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Dundee part company with manager Barry Smith

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments79

Former Dundee manager Barry Smith

Scottish Premier League club Dundee have parted company with manager Barry Smith.

The Tayside side currently sit bottom of the table, 15 points behind 11th-placed St Mirren.

"Dundee FC today announced that they have parted company with manager Barry Smith with immediate effect," said a club statement.

"Until matters regarding this have been formally concluded, no further statement will be made."

Assistant manager Ray Farnigham is expected to organise the team for Sunday's match against Celtic in Glasgow.

Smith took over as Dundee manager in 2010, succeeding Gordon Chisholm after the club entered administration.

The 39-year-old spent 11 years as a player at Dens Park, captaining the side between 1997 and 2006.

Dundee, who finished second in last season's First Division, were admitted to the top flight to take up the place vacated by Rangers, who lost their spot due to financial problems.

There have been only three league victories for Dundee this term, with all of them coming against Edinburgh clubs.

Dundee midfielder Jim McAlister
Dundee have won three league games this season

They beat Hearts 1-0 away and at home in September and November, respectively.

Hibernian lost 3-1 when they visited Dens Park in November, but Dundee have not won in the division since.

In the cup competitions, there have been mixed fortunes.

A humbling early Scottish League Cup exit to Third Division side Queen's Park has been contrasted by a good Scottish Cup run.

The Tayside club are in the quarter-finals, where a home tie against city rivals Dundee United awaits them on 3 March.

Chief executive Scot Gardiner told BBC Scotland he had been "inundated" with interest in the manager's post shortly after confirmation of Smith's departure.

"There are two situations," he explained. "There's a possible interim manager that we would appoint and there's also the potential which could be a full blown managerial appointment.

"I've been absolutely swamped with applications direct from managers and their agents."

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79 comments

  • Comment posted by BullCats, at 14:16 20 Feb 2013

    Totally unfair, yet again as a club we treat good -people like s***. He kept us up after 25pt deduction, had no time to prepare, no money to spend, and a horric injury list. Players were giving it everything they had. Shocking decision by a little club run by amateurs, and that's from a 'Dee fan.

  • Comment posted by User0327265839, at 14:01 20 Feb 2013

    16 - Rangers weren't demoted. They died. The Rangers are a new club.

  • Comment posted by User0138791583, at 13:44 20 Feb 2013

    That's his reward for getting the club promoted, albeit they were only promoted due to the Rangers debacle. If they're out of their depth then it's hardly his fault. This season should have been treated as a bonus, but sadly this culture of chopping and changing unless things are 100% perfect (except at Arsenal, annoyingly) rears its ugly head in just about every league these days.

  • Comment posted by Mark, at 16:09 20 Feb 2013

    Just pointless sacking Barry Smith at this stage. Cant really see what a new manager can do especially since the transfer window is closed and any new manager will want money for new players and there isnt any available. Completely pointless move by the board imo.

  • Comment posted by John_B81, at 13:48 20 Feb 2013

    Quite simply, he's paid the price because of a) Rangers liquidation and b) Dundee being voted in ahead of Dunfermline when they were never ready for the SPL. He's also seen the club through it's most difficult period when they had their second term in administration that culminated in a 25 point deduction. Disgusting actions by the Dundee board!

  • Comment posted by User0986304309, at 16:59 20 Feb 2013

    I feel sorry for Smith, he led Dundee through a difficult time in the clubs history and built a squad for div1 that at very short notice ended up in the SPL. I think it was always likely that Dundee were going straight back down and I don't even think that Ferguson or Mourinho could have saved them. Sad to see a club take such a short sighted decision with a man who's been such a loyal servant.

  • Comment posted by User0071156475, at 13:47 20 Feb 2013

    all the best Barry, hope things work out for you

  • Comment posted by Dungolfin, at 15:43 20 Feb 2013

    Heavy favourites to go down this season given the manner of their promotion. Therefore no surprise that they find themselves adrift with their first division squad. Not the manager's fault.

  • Comment posted by User0134660365, at 13:05 20 Feb 2013

    If he has been fired I don't understand it. They took up the position in the SPL at the 11th hour after the "The Rangers" saga. With little time to prepare and little in the way of resources surely the Dundee board saw this a bonus opportunity to be playing in the SPL this season...

  • Comment posted by NedaroonieFlanders, at 13:09 20 Feb 2013

    Agree with KTID
    Bit harsh considering they only got promoted because Rangers FC no longer exist. This season was a shot to nothing for them, short sighted decision which is too late to save them from relegation now anyway so why not let him prepare for next season?

  • Comment posted by User0723106623, at 13:19 20 Feb 2013

    As a united fan actually shocked by this, what chance did Smith have when you are told less than 2 weeks before the season that you are going to be a SPL team. Everyone knew Dundee would be at the bottom and that this season was a right off unless miracles happened. Dundee board can hang there head in shame at this decision.

  • Comment posted by Eddies Gonna Get Ya, at 13:57 20 Feb 2013

    @18 Think you should change your user name to stillbitter. As if any other team wouldn't have taken that promotion when handed to them.
    I presume you support Rangers 2012, so to have a go at another clubs board for money - grabbing? Wow. How blind are you?
    Anyway, good luck Barry, and up the Dee!

  • Comment posted by User0073853799, at 16:33 20 Feb 2013

    Opens the door for Arsene Wenger to come in.....

  • Comment posted by revaccies, at 13:13 20 Feb 2013

    The timing seems odd, perhaps a replacement was lined up prior to the announcement. In any event Smith can hardly be held responsible for the team's poor showing, they were always going to struggle given the circumstances.

  • Comment posted by Tiger, at 13:12 20 Feb 2013

    Looks very harsh this. It's bad enough when a manager miraculously takes a club up through the play-offs and is expected to produce a competitive side for the following season but Dundee didn't even do that. They were pretty much promoted in pre-season. I know they'll have looked enviously at the miracles being performed at Ross County but they really should be concentrating on themselves. Shame.

  • Comment posted by punchytoo, at 15:50 20 Feb 2013

    Ridiculous Barry had money for a division 1 set up and proved only 2 weeks ago against Morton what he would have done in first division. Dundee are poor, I have been a lifelong fan, bit if faketan Calderwood comes in, then I am out permanently.

  • Comment posted by User0480619790, at 13:05 20 Feb 2013

    Feel sorry for Smith - he was thrust into the SPL at the last minute due to the incompetence of Scottish Football's leaders to make a decision, and wasn't able to prepare his side for the promotion - never been able to recover the position.

  • Comment posted by User0325157441, at 14:03 20 Feb 2013

    Club and manager were thown in at deepend, difficult task to stay up.
    Barry Smith will be a success at another club, this will be Dundee's loss.
    Best of luck Barry!!!

  • Comment posted by Peter, at 13:45 20 Feb 2013

    Good luck Barry

    Good luck Dundee you need a motivational Manager to work a miracle to stay up. Just start scoring goals

  • Comment posted by waynebb, at 14:19 20 Feb 2013

    Seems harsh when they only got into SPL at the last minute. The long-sighted common sense view would have been to see this as an unexpected bonus season and allow a young manager to gain some experience which will stand him and the club in good stead in the future. Still, not often you see the terms 'long-sighted' 'common sense' and 'football club' in the same sentence.

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