Watford legend Blissett applies for Dover job

LUTHER BLISSETT has emerged as one of the candidates to take over as Dover Athletic manager, writes Justin Allen.

The former AC Milan, Watford and England striker has officially applied for the vacancy and is believed to see Dover Athletic as “sleeping giants” of non-league football.

Blissett, 46, was a legend at Watford   scoring 158 goals in 415 appearances during three spells at the club – and was a key member of Graham Taylor’s side that went from winners of the old Fourth Division in 1977-78 to runners-up of the First Division in 1982-83, behind champions Liverpool .

He moved to Italian giants AC Milan for £1million in 1983 but found the going tough in Serie A, netting only five times in 30 games during his one season there.

The striker also won 14 full England caps and became the first black player to score for the national side when he grabbed a hat-trick in a 9-0 win over Luxembourg in December 1983 – his first start for Bobby Robson’s team.

Whites chief executive Mick Kemp confirmed Blissett was one of the applicants but stressed that no talks had yet been held.

He said: “Luther has applied and it’s certainly a high-profile name. We have six applicants who are worth considering while another six have not made our shortlist.”

Blissett – who after retiring from playing has worked as a marketing assistant at Watford as well as being the club’s assistant-manager – has played at the Hoverspeed Stadium for Southport in a Conference match during a loan spell in 1994.

He has also worked as a TV pundit for Channel Four on Football Italia, been head of coaching at York City and most recently been helping Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp train his forwards . But Blissett has been widely known to be looking at moving into management. 

Dover director Steve Cattermole said: “We don’t know, as yet, what Luther is looking for. He has applied for the job, which means he is sincerely interested, but we need to sit down and have a chat with him to see what he wants to bring to the table.

“Does he want to be manager or does he want to run the club? We don’t know. But he has marketing experience and knowledge of non-league football, having played for Southport and a host of other clubs in the lower leagues.

“He is a former top-name player and it is flattering for Dover Athletic to have someone like that interested in being our manager.”

The club have also received applications from keeper Paul Hyde, current caretaker-boss Gary Whittle, a former unnamed Dover player and two local men who have "the right credentials". Ex-Whites boss and Everton legend Neville Southall has not applied.

Interviews are likely to start next week and Kemp hopes to make the appointment in mid-October.

He said: “We want to make the right choice. I don’t want to be going through all this again in a few months – we want this appointment to be one that lasts hopefully for a few years to come.

“It’s going to be a difficult job but not an impossible one and we want to get this club heading back in the right direction. We are not even considering relegation – that would be a ridiculous scenario. Hopefully, we can get Dover Athletic pushing up into mid-table and get things kickstarted from there.”

Luther Blissett's career:
Born: Jamaica, February 1st 1958
Career:
Kingfisher Youth,
Watford (youth, turned pro June 1975),
AC Milan (June 1983,  £1m)
Watford (Aug, 84,  £550,000)
AFC Bournemouth (Nov, 88, £60,000)
Watford (Aug, 91, £40,000)
West Bromwich Albion (loan, Oct, 92)
Wimborne Town (July, 93)
Bury (Aug 93)
Derry City (Oct, 93)
Bury (Nov, 93)
Mansfield Town (loan, Dec, 93)
Southport (loan, Mar, 94)
Fakenham Town (July, 94)
Watford (Marketing assistant June, 95, joint coach Feb, 96, assistant boss May, 96)
York City (Director of coaching, May 02)


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