Shock as AFC Mansfield axe duo and Funk is appointed manager

Bulls chairman Steve Hymas said: “It has been no big secret that our primary target to take the club to the next level was Rudy Funk.

“He has now become available so we have wasted no time in sitting down and agreeing for him to take charge of the club.

“Some hard decisions have to be made in football and we believe this decision has been made in the best interests of AFC Mansfield.

“We are a very ambitious club and having Rudy at the helm will help us strive for that success. He has a wealth of experience in football and together we believe we now have the right chemistry to make this work.

“AFC Mansfield would like to thank Dean Short and Dean Mitchell for their efforts in their short stay at the club.”

Funk has remained a popular figure in the area and said: “Having spent three and a half years at Scarborough Athletic through some great times, things came to an end last week and I parted with the club on amicable terms.

“As so often happens in football the next opportunity has come very quickly. I am delighted to have been appointed as manager at AFC Mansfield. What attracted me to the club is that it is owned and run by a professional group of people who have huge ambitions for the club.

“I would like to thank previous managers Micky Taylor and Dean Short for setting up an excellent group of players and I will be contacting them all individually to see who is up for the challenge of taking this club forward.

“From my first day the brief is to get the club to The Evo-Stik League and, having done it twice, before I know that it is a realistic goal.

“For this season the target is still promotion and we will keep pushing until the final game of the season to achieve that. It won’t be easy but it won’t be for the want of trying.

“It is not an ideal way to come into a job but sometimes these things happen and I am sure Dean Short will be back in football very soon. He has set the club up well and while I expect some players will look elsewhere I hope the majority will continue with their good work so far.

“I don’t anticipate any immediate changes as there are some fantastically talented players at the club.”

Funk’s first game in charge will be the Notts FA Senior Cup second round tie against Selston FC on Wednesday (7.45pm) at The Forest Town Arena.