Close menu

Simon Grayson sacked by Huddersfield Town

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments233

Simon Grayson

Huddersfield Town have sacked manager Simon Grayson after going 12 games without a win in the Championship.

The 43-year-old led the Terriers to promotion from League One via the play-offs last season after taking over from Lee Clark in February 2012.

Academy coaches Mark Lillis and Steve Eyre will lead the club in Saturday's FA Cup tie against Leicester City.

"In making this decision, we have thought long and hard," chairman Dean Hoyle told the club website.external-link

"It has been made with both the short term and long term needs of the club in mind. We brought Simon in with the immediate aim to lead the club to promotion and he did that at the first attempt. It is an achievement for which we are grateful.

"We knew the transition to Championship football would be difficult and our targets for this season have been realistic, with retention of our status the priority.

"However, having worked so hard to get back into the second tier we have to do everything we can to consolidate that position. After exceeding all our expectations in the early part of the season, our results and performances as a team and from individual players have tailed off alarmingly."

BBC Radio Leeds understands that the club have not made an approach to former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins or anyone else at this point.

Town's last league win came at Barnsley on 10 November and they lost 4-0 to Watford on Saturday in what proved to be Grayson's final match.

The former Leeds boss was a surprise appointment on 20 February last year, having only been sacked from his position at Elland Road three weeks earlier.

He took the club up to the second tier after an 11-year absence with a penalty shoot-out victory over Sheffield United in the play-off final.

The Terriers made a bright start to life in the Championship and were sixth after their last win, but their current run of form has seen them drop to 18th, seven points above the drop zone.

They are the 11th Championship club to change manager since the start of this season.

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

233 comments

  • Comment posted by Jesus the Teddy Bear, at 15:27 24 Jan 2013

    Michael appleton's looking for a new challenge

  • Comment posted by U14231980, at 17:06 24 Jan 2013

    Once again people who have no idea about Huddersfield Town are giving their 'expert' opinion. Most Town fans will be happy to finish 4th bottom so certainly don't have delusions of grandeur.

    You can't argue with the fact that we are twelve matches without a win and that performances are only getting worse.

    And for those who still scoff at Clark's sacking - ask the Brum fans how good he is!!!

  • Comment posted by U7354076, at 17:02 24 Jan 2013

    Grayson had plenty of support , he signed 7 new players in the summer and 5 on loan, 3 of which are still at the club, the majority of these players were proven at Championship level or came from a premiership team. you can't say he didnt have support,

  • Comment posted by magicalwynn, at 16:49 24 Jan 2013

    Can't believe people are still going on about Clark. Spent a fortune over 3 years, and we were no better off at the end than when he took over, and he'd never have got us up. We're struggling, but still his Birmingham team are below us.
    It does feel harsh on Grayson, but nothing compared to Adkins and O'Driscoll's sackings. It's bleak for us, and Hoyle obviously thinks its act now or we're down.

  • Comment posted by spartan, at 16:52 24 Jan 2013

    As a Birmingham supporter I would be glad if Huddersfield had Lee Clarke back. He's the worst manager we've had for years and we'd do well to get rid.

  • Comment posted by Terry, at 15:38 24 Jan 2013

    Clark was a young inexperienced manager. He was learning and improving but we ran out of time to allow him to improve further as it was felt the it was very much "now or never" in regards to getting promoted so the decision was made to replace him to give us the best chance! Superjack (12) the stat of 2 losses in 50 games is misleading, a lot of games were drawn that we should simply have won!

  • Comment posted by U13747768, at 15:03 24 Jan 2013

    I'm annoyed my club has turned into one of these clubs that doesn't give managers a chance. Of course, it's not my money, and Dean Hoyle can do as he wishes, but whilst he may be a shrewd businessman, he must appreciate that you cannot turn things round in 5 minutes at a football club. He's lost two passionate managers now in a year, and I don't like it.

  • Comment posted by U14353711, at 19:31 24 Jan 2013

    This is the correct decision, a terrible run of form and hanging dangerously close to returning to league 1. Sackings of di matteo of Chelsea and Adkins of Southampton were uncalled for, but this is entirely correct and has substance behind the decision. No win in 12!!! Relegation loomed. They just need to recruit the right person.

  • Comment posted by ChopperChorlton, at 19:26 24 Jan 2013

    2 points for non-Town fans
    1. Town fans have always been realistic that staying up is a successful season. Grayson being sacked when not in the relegation places after 28 games does not mean that wasn't where we were firmly headed after 46.
    2. We are a club with huge faith in the chairman, the overwhelming reason we have managed to return to this division.

    In Dean we trust-keep the faith

  • Comment posted by U15589675, at 17:38 24 Jan 2013

    Agree MNTerrier,
    People go on about the long unbeaten run, but it cost us dearly, purely because half the games were draws. It took us so long to get back to the championship, to go straight back down would be unforgiveable. So, needs must, I'm afraid. Staying up is paramount, whatever it takes.

  • Comment posted by U7354076, at 17:20 24 Jan 2013

    Dean Hoyle has standards, if a genuine effort is made to meet those standards the manager will stay, Lee Clark had 3 years, including 2 failed playoff campaigns to get it right. most chairmen would hav fired him after the first failed promotion. Lee Clark went because the effort wasnt there anymore, same thing happened to Grayson i'm afraid

  • Comment posted by U14579383, at 16:57 24 Jan 2013

    I'm a Huddersfield fan and the comments here are laughable.

    I'm not going to debate this decision on here as most people clearly don't have a clue (how could you unless you watch us?). Just sad people who just want to have a go at a rival football club.

  • Comment posted by U15589271, at 16:48 24 Jan 2013

    #57 'Delusions of grandeur'? Dean Hoyle is a lifelong Huddersfield fan and has pumped millions of his own cash into the club from his own pocket. Results have been a disaster since November and our slide down the table had to be addressed. We've spent a hell of a lot getting to Championship and coming straight back down again isn't an option. Right decision today.

  • Comment posted by Superjackyboy123, at 15:12 24 Jan 2013

    I agree with What_Would_Dev_Do - 5. Huddersfield were guilty of sacking Lee Clarke who correct me if im wrong lost 2 out of 50 games? They hired a good manager who should have been given time to work, but like most clubs the minute you lose a couple of games , your out!

  • Comment posted by Giant Bubble, at 13:40 25 Jan 2013

    @182 - The comment about Jordan Rhodes is an unfair one, Jordan was offered silly money by Blackburn to join them, I have no problem with Jordan having his head turned for this we all would. Dean has supported the club financially but knew we could not match what Blackburn were offering and rather than keep an unhappy player Dean and the board got a good financial deal for the club.

  • Comment posted by U15590233, at 23:04 24 Jan 2013

    I see Leeds fans having delusions of grandeur again. Just a small failing club located on the outskirts of Bradford

  • Comment posted by U14368792, at 22:43 24 Jan 2013

    sorry Nick but HTFC fans wanted Clark out too, Clark was more concerned about not losing rather than winning... in that 43 game run 20 were draws!!! HTFC also drew 13 games from winning positions.Clark's transfer policy was poor too.

    Again it's people on the outside who criticise HTFC, but ultimately its the fans that count and both times Hoyle has made the correct decision for HTFC & the fans

  • Comment posted by Bugsc7, at 17:45 24 Jan 2013

    @91

    yes they sacked Lee Clark and they got promotion so it obviously worked !!!
    not too bothered about Grayson being sacked , doesnt seem to quite have the managerial skill for this level.

  • Comment posted by Pauli, at 17:12 24 Jan 2013

    Can’t knock the Chairman he's one of the best around. He's backed Lee Clark and Simon Grayson financially. Grayson hasn’t won in 12 games. Hardly an outrage he’s been sacked. He’s a decent manager and has achieved promotion at every Club he's managed, he will find work elsewhere but Huddersfield have been falling like a stone recently.

  • Comment posted by cheesyHTFC, at 17:11 24 Jan 2013

    Why do people always think they know everything about other clubs?

    We sacked Lee Clark because we didn't trust him to get us up through the play-offs again, having previously failed twice.

    We have now sacked Grayson after 12 games without a win and some dire performances, with no apparent hope of turning it round! What was the point in promotion if we end up going straight back down?

Top Stories