An offer I simply couldn’t refuse

AS WE WERE... Joe on his first appointment in 1982

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“I have been thrown an opportunity to be at Wembley in May which is fantastic. It was an easy decision to make. This club has always been very special to me.”

ATHLETIC’S position in the Coca-Cola League One promotion race was instrumental in Joe Royle’s decision to return to Boundary Park.

The 59-year-old, manager during the most successful chapter in the club’s history, admitted he would not have taken the post had Athletic not been challenging for the play-offs.

"I don't think there would have been much point at this stage of my career," he conceded.

But the prospect of leading Athletic to glory in the play-offs and a return to the Coca-Cola Championship was too great a lure to turn down following the dismissal of John Sheridan.

Said Royle: "We have a great chance and I have been thrown an opportunity to be at Wembley in May which is fantastic.

"It was an easy decision to make when I was asked to return and it was always ‘yes’ and never ‘maybe’.

"The club has always been warm and very special to me. We have had some great times here and I am very aware of the warnings about second-time around.

"I think coming here for nine games takes that away as it is simply a short-term fix."

Royle is excited by the challenge, believing there is little wrong with the playing staff at Boundary Park.

He said: "The strengths are that we are only one point outside the play-offs and have a nine-game season left to get back into the top six.

"We have the basis of a side which has beaten and drawn against the top sides in the division, so there are good players here who have handled this division.

"Obviously they are having a bit of a lull at the moment. I have come in initially as a quick fix and, hopefully, I can give it a kick-start in the remaining nine games."

Royle has already spoken at length with the coaching staff and players and has the framework of the side which will tackle play-off rivals Tranmere Rovers at Boundary Park on Saturday.

Although Royle has been out of management for almost three years, he does not see that as a problem.

Through his television work and watching other matches, a Saturday has rarely gone by without him attending a game.

He added: "I am looking forward to getting back into management because I have missed the Saturday dose of dug-out fever. It will be nice to have that again."

Royle does not believe age is a problem, pointing to the exploits of 67-year-old Sir Alex Ferguson, the country’s most successful manager.

He added: “The national manager (Italy’s Fabio Capello) – a man I played against for England – is older than me, Arsene Wenger is in his late fifties and there are a lot of good old violins out there.”

He also believed the Athletic board decided to go for experience as it wasn’t the time to experiment with a rookie manager.

Royle has seldom been away from Oldham as his sons Darren and Lee still live in the town and he has always kept in touch with what is happening at the club.

But the man who arrived in 1982 on a 12-month contract before staying for 12 years is not looking beyond the next nine games.

"It wasn't about contracts. We talked for minutes about the financial side and for hours about football so that has never been an issue.”

Royle admitted the response to his appointment via telephone, text and fax had been "absolutely outstanding."

Meanwhile, managing director Simon Corney said the feedback the club had received had been "mindblowing."

Television crews from BBC, Sky, Setanta, Granada and Channel M, along with regional radio and national press, were represented at Royle's unveiling as manager.

"I knew it would be a popular appointment, but I didn't realise it would be this popular," admitted Mr Corney, who admitted it was a tough decision to sack his friend Sheridan.

He said: "John is a good guy and he will get another job in a matter of weeks or months.

"He told me he had learned a lot, we parted company on good terms and he thanked us for giving him the opportunity to get into management.

"We thanked him because he has done a good job. Not many managers have the opportunity to take over a team which is only one point outside the play-offs."