ALLOA Athletic chairman Mike Mulraney says he is not surprised after St Mirren swooped to sign his 'top manager' Jack Ross. 

The Wasps are now in the hunt for their third manager in as many years after it was confirmed that the 40-year-old gaffer would be leaving to take up the vacancy at his former club in Paisley, but the chairman paid tribute to the job Ross has done at the club and revealed he will take the team for this weekend’s Irn Bru Cup clash with Bala Town before his departure. 

Mulraney told Advertiser sport: “It is never a shock when you are a part time club with an excellent manager, that people are going to want him. He has done a wonderful job in turning round the fortunes of the club after relegation last season and we would never stand in the way of a manager wanting to move onto a bigger club.

"As chairman of a part time club like ours, my job is to make sure we are prepared for all outcomes and hopefully I am. Jack will obviously work his notice, which is until Monday. 

“A lot of people can’t get their head around that, but I am in business and in that realm when a key member of staff leaves they have to work their notice so Jack has done that and will take the team on Saturday. If he had wanted away then we would probably have let him, but he is good enough to stay on until after the Wales game and so hopefully he can leave us on a positive note.” 

Mulraney now has the all too familiar task of identifying the next manager who can continue on the club’s promotion charge in League One this season and is hopeful the candidates he has in mind will apply for the vacant post.

The 46-year-old local businessman says he will stick to his tried and tested approach that has served him and the board well with their last five managers. 

He said: “I have an idea of the next manager in mind, but I will wait and see what applications we get over the next 24 hours or so, assess them, see if that person applies and go from there.“It will be exactly the same philosophy from me that I have used in the past. The right appointment as opposed to a quick appointment. 

“The right man for the job might be a quick one or it might be slow, but I feel no pressure whatsoever in terms of timescales. All I can assure the fans, is that I will do my best with the backing of my board to select the candidate that I believe will take us forward. 

“We have had a conveyor belt of managers here and three out of the last four have left us to go into full time management so I would hope we would be an attractive proposition for managers looking to apply.

"We are a great club to work for and if you ask any of the five managers I have had here then I am sure they would all confirm that and hopefully that will assist us with people wanting to join us.”

The Wee County side currently sit in third place in League One, just three points behind leaders Brechin City, who they play next up when they return to league duty on October 15, but the Wasps supremo insists he has full faith in the remaining back room staff at the club to take over the reigns in the interim if needs be. 

Mulraney added: “I have full faith in the backroom team and we have an Assistant Manager in Paddy Connolly who is excellent, but critically what is more important is that we have brilliant players, who are leaders on the park.

"Jack will take training and prepare the team as normal for Bala Town and that gives us some time to think about things. I have had no indication of anyone else leaving the club, as far as I am concerned the manager has left us and that is the end of it.”