DUNCAN FERGUSON’S days under Forest Green supremo Dale Vince were over when a move for new assistant Ray McKinnon was blocked.
Ferguson turned to former team-mate McKinnon, boss of Forfar in Scotland.
He travelled south to join but was then told he would not be appointed and returned home.
The move came after Big Dunc’s No 2 Tony Grant quit his job at New Lawn Stadium to head for the Middle East.
Everton legend Ferguson was planning ahead and happy to stay — only for his plan to be turned down by the League Two club’s hierarchy.
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Ferguson, 51, was appointed Rovers manager in January but was unable to steer them away from relegation last season.
He won just two of his 23 games in charge but Vince initially stuck by the Scot and allowed him to oversee transfer activity.
Forest Green then made history as they appointed Hannah Dingley as interim boss, who becomes the first woman to take charge of an English men's team.
Dingley took charge of first-team training on Tuesday and will continue to lead pre-season preparations.
It is understood she will continue in the role during the search for Ferguson's replacement.
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But she is believed to be under consideration for the full-time manager role at The New Lawn Stadium.
Dingley, who holds a UEFA Pro Licence, was previously linked with the managerial role at The New Lawn back in 2021.
The links came after she had excelled as the head of the club's academy, having become the first woman to hold such a role in 2019.
She has also previously served as a youth coach and head of academy coaching at Forest Green.
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