Wigan Athletic have sacked manager Leam Richardson after they lost 6 of their past seven games to fall into the Championship relegation zone.
Leam Richardson : Sacked | Wigan Athletic | Contract
Leam Nathan Richardson is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of Wigan Athletic.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leam Nathan Richardson | ||
| Date of birth | 19 November 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
As a player, Richardson played for Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Notts County, Blackpool and Accrington Stanley, whilst he has held coaching roles previously at Accrington Stanley, Chesterfield and Portsmouth.
On 13 August 2005 he joined Accrington Stanley on a free transfer on non-contract terms. He made his debut against Canvey Island in the Football Conference on 13 August 2005.
Leam Richardson Sacked
Wigan Athletic have sacked manager Leam Richardson after a run of eight successive games without a win.
The move will still come as a surprise with many aware of the remarkable job Richardson has performed under difficult circumstances over the past three seasons – taking Wigan from administration and a League One relegation battle back into the Championship.
Wigan said in a statement on Twitter: ‘The Club would like to place on record it’s thanks to Leam for his efforts and dedication throughout his time at the Football Club, none more so than during the period of administration and his instinctive reaction that helped save the life of Charlie Wyke.
‘A much-loved individual and someone who Latics fans will always hold in very high regard, Leam will always be welcomed back at the DW. We would like to wish both Leam and his family the very best for the future.’
Last season, despite limited resources and a small squad, Richardson drove Wigan to the League One title under their new ownership, which saw them claim promotion back to the second tier after a two-year absence.
That had come after he had battled against the odds to keep them up the previous season, was commended for saving the life of Charlie Wyke, after the striker suffered a cardiac arrest, and had the club’s south stand renamed after him for his efforts.
Leam Richardson Wigan Athletic
On 31 May 2017, Richardson once again followed Cook to Wigan Athletic, once again acting as his assistant manager.
He and Cook oversaw Wigan’s promotion to the Championship in their first season in charge, and kept them there for two seasons.
Following a takeover in mid-2020, Wigan collapsed into administration and were relegated after being punished with a –12 point deduction. Cook resigned as manager on 4 August 2020 and Richardson was appointed to take charge of training duties until further notice.
John Sheridan was appointed as the club’s new permanent manager, but he left after just 15 games to join Swindon Town, and Richardson was named caretaker manager.
Following Wigan’s takeover in March 2021, the new owners stated that Richardson would continue in his caretaker manager role until the end of the season.
Despite this, Richardson was appointed as the permanent manager of the club on 21 April 2021 with three games still remaining.
Richardson confirmed that Cook, who had recently been appointed manager of Ipswich Town, had asked him to join him in Suffolk as his assistant again, but he declined so he could remain at Wigan.
He insisted however that there was no ill-will on either side and that they remain on good terms. Also he was able to keep Wigan up, avoiding relegation to League Two.
Contract
Richardson led the Latics to the League One title last season and only signed a new three-year contract on October 25.
However, the 42-year-old has paid the price for six defeats and a draw in the club’s last seven league games, with assistant Rob Kelly placed in charge for Saturday’s game at home to Blackpool.
A statement on the club’s website read: “Last season, Richardson guided the club to the title on the final day of the season against Shrewsbury Town as Latics returned to the Championship in his first full season in charge.
“However, having looked at the recent run of form that is challenging the team’s status as a Championship club, the board have made the decision to make a change.