ST ALBANS CITY FC expect to appoint their new first team manager by the start of next week, writes Mark Hemmings.

Interim chairman Nick Archer spoke exclusively to The Herts Advertiser on Tuesday evening about the Saints’ hunt for a new boss after the sacking of David Howell.

Archer said: “We have had some very good applications, more than 20 I can confirm that, it shows the status of the club, we’re very pleased with that number of applications there’s a variety there.

“There are a couple of quite big names, but obviously I can’t share them at the moment.”

Asked if any of the interested individuals have links to the Clarence Park club, he said: “I wouldn’t say that any of them, not that I can think of, are former players, which would have been a nice profile, but that’s not going to happen this time.”

He added: “We have got a vision for a sustainable club building a little bit from the bottom and that’s the sort of man we’re looking to appoint.

“We are sifting through CVs as the search goes on. We are going to take our time, we appreciate there’s an urgency, of course there is an urgency, we are in the middle of the season and we have games to handle, but we want to get the right man and a few more days will bring out that man.

“We are bringing down the shortlist, I can say I have interviewed two people with a third coming in in the next day or so and we’ll see what comes from there. I wouldn’t want to say too much more on that at this moment.”

It appears the new man will not be in charge for Saturday’s home league game with Leamington. Archer said: “I would guess a decision would be made Sunday or Monday, that’s where we are heading.”

Controversial increased admission prices will be in place for the weekend’s Evo Stik League Southern Premier Division clash.

Entrance will be �12 and �6, while the price of the family ticket has been set at �18.

The club has a few season tickets remaining which they are offering on a first-come-first-served basis at �110 (�50 for concessions).

Archer said: “We are aware that some of the supporters are unhappy at the increase so we will stop charging an additional cost to upgrade to the seated area from the Leamington game onwards.

“The club has had to absorb a number of steep cost increases over the last 18 months, including VAT and energy bills, but we did not increase prices at the beginning of the season. We regret having to increase ticket prices now but were forced into it by circumstances.”