GO KARTING SESSION TURNS OUT BADLY

Sacked Oakwell boss 'was a bit too nice'
BARNSLEY
By Simon Meeks
A TEAM-bonding session was crashed by the news that Andy Ritchie was no longer in charge at Oakwell.
The players had gathered for go-kart racing as the manager's fate was resolved.
Goalkeeper Nick Colgan took a call from Ritchie and was left to inform team-mates that they had played their last game for the manager who had led them to promotion.
"I'm absolutely gutted. He had the backing of all the lads, certainly the majority," Colgan commented.
"I personally owe the man a huge debt. It was him who persuaded me to come back to Barnsley when I thought my career at the club was over. He's a thoroughly decent, lovely bloke.
"If anything - and Andy would admit this himself - sometimes he might have been a bit too nice, but how can you criticise a man for that?"
Colgan added: "We got promotion in May and now this after 18 games.
"Barnsley haven't splashed the cash. I know the club are not in a position to.
"I don't see Southend sacking manager Steve Tilson and our wage bill will be smaller than theirs.
"I know it's a results-based business but the manager can't take the blame for all of that, some of it's down to the players.
"I think they may have pressed the panic button a bit too early."
Even in the wake of Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace - a performance Ritchie dubbed the worst of his reign - players rallied around him.
Striker Paul Hayes had said: "We have a good relationship with him, he's a great manager to play under.
"We don't want another boss to come in because then we'd be back to square one.
"We want to play hard and play well but at the moment it just isn't working."
Full-back Paul Hecking-bottom added: "He was a top man, he'd done really well for the club.
"The players had no inkling that this was going to happen, we were at training as normal in the morning and said to the gaffer we'd see him Thursday.
"The lads were all behind him but this is one of the things that happens in football. You don't hear of players being sacked. It's always the manager."
n Simon Davey is to run the Reds first team until a replacement manager is appointed.
Just like Ritchie was, he is being made up from being academy manager.
The 35-year-old Welshman started his professional career with Swansea City in 1989, and made 58 appearances for them before joining Carlisle United .
At Brunton Park, Davey skippered the Cumbrians during his 137 games and his 23 goals tempted Preston to splash out £125,000 to secure his services .
Apart from a brief loan spell with Darlington in 1997, he spent the rest of his playing career at Preston.

 

nothing like hedging your bets!

He had the backing of all the lads, certainly the majority

 

RE: nothing like hedging your bets!

I thought that, also sometimes he might have been a bit too nice, seems toback up the theory that he was too soft on them. Pity a few more did'nt try a bit harder consistently over recent matches and he might still be there.Sounds like a few are getting worried over their places.already

 

Thinking about it.. To bad Uwe Rösler just signed as manager for the norwegian club Viking. He is not to nice

 

dont want to play for another manager

 what about the players picking there own team then??</p>