Manager search narrowed to final shortlist
Chief executive Warren Hawke says he has been thrilled with the calibre of applicant for the vacant managerial position as the club move into the interview stage of the recruitment process.
The former Ton striker revealed that the club have received close to 200 CVs from around the globe, including an application from a FIFA World Cup winner.
But chairman Crawford Rae, CEO Hawke, and the board of directors have worked to narrow the field to a final shortlist from which the new Greenock Morton manager will be selected.
Speaking to media officer Jonathan Mitchell, Hawke said: “We received 182 applications – I would say 50 to 60 of those fulfilled the essential criteria – from around the world.
“I then went through the list and reduced it to a long shortlist, and that was 16 candidates. From there we, as a board of directors, looked through those to identify the shortlist for interview.
“We want to ensure that everybody on that shortlist is seen and given enough time to actually get organised – some are travelling a little bit further than others – within a timeframe that’s also quick enough for us.
“We will be doing the interviews as soon as possible. The first stage of narrowing down from 182 to 55 was an easy cull because there were candidates who didn’t meet the minimum coaching requirements.
“The 55 to 16 and then 16 to the final shortlist was time intensive, but these were finalised using a set criteria that meets the vision for the football club set by the board. We need a manager who is going to bring togetherness, a new future, and a plan.”
And the 47-year-old explained that he felt extending the search via the club’s official Twitter and Facebook social media channels had proven a success.
He added: “The calibre of applicant was amazing. We had a World Cup winner apply, up and coming coaches who are looking for their managerial break after working as a coach or assistant apply, and everything in between.
“There was a full spectrum of coaching experience there, as well as receiving applications from virtually every continent.
“Off the top of my head, there was South American, North American, African, ex-UK citizens residing in the far east and individuals from Australia and New Zealand.
“I know there was a bit of negativity around putting the vacancy on social media. We didn’t really – we promoted the fact there was a job advert on our website via social media.
“I wanted to ensure as many people as possible were aware of our job advert. That meant using social media to cast the net far and wide and procure the most comprehensive list achievable, and I’d use that method again.”
Image: Jonathan Mitchell
