Burnley and Preston appoint caretakers

Last updated : 01 January 2011 By Luke Thornhill

Burnley have appointed Stuart Gray as caretaker manager after sacking Brian Laws and his assistant Russ Wilcox.

Gray has stepped up from first-team coach, and will be joined by youth coach Terry Pashley and player-coach Graham Alexander.

The Turf Moor side sacked Laws and Wilcox on Wednesday following a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Scunthorpe on Tuesday left them two points away from the play-off positions.

Laws was one of two managers to lose their job in Lancashire on the same day, with Darren Ferguson shown the door at Preston North End shortly afterwards.

They appointed David Unsworth as caretaker manager on Thursday, after confirming assistant Kevin Russell was also sacked.

"We are delighted David has agreed to take care of the club at a difficult time; it couldn't be in better hands," said Maurice Lindsay, the Preston chairman.

"David is a Preston man. He loves the club and is one of most enthusiastic people in the game of football and he will have full support of the club and the players."

 

The sacking brought an immediate response from Ferguson's dad, Sir Alex.
The Manchester United manager recalled two players from Preston, Richie DeLaet and Matthew James, apparently as a direct repsonse.

The sacking brought an immediate response from Ferguson's dad, Sir Alex.

The Manchester United manager recalled two players from Preston, Richie DeLaet and Matthew James, apparently as a direct repsonse.

 

Sheffield United have appointed Micky Adams as manager. The South Yorkshire club agred compensation with his current club Port Vale.

He will replace Gary Speed, who left to become manager of Wales after only four months.