May 2010 - November 2011

I wanted to get straight back into football after leaving Harrogate, but I had to wait until the end of the 2009/10 season had finished for the job offers to come in.

Applications were sent initially to Staines, Hyde and Dorchester, who had all sacked their manager at the end of the season. However Boston Utd and Nuneaton Borough, both promoted to the Blue Square North for the 2010/11 season, approached me and asked me to fill their vacant managerial positions. I mulled over it for quite some time, and looked at both their squads. They were pretty weak, and it would be a big job just to keep them in the division. The three teams I applied for earlier did look more appealing, so for that reason I decided to reject the two offers, a decision which I would sincerely regret for over a year after.

It seemed as though my greed had got the better of my when Staines, Hyde and Dorchester all found new managers. Unsuccessful applications were then sent to Tonbridge, Cambridge City and Sutton United, and I even sent a bit of a cheeky application to the Brazilian, Italian, Spanish and Argentinian national sides. I was rejected from all. Things were getting tough; the papers were beginning to talk, "Alex Blackburne's career is over" they said. But it wasn't, and I knew that.

The next realistic position came in November the next year, when Bath City sacked their manager. I applied, only to be rejected again. I was literally on the brink of retirement when AFC Telford came calling. The small club from Shropshire were sitting in 18th in the Blue Square North, and had recently parted company with their manager. They offered me a decent wage, and the squad actually looked pretty decent. I accepted the offer and was unveiled as their new manager on the 7th of December.