Five Of Football's Strangest Sackings

Following Gustavo Poyet’s odd departure from Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion recently, The Sporting Hack has decided to delve in to the archives of strange managerial dismissals. The Uruguayan was informed of the Seagulls’ decision while he was working as a pundit for the BBC and had to endure an open and honest exchange from the show’s presenter Mark Chapman at half-time of a Confederations Cup game here.

Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), 2009-2011: – The Italian brought the first ever League and Cup double to Stamford Bridge, yet even that was not enough to save him from the axe-wielding Russian Oligarch in charge of the club. Despite losing in the Champions League to eventual winners Inter Milan, Ancelotti did manage to wrestle back the Premier League trophy from the mini-dominance that Manchester United enjoyed and secure just the third title in the Blues history. The FA Cup inevitably followed, with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth, consisting of a fluid 4-3-3 system with Didier Drogba the spearhead. Despite gaining four manager of the month awards, Ancelotti couldn’t surpass United in either Europe or the league and was promptly shown the door.

Brian Clough (Leeds United), 1974: – You’d be hard pressed to find a stranger managerial period than the one witnessed by those at Elland Road during 1974. The successful, yet highly outspoken, former Derby County manager went to west Yorkshire via a short spell at Brighton. Having isolated himself from established stars such as Hunter, Giles and Bremner, the future two-time European Cup winner was given the boot after 44 days in charge. Whether Clough’s ego was too big or the players did not respond without their father figure Don Revie, who left to take the England post, is open to interpretation. It’s enough to make anyone write a book about it. And direct a film...

Lee Clark (Huddersfield Town), 2008-2012: – Staying in west Yorkshire, and the departure of the former Newcastle United and Fulham midfielder is one that was just plain odd. Clark possessed a near 1 in 2 win rate while at the helm of the Terriers, but his side became perennial bottlers and failed to overcome the League 1 play-off hurdle. Included in his spell was a football league record 43 game unbeaten streak, but having lavished the cash on a host of quality signings, Chairman Dean Hoyle’s patience finally snapped and he replaced him with Simon Grayson, who had departed Leeds United in controversial circumstances just days earlier.

Leroy Rosenior (Torquay United), 2007: – Rosenior returned to Plainmoor in May 2007 – after a four year spell from 2002-2006 – and lasted TEN minutes. Unbeknown to the former Fulham, West Ham and Bristol City striker, the club was sold within minutes of his unveiling at the regulatory press conference. The new consortium did not see Rosenior as the man to take the Gulls forward and thus dismissed him with immediate effect. He has not managed a side since.

Iffy Onuora (Ethiopia), 2010-2011: – The former football league journeyman travelled all the way to Africa in an attempt to rejuvenate his stuttering managerial career, which had seen spells at Swindon, Gillingham and Lincoln. His side reached the semi-finals of the CECAFA Cup, but lost to Ivory Coast. It all turned sour for the Glasgow-born former striker though when he was sacked on disciplinary grounds. An Ethiopian Football Federation spokesman claimed “He was telling the papers that he had to clear a herd of cows off a pitch in order for them to train. I’m not aware of a single pitch that the team trains in where you can find cows.”