Southend sack Paul Sturrock, but let him down gently with club statement

Clubs releasing statements to announce the sackings of managers are generally a copy and paste exercise, but Southend took a different approach yesterday afternoon.

By Declan Whooley

Sitting in ninth position in League Two and a day out in Wembley to look forward to next month when they face Crewe in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final, the decision to remove Paul Sturrock from his post may come as surprise, but chairman Ron Martin said that results simply have not been good enough.

Martin has said a replacement will be named today, but unusually, Sturrock will be back in the dugout for the final in Wembley.

Martin is at pains to point out that emotion had to be left to one side “Paul is experienced, a nice man, honest and likeable”, but lists a number of teams that Southend should have beaten that would see them at the least in the automatic positions.

“The form, just as it did last season, has dropped off when it should have been pushing for automatic promotion. Promotion has always been the first priority and the Manager has always known that,” he added.

Chairman Ron Martin

Martin, possibly aware that this could be viewed as a needless sacking, conceded that emotions will always play a part, but he has to make a decision for the betterment of the club.

“They say “there is no sentiment in football”. I do not agree, we are all human and have to understand the emotions influenced by our decisions."

Martin added that Sturrock has earned the right to lead his team out at Wembley next month, something the Scot has agreed to do.

You can read the rest of the statement on the club website, a statement that sounds like someone breaking up with their lover because it is the right thing to do, no matter how painful it may seem. Or something along those lines.

What may be far more worrying for supporters is that Phil Brown is the bookies favourite to take over at Roots Hall.