SHAKERS chairman Brian Fenton believes the club would have been wrong not to have appointed Richie Barker as their new manager.

The club offered the 36-year-old the job yesterday after he impressed in interview.

But Fenton revealed the decisive factor in Barker’s appointment was his record as caretaker manager – when Bury won their first six games under his charge to secure promotion to League One.

“We had to give Richie his chance,” said Fenton. “He did a good job as caretaker and gave a good interview – just like the other four we spoke to.

“We know what he is about because, in eight weeks at the helm, he took us to promotion.

“It would have been unfair not to give him the job.”

Fenton is pleased to finally install somebody to the Gigg Lane hot-seat, and he realises it could be a hectic summer.

“Richie will be a busy lad now,” the chairman said. “It has been hard for me recently because, in addition to finding the right manager, I have had to deal with agents and such like.

“Efe Sodje and Ben Futcher have signed new contracts with us and now we are just waiting on Kyle Bennett and some of the youth team lads.

“Richie now has to work on finalising the squad for next season.”