 Following a highly successful start to the season, Dowie was named "Manager of the Month" for August 2007, having secured top position after the first four league games and two successive League Cup wins.However, by February 2008 the team had slumped to a lowly 19th position in the league table.On 6 October 2007, Paul Fletcher tendered his resignation in the wake of numerous takeover bids being priced out of the market, leaving both Operation Premiership and the long-term financial future of the club up in the air.