Exclusive:South Shields set to appoint new manager as double exit looms
South Shields FC manager: Ian Watson will leave the club after a year in charge at Mariners Park - but his replacement is already lined up.
South Shields have been dealt an off-season blow with manager Ian Watson set to leave the club.
League Two newcomers Rochdale are due to appoint Watson after making an official approach to the Mariners.
The Gazette understands Watson and assistant Carl Magnay will join Rochdale, with former Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson, South Shields’ current director of performance and culture, lined up to step into the managerial role at Mariners Park.
Watson enjoyed a positive first season in charge at Mariners Park after he was named as successor to Elliott Dickman last summer. After inheriting a side that ended the previous season in the bottom eight of the National League table, Watson guided a new-look Mariners squad into a fierce title battle with AFC Fylde that went the way of the Coasters on the final day of the season.
Promotion into the National League remained narrowly out of reach as Watson’s men fell to a 2-0 defeat against Kidderminster Harriers last month - but the progress made on and off the pitch during the previous ten months was enough to attract attention from elsewhere.
Watson has been the subject of tentative interest from League One, League Two and National League clubs over the last month - and although there was speculation suggesting Watson could depart for National League side Southend United, it is Rochdale that stepped up their interest in recent days by making a formal approach to the Mariners.
Talks continued throughout the weekend and on Monday with a move expected to be officially completed at some point this week.
Mariners chairman Thompson insisted it is his ‘hope and desire’ to ensure Watson and assistant manager Carl Magnay remain in place to plan for next season.
However, he also admitted a contingency plan is being put in place and hinted Williamson could be in line to take charge should Watson and Magnay depart.
Speaking to The Gazette at a club event introducing the club’s new main shareholders ORY Investment consortium, the Mariners chairman said: “Like you, I’ve heard various comments and rumours online, some of which were absolute nonsense and it’s difficult sometimes to continue ignoring all of that.
"There was a lot of noise, most was nonsense. I was asked earlier today, and I won’t mislead fans, we have had an approach and my hope and desire was and is that Ian and Carl remain but there is a process underway. We are doing our best to protect the club’s interests and that is absolutely paramount.
“If you take an outcome where that comes to pass and Ian and Carl aren’t here, we have a contingency and I’m delighted we have a lot of resource within the club. The obvious names are people like Mike Williamson, who has an incredible pedigree and is a key part of the existing management team. I don’t want to leap forward too far - but in the spirit of being open, and not to mislead anybody, not least our fans, that is the situation.”
Speaking at the same event, Jason Ye, leader of the ORY Investment consortium, addressed the speculation, saying: “Geoff told me, ‘Jason, we’re not [just] partners, we’re also friends’. There will be challenges and difficult times ahead where we have to work through issues and problems and situations. “I want to assure you that now this club, it’s not just Geoff alone. Any situation like this, we’re going to tackle it and we’re going to have a solution for it.”