FORMER York City boss Terry Dolan could be among the front-runners to replace Scarborough manager Russell Slade.

Dolan, 54, will cease to be paid by the Minstermen at the end of this month after completing a season on 'gardening leave' following his departure from Bootham Crescent last summer.

But the former Bradford, Rochdale and Hull City chief is now being tipped to take over from Slade, who was revealed as Grimsby Town's new manager today.

Dolan, who cut his coaching teeth at Harrogate Town in 1981, before joining Bradford as youth-team coach four years later is keen to end his season-long break from club management and he would relish the chance to challenge City by taking charge of the club's North Yorkshire Conference neighbours next season.

He previously endured a two-and-a-half year exile from first-team management in 2000 before he was brought to City from Huddersfield, where he had been in charge of the reserve team.

Prior to that, he had been manager of Hull City for six seasons between 1990 and 1997.

Scarborough chairman Malcolm Reynolds did not comment on possible replacements today but paid a glowing tribute to the outgoing Slade, saying: "He goes with my blessing and my thanks for what he has done here. He has been working under the tightest of financial restraints and people on occasions forget what a good job he has done.

"I sometimes think that it is only when people have left that their efforts are fully appreciated. When we set out on this journey in November 2001, the team were marooned at the bottom of the Conference and looked doomed.

"He pulled the club up by its boot-straps to a position of respectability. For Russ this is a great opportunity and although we as a club shall miss him he would be a fool not to accept the challenge which I think he is well suited for. As far as a replacement is concerned I shall sit and take stock for a while."

Slade took over at the McCain Stadium in October 2001 when he succeeded ex-York City striker Colin Addison.

He shot to national prominence last season during the Seadogs' march to the fourth round of the FA Cup when they fought out a creditable 1-0 defeat against Chelsea's international superstars.

His only previous Football League experience as a manager came during a difficult four-month spell at Notts County and two stints in a caretaker capacity at Sheffield United.

Slade took over from Mick Walker at Meadow Lane in September 1994 but was replaced by Everton's European Cup Winners' Cup-winning boss Howard Kendall by January after a record of six wins, five draws and 12 defeats.

But Kendall's appointment did not prevent County finishing bottom of the First Division table at the end of the season.

His temporary spells in charge at Bramall Lane both lasted only two games between the appointments of Nigel Spackman and Steve Bruce in 1998 and Adrian Heath and Neil Warnock in 1999.

As Scarborough boss, he has won 50, drew 41 and lost 42 matches and has previously been linked with vacancies at Bradford City and, more recently, Scunthorpe United before Brian Laws' re-instatement.

Updated: 10:49 Friday, May 28, 2004