Gannon fodder

JIM GANNON has grabbed the headlines down south for good AND bad reasons.

Motherwell's new boss was an immediate success at Stockport County when he took charge of the League Two strugglers following a season with Irish outfit Dundalk.

Gannon, 40, made almost 500 appearances for County in a 10-year playing career.

He then helped them avoid relegation from the Football League on the final day of the season in 2006 before winning promotion to League One two years later.

The London-born gaffer is one of the few English lower-league bosses to hold the full UEFA Pro Coaching Licence.

But Gannon has also hit the headlines during his playing days for a brawl which ended with him nursing a black eye.

His assailant, Mark Stein, was convicted of assaulting him, with the Stoke City ace claiming he'd reacted because of a racial slur by Gannon.

As a manager Gannon also had a fiery touchline bust-up with Wycombe manager Paul Lambert - and even refused to co-operate with Sky TV because of a dispute over the Sky+ box in his house!

Motherwell confirmed in a statement last night: "Jim Gannon has been offered the position of team manager.

"After a lengthy and in-depth interview process, he emerged as the outstanding candidate and following discussions with chairman John Boyle on Friday, he has verbally accepted the post.

"Both parties will use the remainder of the weekend and the start of next week finalising contract details before a formal announcement of Jim's appointment."

Stein, now physio at Barnet, claimed he was provoked by defender Gannon during a Second Division game in March 1993 - and then Stoke boss Lou Macari backed the South African-born striker.

But after Gannon made a formal complaint, Stein was convicted of assaulting the defender, given a year's conditional discharge and ordered to pay £500 costs.

Stein subsequently said: "He was giving me 'You black so and so' through the game. He was the worst player I had ever come across.

"There was a massive melee at the end of the game and I was so incensed by what he said that it didn't matter that he was 6ft 3in when I hit him.

"They said in court that even though I was under extreme provocation I shouldn't have done it.

"But no one deserves to be called what I was called.

"Yes, getting kicked is part and parcel of the game, but not racial abuse like that."

Gannon was involved in a war of words with Lambert after the pair clashed in the League Two play-off semi-final in May 2008.

They had an angry touchline exchange and Gannon later slammed Wycombe's physical approach.

Gannon's side overcame Wycombe, but he used his programme notes before the final with Rochdale to reveal he wasn't talking to Sky TV before the game because of a nine-month dispute over his defective Sky box! Gannon also hit out at Sky moving fixtures after playing a game at 6pm on a Sunday.

He admitted: "I've had my issues with Sky personally, but as a professional I think they are running the FA. Everything seems to be arranged around their requirements."

Gannon also fell out with his own skipper at Stockport. He and Gareth Owen had a touchline bust-up when he substituted his captain in October 2008. Defender Owen never played for Stockport again.

Gannon was made redundant when Stockport went into administration in May.

But a pal said: "Jim should have left two years ago, but he didn't because he's loyal.

"What he did at Stockport was miraculous with the constraints he worked under.

"He's enthusiastic, passionate, knowledgeable and he'll do well at Motherwell."

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