Northampton Town are gearing up an offer to try and poach Bromley manager Andy Woodman as the search for a permanent appointment at Sixfields continues.
The Cobblers are currently on the lookout for a new head coach to takeover the League Two-bound club, with Colin Calderwood stepping forward from his Director of Football role to take interim charge in the wake of Kevin Nolan’s sacking.
Woodman Choice Made
According to Football Insider, Town have identified Bromley boss Andy Woodman as a leading contender for the hotseat and are preparing an official approach to the Ravens for the 54-year-old.
A former Cobbler himself having played in goal for four years at Sixfields, Woodman has proven to be one of the best managers in the fourth tier this season, inspiring the South London side to promotion in their second-ever EFL season and are well placed to become champions with two games to go.
He is one of four managers in League Two nominated for the Manager of the Year award by the EFL, standing alongside Oldham Athletic‘s Mickey Mellon, MK Dons‘ Paul Warne and Neil Harris of Cambridge United.
Financial Boost Could Prove Tempting
One major factor which could give Northampton a leading edge in recruiting Andy Woodman is the promise of future financial investment, buoyed by the news earlier this week that a group has approached the club with an offer.
The major overhaul in players that Town face this summer on top of the cutting of budgets means that any new face coming in would have to work with limited restraints to rebuild a side and challenge for promotion, but with a new source of income arriving, they can have larger coffers that many sides, including Bromley in League One, may not be able to match.
Hayes Lane Exit Is Wrong Step
Ultimately, however, with a near-decade long connection to Bromley, leaving now would be a terrible decision to make for Andy Woodman.
He has overseen one of the more impressive rises from a non-league club in recent memory, and now with promotion secured to League One, Bromley and owner Robin Stanton-Gleaves have outshone many of the other clubs that have trod similar paths, such as Salford City, Harrogate Town and Barrow, and is perhaps more impressive than Wrexham‘s Hollywood-backed resurgence.
While the third tier will offer a massive challenge to any promoted team, as seen with Port Vale and AFC Wimbledon this season, the 54-year-old is not one to shy away from a challenge and with him knowing what gets his squad the results they need, they will fancy themselves to steer clear of the drop next season.
However, the summer will be pivotal to those chances, as they will need to recruit some experienced players who can handle the step up into League One, otherwise they could fall flat and find themselves out of the running before they can redeem any mistakes in the January window.
