Horton named new Macclesfield boss

Brian Horton has been appointed as the new manager of Third Division strugglers Macclesfield until the end of the season.

Horton will work alongside John Askey in a consultancy capacity. On Wednesday the club announced that Askey, who had been in charge since the dismissal of David Moss in October, has been demoted to assistant manager.

Horton has been out of work since he was sacked by Port Vale in February, despite steering the club to the edge of the play-offs.

Horton said: “I had been looking to get back in the game and it will be a big challenge but I’m looking forward to it.

“I wouldn’t have taken it if I didn’t think they could stay up. But there are only seven games left so there is no time for messing around.

“It’s muck and nettles to try and pull through. We have got some tough games left at home to Hull and my old club Oxford.”

Bury manager Graham Barrow and his assistant Kelham O’Hanlon have signed rolling contracts at Gigg Lane.

The pair were offered the deals – which mean they will be in charge at the start of next season – on Tuesday and have decided to sign after being reassured that the club can improve on the pitch.

A club statement read: “Both Graham and Kelham are aware that they will have to work within strict budgets laid down by the Directors but they are confident that the club can make progress on the field of play.

“The directors would like to thank both Graham and Kelham in the manner in which negotiations took place as they both appreciated that the deals had to be financially prudent.”

Rotherham boss Ronnie Moore has revealed he would like to keep Jody Morris at Millmoor next season.

However, he fears bigger clubs will be on the lookout for the former Leeds midfielder.

“Of course I’d love to keep Jody here but to be honest, and no disrespect to us, I’m sure there’ll be bigger and better teams in for him if he continues to do well,” Moore told the Sheffield Star.

“There’ll be plenty who will want him, I’m sure of that. I’ve been really happy with what he’s done since coming here.”

Reading defender Steve Brown faces an operation on Monday to repair damage to his injured knee.

Brown missed six games earlier in the season with a knee problem, but was then forced to return against Cardiff and Sunderland because Reading were short of central defenders.

He finished the Sunderland game in obvious discomfort and now faces further surgery which may force him out for the rest of the season.

Nick Montgomery has delayed a knee operation until the end of the season in a bid to boost Sheffield United’s play-off hopes.

The young midfielder, who requires surgery on a torn cartilage, missed last week’s defeat at Cardiff.

But he refuses to miss out on United’s crucial run-in and will return to the squad for the visit of Nottingham Forest.

“There’s no way I want to be out now – it’s just too important a time,” Montgomery told the Sheffield Star.

“I’m pretty sure I can manage the injury until the summer and then we’ll see what the best thing to do is.”