All Quiet On The North Front

Shaun North

Bristol Rovers assistant manager Shaun North has gone about his business quietly and efficiently since Mark McGhee was appointed as manager back in January, although the Glaswegian has expressed on many occasions his delight at the way in which 'Northy' helped ease him in to the job.

He was a calming influence as caretaker boss, steadying a porous defence to secure a 0-0 home draw with high-flying Crawley and initiating goals up front in our 2-1 away win at Hereford. He was widely regarded at the time as a stop-gap by supporters who believed he was a big part of the disastrous Buckle regime, but McGhee adopted Shaun as his number 2 without hesitation. He cited North's extensive knowledge of the lower leagues, his rapport with the players and his own relationship with him as the deciding factors. Why not utilise his ability was McGhee's message? It seems to have worked so far.

It's being reported in and around Luton that Buckle is on the hunt for a new assistant but it's not believed North is the man he has in mind. 'Good' is my response. I must admit, I wasn't all that sure as to why he was retained after Buckle's dismissal, but credit to those in charge at the club. Whether it was by luck or judgement they kept a knowledgeable man involved with the club and should be praised for that. If McGhee didn't want to keep him as his assistant after he was appointed then he could have told the board he wanted his own man, but by keeping him at the club as caretaker they gave both men the chance to work together and strike up a relationship.

McGhee openly admitted that he wasn't all too clued up with League Two and appreciated the input of North who has been involved at this level for a number of years. That's not the only area McGhee has been able to exploit North's qualities. He openly admits that he's not often ventured to Bristol since the season ended, which would mean relying on North to work on recruitment and pre-season preparation from around the Mem. A sign of trust.

That does lead to certain questions though. Why is McGhee not trying to attract new players to Rovers from our base in Bristol? Should we be worried?

No, we shouldn't. He'll know exactly what he's doing and won't make the fact he doesn't live in Bristol a reason why a player wouldn't sign for us. I admit I'd feel more comfortable if he lived in or near Bristol so he wasn't constantly commuting, but I have absolute faith in his ability to do what's best for this football club.

So with McGhee returning full-time on July 5th, the day pre-season training commences, and Shaun North by his side, we have two experienced professionals that will know how to go about creating a successful side. With some signings hoped to be announced before then, excitement is sure to build and they'll be relishing the opportunity to begin preparing their side for August 14 and Ipswich Town.