Following speculation as to who will be the new manager, it will come as no surprise that AFC Bournemouth have announced that their new permanent manager is to be Paul Groves, assisted by Shaun Brooks. The pair are signed up a 2-year deal. An amazing decision given Mitchell's previous declaration that he would not hire anyone in to the position who has been sacked previously, or currently out of work.
Despite being sacked by relegated Grimsby Town in February 2004, Groves now find himself in charge at Dean Court following an uninspiring tenure as caretaker manager since the departure of Lee Bradbury in March in which only 2 of the final 8 games ended in victory. Groves was also dismissed/walked from relegated Portsmouth and West ham United.
Speaking on the Clubs Official Web Site, Chairman Eddie Mitchell is quoted as saying: "I'm very pleased to have Paul and Shaun in place permanently. It was a joint decision between myself and Max (Demin, co-owner), we discussed it at length and we are looking forward to working with them. I already knew Shaun before he joined the club and I've always had the upmost respect for his ability as a coach and knowledge, and the more I got to know Paul, the more convinced I was that he was the right man for the job. Paul is very determined and experienced. He spent four years working at clubs in the Premier League and it was an easy decision".
For understandable reasons, Groves was delighted with the appointment: "I feel very privileged. I think it's a fantastic club in a good position at this moment in time. It has made excellent strides forward and we want to continue that work. We've got very ambitious owners and we are very ambitious too, so it bodes well for the future. I feel that we are well placed, in terms of getting to know the first team players, but also with the whole structure of the club. Between me and Shaun we know almost every player from the under 8s to the under 18s, from the development squad to the first team".
Source: FOOTYMAD
