I REMEMBER it as if it was yesterday. October 2000!

On one side of the table was Steve Bruce and his lawyer and on the Town side Barry Rubery and myself.

Trevor Cherry, Town’s director of football was on holiday so I was asked to attend the meeting where Barry was telling Steve his services were no longer required.

Bruce has since gone on and been relatively successful at several clubs, so why did he fail at Town?

I mention this because I see so many similarities with the Lee Clark situation.

Both managers and former successful players from the North-East were given big transfer budgets to work with and started off in great form.

Big signings arrived and results improved and hence the manager’s stock rose.

Clark (inset) and Bruce – both top players who had once fed at the Premier league table – thrived off the favourable headlines and started viewing themselves as future top managers.

Suddenly the club who had given them their opportunity became a stepping stone to bigger things.

Several weeks ago when the Leicester job was up for grabs Clark, as you’d expect, being a successful young manager, was linked with the job (amazingly, coming back to Steve Bruce, I remember him been linked with the Leicester job as well when he was Town boss – just coincidence).

Anyway, what struck me was the confidence in the betting markets that it was Clark’s job for the losing.

That confidence usually comes from positive vibes radiating from the person’s camp. If a manger isn’t interested, he’ll never end up as the favourite for a job because people quickly become aware of his intentions.

If Clark remained with Town by choice or not we’ll never know.

But suddenly it seemed he maybe thought the grass was greener elsewhere and perhaps didn’t see Town as his long-term job.

When the Leeds and Wolves jobs became vacant, guess who ended up near the top of the markets once again?

I’m sure when people look at Clark’s record they’ll think he’s been hard done by, and time might prove he has.

But once a manager’s mind starts drifting to pastures new – if that’s what happened – then I’m not surprised the relationship ended.

WHEN you read this, the Town manager prices I’m quoting could be long out of date, so please forgive me if they are wrong.

When money comes for managers the markets shift rapidly, so don’t expect them to last long.

Former Town boss Neil Warnock is the 4/7 favourite for the Galpharm job, having been there and done it, Simon Grayson 3/1, Mark Lillis and Phil Brown 10/1 followed by plenty of others.

At the bottom of the market, the lads at Skybet have put me in at 100/1.

I’ve told them I’m near 10,000/1 as 10 years in bookmaking is hardly a qualification for management.

I have to say, after reading the chairman’s quote that we have 16 games still to get promotion, Mr Hoyle is looking for a short-term solution.

For what it’s worth, I’m a big Billy Davies fan.

But then I don’t pay the wages so it isn’t up to me!

WITH the recent cold snap hopefully behind us, we should start to see some jumps racing.

And with it will come some of the top Cheltenham contenders.

Paul Nicholls’ star hurdler Zarkandar, the 7/1 third favourite with Skybet for the Champion Hurdle, should be on show at Newbury today.

Darlan, a much-touted Supreme Novices entry, is taking on the older horses, but if he runs well the 11/1 for the Supreme Novices won’t be around by tonight.

Also Long Run, last year’s Gold Cup winner, won’t be a price worth backing today, but he’ll need an improved jumping performance if he’s to justify his short price of 2/1 for this year’s big race.

With so many angles to cover, it’s really exciting stuff – well it is for racing fans.

As you’ll know by now, I’m a big racing fan, so expect more updates in the build up to the Cheltenham Festival.

If you’re not a racing fan, then please accept my apologies.