Speaking on 103.2 today, Keith Haslam has said.....................
On the subject of Carlton leaving too late "I think we have to give someone a fair crack, with the players we have brought in, you look to see where you are after 10 games, you evaluate where you want to go from there. i think after the Chester game Carlton was very frustrated, we sat down the following day and had a discussion and between us we said let's look at the next 3 or 4 games and see how it's going. I wasn't aware that Carlton was going to do that on Saturday. The results put him under pressure, he wasn't under pressure from me, obviously a certain section of supports hadn't helped his situation and i thought he did an honourable thing, he could have stuck around for a pay check like most guys do in that position. He values our friendship, he said he's going to walk, it's in the interests of Mansfield Town, you have to get the supporters behing the club, and he was willing to sacrifice himself for that cause"
On supporters wanting him out "You've got to be in a postion to go, there's not the volume knocking on my door to say i'll buy you out or i'll do this deal, there's no one really approached me. i've said to the shareholders at the AGM last week that there will be a re-structering of the club, it will give the supporters of the club more of a voice if they choose to take it up, that's being developed at the moment with my advisers. I don't want to discuss it further as it's not finalized."
On where the club is going "We aren't going to conference, i have had a number of applicants for this job, with the perception of people out there, this is a big club, i've had interest from numerous people who would love the oppertunity and i was surprised with a couple of them who would even consider us"
On previous managers "Well i think George Foster wasn't my manager, he came in, and he was gone soon after i came in, that was the supporters choice again, i didn't really know the chap, the supporters didn't want him at that time even though he'd been a legend in his playing days for Mansfield Town they wanted him out and i accomated them with that. Steve Parkin & andy King, they've all moved on into other positions, i had Billy Dearden who resigned to goto Notts County, Steve Parkin resigned to goto Rochdale, so if you weed those two out, it's not been a hatchet job. Probably Stuart Watkiss was the wrong appointment, it was a bit knee jerk, thinking he could take the managers job."
On how much he cares about the club "Of course i really care, i've been here 13 years, of course i care. I think i've had more hassle than Carlton over the past 13 years."
On what would happen if he did leave "I can't walk away, as a director, the club wouldn't be able to operate without a director."
On the next manager "I don't think we need to advertise the position, word will get round, there are already a couple of surprise names, there's a lot of experience"