Chris Hughton happy as Calderwood turns down Tranmere job

Oct 27 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

NEWCASTLE United manager Chris Hughton has received a second vote of confidence after assistant Colin Calderwood turned down the chance to join Tranmere Rovers to remain working alongside him.

The former Northampton Town and Nottingham Forest boss had been approached by the League One side about filling their vacant manager’s post.

But Calderwood has instead opted to stay at St James’s Park.

The former Scotland defender’s position at the club had been a precarious one with the Magpies up for sale and a good chance its new owner might opt for a revamped management team. But Mike Ashley is now seemingly resigned to not selling Newcastle this season and as a result he last week offered Hughton a permanent post three months after appointing him as caretaker boss.

The offer of a contract until the end of the season, with the option for another year, gives both Hughton and Calderwood a degree of security they have not had for some time.

Hughton has won the Championship’s manager of the month award twice already this season, but speak to any of United’s players about the club’s impressive start to the new campaign and they are generally quick to hand Calderwood his share of the praise.

Calderwood joined the club in January and has already worked under three managers – Hughton, Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer.

He was sidelined by the latter, who brought in former team-mate Iain Dowie to assist him, and when Newcastle were relegated in May it was widely expected Shearer would be made the club’s permanent manager – and Calderwood moved on.

But he stayed after being overlooked for a job in charge of League Two Chesterfield and has provided invaluable support to Hughton as the former Tottenham defenders attempted to oversee as smooth as transition as possible to life outside of the

top-flight. Tranmere have been without a manager since sacking former Newcastle midfielder John Barnes earlier this month. Physio Les Parry has taken charge of the first team until a new man can be appointed.