YORK City's board of directors are expecting to be inundated with offers for the full-time managerial position - without having to advertise.

But the cash-strapped club will be unable to take someone on unless the playing staff is reduced.

Viv Busby was yesterday placed in charge for the foreseeable future after the managerial axe finally fell on Chris Brass.

Busby has been set an unenviable challenge to turn around the fortunes of the club with no cash and little room to manoeuvre. No players can be drafted in - even for free - because of a lack of money to pay wages, and loan players will only be considered if the host club agrees to pay them.

Yet it is thought that the club will still receive as many as 50 inquiries from prospective managers this week.

Names in the non-League mixer at the moment include Steve Claridge, who is jobless after getting the boot from Weymouth. But he is believed to be tying up a player-manager arrangement with Forest Green Rovers which would give him enough time to combine playing with his television and radio work.

Mark Wright left Chester City under a cloud but could be a big name for the ailing Minstermen.

Stan Ternent - one-time manager of Brass at Burnley - is believed to be desperately keen to return to management and would soon feel at home with so many familiar faces.

But the kind of pay cut he would need to take, coupled with the lack of funds to do anything with, is likely to prove an attractive proposition.

Looking closer to home, legendary City forward Paul Barnes, now at Hinckley United, could prove a useful addition with his player-coach experience at Doncaster Rovers, while Jon McCarthy and John McPhail would also be popular choices.

Within the City ranks are Steve Davis and Paul Groves. Groves was player-manager at Grimsby Town and Davis is also keen to get into coaching at some point.

And a short trip up the A64 is Neil Redfearn at Scarborough, who is enjoying something of an Indian summer of his career with nine goals already this season, but could be tempted by the chance to get back into management.

Updated: 10:53 Tuesday, November 09, 2004