arrived in November 2001 the club was adrift at the bottom of the Conference and looking doomed. His first match in charge resulted in a home win over Farnborough Town but the next three games yielded just one point. However a remarkable run of 39 points from the final 19 games of the season meant Scarborough finished 12th. He was hailed as a hero by the fans and his stock rose when taking the team to 4th position by Christmas in the 2002–03 season. In January 2003, two days after the club went into administration, Slade tendered his resignation. The fans presented a tearful Slade with a petition at the next game and on the Monday morning he changed his mind. The following season saw mixed league performances, but a tremendous FA Cup run which saw victories over Hinckley United, Doncaster Rovers, Port Vale, and finally Southend United following a replay, meant a glamorous home tie in front of Premier League Chelsea. Despite losing 1–0 Slade's side had put up a tremendous battle. Grimsby Town At the end of the 2003–04 season, Grimsby Town decided not to renew the contract of manager Nicky Law following relegation into League Two. Slade was appointed as their new manager. A mid-table finish ensued in the 2004–05 season but despite some disgruntled fans calling for his head, Grimsby spent most of the 2005–06 season in an automatic promotion spot in League Two, also managing to topple both Derby County and Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup. Town eventually finished the season in 4th place and had to settle for the playoffs, following a late Northampton Town equaliser meant that Leyton Orient would finish the season in the final automatic promotion places. Despite guiding his team to a semi-final victory over local rivals Lincoln City, Slade was unable to secure promotion, Grimsby losing 1–0 in the final against Cheltenham Town in the Millennium Stadium. Yeovil Town Slade's success with Grimsby had attracted League One side Yeovil Town, and Slade was appointed as the Somerset club's new manager. Slade led Yeovil to a surprise 5th-place finish play-off finish in the league, where they defeated favourites Nottingham Forest to reach the play-off final. However, Yeovil lost the final against Blackpool 2–0. Slade's successful first season at Yeovil saw him win the League One manager of the year award, and he was targeted by League One rivals Carlisle