Photo courtesy Red Rose Exile's Flickr account
In what can only be described as a surprise move, Middlesbrough sacked manager Gareth Southgate early Wednesday morning GMT (Note: It’s 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday night where and as I’m writing this, hence the discrepancy. -Ed.), despite the Teessiders sitting in fourth place in the Coca-Cola Football League Championship.
Southgate, 39, was dismissed just after midnight GMT on Wednesday, with the decision from the Middlesbrough board coming after Southgate’s charges had secured a 2-0 win over Derby County only hours earlier.
The former England international had occupied the manager’s office at the Riverside Stadium since replacing Steve McClaren in June 2006, and even though Middlesbrough was relegated from the Barclays Premier League under Southgate’s watch, Boro had been in a healthy position in the Championship under Southgate, with the possibility of promotion back to the Premier League nowhere near being out of the question.
“This has been the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make in football,” Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson told BBC Sport. “Gareth has given Boro magnificent service as a skipper and, in very difficult circumstances, as manager. However, the time is right for change and that change has had to be made.”
Boro, which had lost its previous three consecutive home matches before Tuesday’s win over Derby County, also parted ways with Alan Smith, the former Crystal Palace boss whom Middlesbrough described as a ‘football consultant’ during his time at the Riverside.
Southgate won 57 caps playing for England, and he made a £6.5 million move from Aston Villa to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2001. The former center-back then went on to make more than 200 appearances for Boro as a player.
Matthew Semisch
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