Stockport County manager Jim Gannon has rejected the club's offer of a new contract.
Stockport chief not happy with deal
Stockport County manager Jim Gannon has rejected the club's offer of a new contract.
Gannon has been on a one-year rolling contract at Edgeley Park since he succeeded Chris Turner at the helm in 2005.
The Hatters have offered him a fresh two-and-half year deal, but Gannon has admitted he is 'disappointed with the offer'.
Gannon has emerged as one of the most highly-rated managers in the lower leagues after guiding Stockport to League One.
The club currently sit eighth in the table, just six points off the top, and Gannon insists that he remains full committed to Stockport despite rejecting the offer.
"The club finally made me an offer on October 31. I was a little disappointed it took so long to get to this stage, and I am disappointed with the offer," Gannon told the
Stockport Express.
"I won't be signing that offer, therefore I'll remain on my current one-year rolling contract from two-and-a-half years ago.
"It's a worrying time really, because since the start of the season we've been waiting to get mine, Peter Ward's [assistant], and all the staff's contracts sorted out.
"I've been offered a similarly structured contract, but my previous one had a review on promotion clause in it.
"They've reviewed my contract, but they now want to take out a number of performance-related clauses from previous years. If I was to lose them it would mean the current offer is less beneficial to me.
"It certainly wouldn't be in my interest to sign a contract which offers less of a package than I'm already on. It doesn't make sense to me.
"It's also disappointing that after all the discussions we've had, all I get is a one-page document which isn't really in line with the conversations we've had.
"I wrote to the club last week and said if they wanted to continue negotiations to get back to me within seven days, but those seven days have come and gone, so I'll just keep working under the contract I already have.
"I'll keep going about my business as professionally as I always have."
No rival offers
Gannon has been linked with the vacant managerial positions at Watford and Huddersfield, but he insists the decision to turn down the contract is not a precursor to him leaving.
"I'm not aware of being linked with any other clubs," he continued.
"I don't have an agent, but I am still committed to County. I've enjoyed my three years here.
"I have asked a lot of people to make a huge commitment to the club though, so I do have that sense of responsibility to them.
"There's a lot of work to be done, but I'll continue to do that."
Stockport also responded by insisting that they want Gannon to stay and will be talking with him again soon.
"It's a shame that such matters are made public, but regrettably that appears to be the nature of football," said managing director Mark Maguire.
"The situation from a club perspective is that following initial discussions with Jim, the board asked me to present the bones of an offer to him which I did last week.
"Our relationship is a strong one and we had a very open discussion about the areas with which Jim was unhappy, and subsequently Jim wrote me a letter outlining his thoughts on the offer and making alternative suggestions.
"I raised this in a meeting with the chairman this week, with a view to arranging a meeting as soon as possible.
"It is the nature of such discussions that there are negotiations where both parties seek to protect their interests, which is how it should be.
"From a personal perspective I know that we have a brilliant manager at the helm, a manager who I believe will continue to deliver continued success so long as we can provide him with the structure to do so.
"When I arrived a year or so ago there were no contracts of employment in the business and we have worked hard to address that. Jim, Peter and the club remain protected by the terms of previous contracts until such time as any new deal is agreed.
"I'm looking forward to positive discussions over the coming weeks."
