait to say I told you so.
Give both Fitton and Malaps a fucking chance because we've got no choice and they haven't actually done anything wrong yet.
Sometimes I really do despair being a Town fan. I love the club but some of our supporters need muzzles and others need their fingers being tied together so as they can't use a keyboard.
Now is the time for everyone to get behind Fitton and the team unless they prove themselves unworthy and their nowhere near that yet.

 :groan1: Fatters please come back when you have made the money that Fitton has in business then people may respect you.  He has gone for Malpas as his own choice and despite your bollocks comments most people are at least willing to give the guy a chance.  Fitton has said championship in 3 seasons I fully expect us to do this even with Malpas unproven record.

Chalky - if the only view you want to hear is your own, maybe you'd be better off giving internet forums a miss for a while.

Ardiles - good comment. I think I've got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning. Reading it again I'm actually as bad as those I'm having a pop at. Oh well, the day can only get better.

And I hope it does.   :)

It's all getting a bit angsty on here ain't it!

Time of the month BR.

Either that or post Xmas blues.

Shut up, you're not my parents. I'm going to my room.

--

As I asid, this type of debate goes on up and down the country. I doubt  100% of Bolton fans were happy with Megson as manager, nor Sheff U with Robson.
 
I'm sure we are a million miles away from the King situation, where people sat waiting for something to go wrong so they could moan. The decision has been made, I'm sure even Fatters will give the bloke time when push comes to shove.

Chalkie does have a point though.  Fitton has spent a hell of a lot of time and money on saving Swindon Town, another man may have walked away when MD moved the goal posts.

I for one am very puzzled at some supporters views on the appointment of MM.  Okay so he's not the "name" that some would have wanted but at the end of the day AF & friends are entitled to appoint who they want.

I'm not sayig that MM is the answer but I never thought I'd see the day when Swindon fans wouldn't welcome their new manager.  Bloody hell we've had some very poor managers in the past and they have been given this treatment.

I just hope the vast majority give Malpas the welcome he deserves, and hopefully Motherwell was just a bad experience that MM has learned from.

If Sturrock believes Malpas is the "best man for the job" why was he not one of the names Sturrock suggested?

 "he suggested a few names to me-and Maurice was not one of them", said Fitton.

For the record I believe Malpas could be a great manager and I don't object to Fitton seeking advise from whoever he deems appropriate but why shouldn't fans ask questions when you get these statements that seem at odds with each other.

I just don't get this stuff from Sturrock about not wishing to influence Fittons decision but yet he recommends people and Fitton calls him for advice.

WAKE UP    it,s only a month ago we all thought it was the end,if anyone else can stump up £6 MILLION or more they then can choose the manager.

It could be a hell of a lot worse. We could have a BEST incarnation where they force players onto us or  Chairman who fancies himself as a manager and picks the team...

it could be worse we could be wound up!

Agree with what you lot are saying above.I mean we could have gone under.Its nice to get back to normal supporter things like worring about the new manager and who we're going to sign [if anyone].Because,hey,we have a football league club to support :beers:  :D

Really???!!!

I wonder if Maple Syrup has been consulted over the attempted Cox signing?

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see
You've got a friend in me
(you've got a friend in me)

Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's one thing you should know
You've got a place to go
(you've got a place to go)

I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(a friend) Like Ben
(like Ben) Like Ben

Let's be honest, what does it matter who Fitton consulted, if he deemed it appropriate to have a chat with Sturrock or any one else he may know in the football world then so be it, it shows he wanted to make sure he was getting the right person for the job and not just plumping for the first guy that came along.

Malpas made the right impression and said the right things, he will be judged as manager of STFC and not on previous jobs, I think with Fitton's backing and being allowed to do things the way he wants then this could be a very exciting time for stfc as we board the train to the championship  - it could be a slow ride but hopefully as Fitton says we will be there WITHIN 3 years.

For fuck's sake who do we think we are?A mid-table league one side that's who.I think we are damn lucky to have someone of the standard of Eminem at this club-people who said"WHO?"at this appointment are very limited in their knowledge of football.Any one who is considered good enough to be employed by the Scottish FA  and has managed in the Prem is a bit of a scoop at our level in my opinion

the yorkshire ripper and fred west as manager and assistant of the ladies side. i can see it now.

what he said. :mrgreen:

Yep :nod: