Stuart Gray was appointed caretaker manager of Burnley yesterday after the English Championship (second-division) club sacked Brian Laws.
First-team coach Gray will be assisted by youth team boss Terry Pashley and club captain Graham Alexander in an arrangement Burnley said would last for the next three games as they search for a permanent manager.
“The trio will oversee Burnley’s next three games following the departure of Brian Laws as manager and his assistant Russ Wilcox,” a Burnley statement said.
Laws exited Turf Moor on Wednesday following a 2-0 home defeat by Scunthorpe and subsequently released a statement through the League Managers’ Association, voicing his sadness at his departure.
“Naturally I am very saddened to receive the news and disappointed that I will no longer have the opportunity to achieve my ambition of reaching the Championship play-offs this season and, ultimately, promotion back to the Barclays Premier League,” he said.
Former Premier League managers Gary Megson and Phil Brown have both been linked with the Burnley vacancy.
Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season and are currently two points off a play-off place.
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Laws was never a popular figure with Clarets fans and, after only one win away from Turf Moor this season, club chairman Barry Kilby felt a change of manager was needed now if Burnley were to have a chance of returning to the top flight at the first attempt.
“Everyone is naturally disappointed and frustrated that recent results have not gone as we would have hoped,” Kilby said. “The board of directors has therefore decided that we need a fresh approach in order to achieve our goal of returning to the Premier League.”
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