Jordan fighting to keep Kember

Steve Kember and coach Terry Bullivant are to be handed vital roles in the appointment of a successor to Steve Bruce at Crystal Palace.

Chairman Simon Jordan will make a series of demands to whoever he makes manager.

Jordan will say that assistant manager Kember and coach Bullivant must keep their jobs, and the new man will have to adopt their ideas and methods.

Effectively, Jordan is seeking their approval of whoever he appoints, and that is clearly designed to keep them at Selhurst Park.

Bruce, who is expected to be appointed as Birmingham manager before Thursday, is thought to have asked the coaches to join him at St Andrew's.

Jordan, who has won massive support from the fans for the way he has handled the situation, was today still refusing to accept Bruce's resignation or grant permission for him to have talks with the Midlands club.

He has threatened to hold Bruce to the notice period in his contract (thought to be nine months) unless Birmingham provide legallybinding assurances that they will not "poach" players or backroom staff.

Jordan will also want significant recompense for the loss of his manager. He said: "My main priority is to make sure Kember and Bullivant are settled because we do not want to change the style of play or the way we do things at Palace. Any managerial changes would have to take these factors into account.

"I am not necessarily after a big-name manager and I will be patient because we have to have the right manager."

Jordan also said that he will not appoint a manager who is already working at another club, even though that limits his options and may prolong his search.

Kember and Bullivant took charge for the 2-2 draw at Walsall on Saturday.

Kember admitted: "The situation has become unsettling for the players."