[Olzy]

Graham Simpson is interviewed and has a deep love for the club.

The Russo’s have had enquiries about their 29.1% of the club’s shares. Simpson said he doesn’t want to sell but would be “selfish” not to consider the right offer. Simpson says “we love what we are doing, we’ve got a vision and the manager is happy. We don’t want to upset the apple cart, but nothing is forever”. Basically if someone with a stack of cash comes in to invest it, then he won’t say no.

“With Jimmy and Vinny standing down(?!), it would be good for us to look for more non-exec. directors”. People are interested, but they need to make sure it’s the right sort of person. The board is too small and they want to increase it, though not as big as in the past when it was 11 or 12.

Simpson doesn’t want to talk about the Russo’s, but says they “fell out”. He then spends a couple of paragraphs thanking them.

Ashton and Aidy are spearheading a 3 year plan and Aidy handled the pressure well last season. More from Simpson in next week’s WO apparently.

Aidy is happy with his midfield. Bangura will be back soon and can play with a light cast on his arm. Francis is back at the end of November.

Aidy says that you either love or loathe Gavin Mahon, but it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You have to have a mixture of “soldiers and artists”. Mahon will have contract talks in Jan.

Jackson’s gone to Blackpool to keep up his fitness should he ever be required.

Jordan Stewart has had a “sticky patch” but has come through it. Contracts talks are ongoing.

Aidy wants to keep Johnson for the season and will have a word with Southgate. Johnson has “jolted Smith and Macanuff to another level”.

This week’s Aidy column is about getting the right manager and sticking with them, Keith Burkinshaw once mowed the grass on the Scunthorpe pitch when he was manager and he makes sure there’s no “them and us” between the 1st team and academy.