Source: Northern_Echo
New man proves a real media draw
IM not sure what the collective noun is for a group of sports journalists (clean answers can be emailed to the usual address) but the media room at The Northern Echo Arena was packed with them yesterday.[LNB] Chairman Raj Singh must be hoping that Steve Staunton can have a similarly galvanising impact on matchday attendances.[LNB] Yesterdays scenes, as the former Liverpool and Aston Villa player and his sidekick Kevin Richardson made their debuts in front of the regions media, were in stark contrast to those at Quakers last press conference.[LNB] Beside the training pitches at Aykley Heads, Durham, The Northern Echo was one of only two newspapers who turned up to hear Craig Liddles thoughts prior to what turned out to be his penultimate game in charge against Macclesfield Town.[LNB] Yesterday, the big guns were out in force, eager to fill spaces in national newspapers during a week when the North-East big three arent troubling the back pages.[LNB] How many of them will return for Stauntons first game on home soil against Shrewsbury Town is another matter. But it was pleasing to see Quakers at the centre of the football universe for positive reasons, albeit for a single afternoon.[LNB] Not since the club announced that they were entering administration have so many sports reporters been persuaded to programme their sat navs to a DL2 postcode.[LNB] The fact that Staunton proved to be an even bigger crowd-puller than George Houghtons fateful announcement last February belied the adage about the press being more interested in a disaster than a celebration.[LNB] It also offered early evidence that Singhs plan to raise the clubs profile by recruiting a box office name might, in the short term at least, pay off.[LNB] The chairman will hope that the novelty of having a former international manager in charge of the team may persuade a few stay-away supporters to make the trip up Neasham Road a week on Saturday.[LNB] But all concerned were realistic enough to admit that the swathes of empty red seats will only be filled by fans enthused by results and performances rather than Stauntons hugely impressive credentials as a player.[LNB] The former Republic of Ireland manager arrived in the North-East with a reputation for being taciturn when faced with the media.[LNB] His experience with the Irish press, who harangued their most-capped player in much the same way Englands media savaged Steve Mc- Claren, had reportedly left him guarded.[LNB] Darlington offers him a chance to rebuild his reputation as a manager, literally from the bottom, while hopefully putting paid to his media-shy image.[LNB] Yesterday, he seemed fairly relaxed as he fielded questions about his past.[LNB] Every experience is a good experience, whether its bad or not, he said.[LNB] Make of that what you will but he kept his cards closer to his chest when quizzed about the current squad, new signings and where the team needs strengthening in other words the stuff supporters want to hear.[LNB] The pair have done their homework on what is required to turn around a wretched season and where they can source new recruits.[LNB] We know the Blue Square Premier, so well be looking to utilise any raw talent in the non-leagues, revealed Staunton.[LNB] Quakers fans will be pray that a few scouting trips prove to be as close as the new regime get to the division below.[LNB]
