December 23 2003

Crystal Palace

Iain Dowie will not be bringing any of the Oldham coaching staff to Palace, but KIT SYMONS' assistant Stuart Gray has already left the club, by Joseph O'Shea.

Former Southampton boss Gray joined Palace two months ago to help SYMONS steady the sinking Palace ship and has been widely credited for playing a key role in the club’s recent revival.

SYMONS said: "I honestly believe Stuart is probably the best coach I have ever worked for and the lads will echo those thoughts. He has done a fantastic turn for this football club in his short spell here."

But SYMONS' hopes that his assistant Gray will be kept on by Dowie appear to have been dashed with news that he left the club on Sunday two weeks before he and SYMONS’s tenure was due to end.

On appointing Dowie, Jordan was clearly unaware that Gray had already left, Jordan said his new manager was free to bring in who he wanted including Gray.

Jordan said: "Iain Dowie is the football manager and any football related decisions about personnel he requires are his decision. If he wants Stuart Gray then that is up to him."

But Dowie says he will wait until after the three festive fixtures against Millwall, Ipswich and Spurs before making any decisions.

Dowie: "I won't be bringing any of the football coaching staff with me from Oldham. I will take time to consider things. We will get through Christmas and make some decisions hopefully after the Spurs game."

Jordan recently re-appointed sacked coach Terry Bullivant in a new role as director of football.

He said: "Terry will be responsible for the recruitment network, helping the academy and checking standards all the way from the 11-year-olds through to our football in the community scheme.

"And looking at technological advances and anything else that Iain needs him to help with, but that pretty much excludes first team affairs."