NEWS & STAR COLUMN 28.10.21
I am sure all fans will want to wish new Blues boss Keith Millen the best of luck as he prepares to lead the team for the first time at Northampton on Saturday.
The coach, 55, brings with him a wealth of experience and won’t be daunted by the size of the task as he tries to lift United up the table.
But with Northampton pushing for promotion he is likely to face a tough baptism.
CUOSC’s representative on the club’s Holdings Board, Billy Atkinson, was on the interview panel. He said: “All the candidates came across well but it was a unanimous decision.
“Keith impressed everyone. He is a modern, forward thinking coach with lots of good ideas. He has worked with some big names in the past and has recently been doing some specialised coaching within the England set-up for the FA.
“We believe our young team will respond to his coaching style.”
Millen made over 500 league appearances as a defender for Brentford, Watford and Bristol City. Since turning to coaching he has worked under the likes of Steve Coppell, Alan Pardew and Neil Warnock at Bristol City and Crystal Palace. He has also coached in Sweden after being recommended by ex-England boss Roy Hodgson.
He is well respected throughout the game and will have many good contacts.
His first home game will be against non-league Horsham in the FA Cup at Brunton Park on Saturday week.
Don’t forget this weekend’s game at the Sixfields Stadium kicks off at 2pm to avoid a clash with the rugby union match between Northampton Saints and Leicester.
CUOSC’s questionnaire on the ‘Future of Football’ closed last weekend with more than 200 fans taking part. We are pleased with the response and will begin processing the answers as soon as possible.
We are still waiting for the final report from the government’s review into the governance of the game but the answers will help us produce a new manifesto and also influence our discussions with the club.
CUOSC have wound up our Carlisle REUnited campaign. We plan to discuss with the club and our members the best way to use the remaining funds. We have already spent £6000 on a Nordbord (state-of-the-art hamstring fitness equipment) and £1500 on an underlay for the club’s frost protection cover.