Notts County appear to have thought up a novel way of securing their badly wanted immediate promotion out of League Two - by running the club without a manager!

According to a report inThe 'trusty' Sun on Wednesday, the club, which was subject to a takeover by a middle-eastern consortium in June, plan a radical shake-up of coaching staff to incorporate Iain Dowie into the Meadow Lane regime.

The Magpies plan to bring in the former Crystal Palace and Charlton boss as director of football so that Sven Goran Eriksson, brought to the club on a lucrative deal in the summer, can take up a more advanced role on the club's board.

All of this means, according to The Sun, that present boss Ian McParland can take up Tommy Johnson's job as first-team coach and the Magpies become the first club in history to run with no manager whatsoever! Here's clarification from the paper.

"IAIN DOWIE is being lined up as Director of Football at Notts County so Sven Goran Eriksson can move higher up on the Meadow Lane board.

"If Dowie, 44, takes the job it will mean present boss Ian McParland becomes first-team coach as the League Two side gear up for their promotion push."

...maybe Sol Campbell was right to get out after all!