BRIAN FLYNN, who has been manager of Wrexham since November 1989, will leave The Racecourse at the end of this season when his contract expires, it was revealed last night.
Flynn's two assistants, Kevin Reeves and Joey Jones, will also leave the Second Division club. It is believed Flynn and his management team feel they have taken Wrexham as far as they can on a tight budget.
Former Tranmere manager John Aldridge has been installed as the favourite to succeed Flynn with Dixie McNeil, Neville Southall, Kevin Ratcliffe, Ian Rush and John Hollins, who was sacked as Swansea manager last week, also in the frame.
And the appointment of Wrexham midfielder Darren Ferguson as player manager has not been ruled out.
Flynn is reputedly frustrated at the lack of transfer funds available to him at The Racecourse and was furious the Wrexham board vetoed his decision to sign Manchester City defender Jim Whitley during the summer.
He has also been forced to constantly sell his best players such as Bryan Hughes, Andy Marriott, Dave Brammer and Neil Roberts in order to balance the club's books.
Flynn, who refused to comment on the news last night, is the third-longest serving manager in British football behind Crewe's Dario Gradi and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson.
Meanwhile, Cardiff City's £1.8m record signing Peter Thorne will make his full debut for the Bluebirds against Northampton at Ninian Park tonight.
Thorne started Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Cambridge on the bench, coming on as a 58th-minute substitute for Leo Fortune-West.
"I wasn't surprised I was on the bench because the transfer happened so quickly. I hadn't trained much and I didn't know any of the lads," said Thorne last night.
"I made it clear I wanted to start. That's the sort of person I am. I want to start every game. But the manager (Alan Cork) pulled me aside and told me I was going to be a substitute.
"But I haven't come here expecting to walk straight into the team."
Cork, however, confirmed Thorne will start from the kick-off against the Cobblers.
