BRYAN Griffiths, the third manager at UniBond League side Chorley this season, aims to halt the exodus of players from Victory Park.

The former Evertonian's defiant stand comes days after Steve Doyle's shock resignation following his arrest for drink driving.

Doyle cited "personal reasons" for resigning and he was unavailable for comment this week.

His notice is understood not to have been resisted very strongly by the board.

The club was anxious to replace Doyle hastily, after the long impasse following Dave Sutton's resignation last October (Doyle wasn't appointed full-time until January).

And club chairman Jack Kirkland is happy to have secured an-ex Witton Albion, Morecambe and Southport boss and ex-Everton player.

"Bryan Griffiths has great experience as a non-league manager so supporters should be pleased by his appointment," he said.

"We acted swiftly to replace Steve Doyle becuase we didn't want the situation to drag on like it did in the wake of Dave Sutton's departure. "Plus we need stability at the club.

"This is the fourth manager that's been here since I took over as chairman.

"I think he'll do a good job."

Step one of his job is persuading the likes of Lee Trundle and Brian Ross that their futures lie at Victory Park.

Experienced striker Ross, 30, was reported to have moved to Leek CSOB several weeks ago and I can reveal that both clubs had agreed a fee.

The stumbling block for Ross was work commitments which prevented him agreeing personal terms with Leek.

But with him becoming a free agent at the end of the season, he might be prepared to consider alternative options.

Trundle, the 20-year-old talent from Liverpool, told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph just two weeks ago that he'd be happier to be with a Football League club next season.

"If I carry on the way I'm playing there could well be a club in for me soon," he added.

Griffiths, who played for Everton in 1958 before a cruciate ligament injury prematurely ended his career at 25, wants both players and the rest of Chorley's personnel to stay on board.

"Selling players is in the past," said Griffiths after holding his first training session with the Chorley players.

"I've got a budget and I intend to keep all my players. "I want this club to go places. Obviously it won't be easy but Chorley's always been a difficult team to beat.

"I want to build on that. But you can't keep building forever - soon you have to make an impact and that's what I'll be working towards."

Griffiths, a sales rep for sportswear and equipment firm Head, has a good track record in non-league management.

He guided Formby to the FA Cup proper in his youth and won the NWCL First Division championship with Burscough.

He then spent five years at Southport, a further four with Mossley, with whom he enjoyed considerable success, three more seasons at Morecambe and then a few seasons at Witton Albion. "Witton were in so much debt and I steered them away from trouble and won a trophy for them in my first season," said Griffiths.

"The thanks I got was being replaced by a guy who didn't do well because he wasn't used to non-league."

Griffiths carries impressive non-league credentials to Victory Park but Chorley's recent track record suggests he has his work cut out to make this another success story.

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