Sports caretaker takes control

Charlie Palmer returns to Station Road on Tuesday night to take charge of Mickleover Sports for the first time when they host Stamford in the Doodson Sport Cup, writes Phil Matthews.

Palmer, pictured, worked on the coaching staff under previous manger Dick Pratley but left as the result of a budget review that the then manager resolved by shedding members of his backroom staff.

Sports say the decision to bring Palmer back was made last week following the exit of Pratley with the Second Round tie pencilled in then as his first game at the helm.

The Evo-Stik NPL First Division South side revealed on Tuesday that Danny Martin, Tom Kellogg and Dave Chambers only took charge of last Saturday’s 3-2 home win over Halesowen Town out of respect to Pratley as it was felt it would be disrespectful to their former manager to replace him with indecent haste.

Palmer is in control of team affairs while Sports advertise and start the interview process to appoint a new manager. The club say they hope he will want the job himself after having an opportunity to show what he can do over the busy festive period.

As a player Charlie Palmer started at Watford where he tasted EUFA Cup action, before moving to Derby County and forming part of Arthur Cox’s promotion push out of the Third Division.

The full back, and latterly centre half, played briefly for Hull before moving to Notts County where he enjoyed Wembley success through the play-offs twice and impressively marking Gheorgi Hagi out of the game in an Anglo Italian Cup Final victory over Brescia. Many Notts fans would argue that his finest moment was a goal he scored against local rivals Nottingham Forest, going so far as to name February 12th 'Sir Charles Palmer Day' in honour of his match winning strike.

Palmer ended his league career at Walsall, before moving into Non-League football. He enjoyed a spell as coach at Hinckley United, before assisting at Mickleover. He now lives and works in his adopted city of Derby and retrained as a social worker after hanging up his boots.