Guardian
Peter Reid sacked after auctioning FA Cup medal to help pay staffAfter dipping into his own pocket to pay the club's heating bill, Peter Reid was sacked as Plymouth manager by Peter Ridsdale
* Rob Bagchi
Peter Reid, sacked as Plymouth manager
Nothing should surprise you when it comes to football and Plymouth Argyle are bottom of League Two, but Sunday's decision by Peter Ridsdale to sack his manager, Peter Reid, does seem heartless. Reid, after all, dipped into his own pocket to pay the club's heating bill and auctioned off his 1986 FA Cup runners-up medal to help members of the Pilgrims' staff who, like him, had been left unpaid by the club's financial problems. He's also had to sell or release 40 players since the summer of 2010 and the thanks he gets from a man whose idea of class is renting goldfish by the month is his P45
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/sep/18/tiki-taka-peter-reid-sackedPLYMOUTH HERALD
Peter Reid sacked as Argyle manager after eight lossesPETER Reid leaves Home Park an “Argyle legend” after being sacked as manager of the rock-bottom Pilgrims following eight consecutive losses.
Opinion among the Green Army is divided as to whether giving the former England international the axe is the right move for the club, which appears on the cusp of being rescued from administration.
But supporters were last night united in paying tribute to the loyalty and sacrifices Reid gave the Pilgrims since taking the “impossible job” in June last year.
The 55-year-old was barely paid during his time at Home Park, as Argyle’s off-pitch plight saw them enter administration and drop to league football’s bottom tier.
He auctioned off his 1986 FA Cup runners-up medal to raise cash for the crisis-hit club, paid a heating bill when Argyle were penniless and gave vital support to some younger members of his squad.
Argyle Fans’ Trust chair Chris Webb said that, despite overseeing relegation and leaving Argyle fighting for their Football League lives, Reid’s efforts during his 15-month reign would never be forgotten.
“We are shocked and saddened by the news that Peter Reid is leaving the club and we’re just really grateful for everything he has done here,” Mr Webb said. “He will always be an Argyle legend for the loyalty he’s shown to this club.
“He stayed to fight on, without pay, when most managers would have walked away – and I think that’s what people will remember him for most.”
Acting chairman Peter Ridsdale took the decision following the Greens’ 2-0 defeat away defeat to Southend United on Saturday.
He made the decision on Saturday evening, and informed the club’s administrators, prospective new owner James Brent and Reid himself yesterday morning.
Devon entrepreneur Mr Brent, who is leading the race to take over at Home Park, said he did not play an active part in the decision.
He told The Herald: “Peter did have the courtesy of speaking to me in advance, but not to ask me permission.
“I suspect the truth is I probably did have a veto but, while I probably could have stopped it if I thought it was the wrong thing, it was his decision.
“I am not in a position to have been involved in the decision but I have respect for Peter Ridsdale’s decision-making capabilities in relation to football.”
Mr Brent added: “Clearly Peter Reid has been absolutely exceptional in the way in which he’s handled himself in the most trying circumstances, and it’s been an honour to meet with him in person.
“I wish him all the best for the future.”
Some fans reacted to the news with fury, saying Reid was not to blame for Argyle’s demise.
Keith Bulley, chairman of the city-based Plymouth Argyle Supporters Club, said he was “gobsmacked” to hear the former Everton and Manchester City midfielder had been ousted.
“I don’t really understand the decision,” he said. “I realise that any manager of any team, if the performances are poor like they have been since the beginning of the season, can expect to get sacked by the chairman – but these are special circumstances.
“Peter Reid had an impossible job but he stood by Plymouth Argyle and even put his hand in his pocket to pay the heating bill.
“I think it’s the wrong move at this moment in time but, having said that, I can see Peter Ridsdale’s reasoning. I have heard a lot of people blaming the manager in the last couple of weeks.
“We now need an experienced manager very quickly and I’m sure when the club is sold things will begin to turn around.”
Other fans backed the decision, with winless Argyle already six points from safety at the foot of League Two.
Ian Newell, of online fan forum PASOTI, said: “It’s a very brave decision – and I think the right one.
“Peter Reid has acted like a true gentleman throughout this and should be proud of how he has done.
“But results are results; they haven’t been good enough and that’s what matters.”
A press conference is expected to take place this afternoon, where Mr Ridsdale is set to discuss plans for an interim management team.
Team captain Carl Fletcher and long-serving goalkeeper and club captain Romain Larrieu now appear to be in line to take temporary charge.
“We have to move on and look to the future,” Mr Webb added. “The key thing now is that the club makes the right appointment to take us forward.
“Whoever it is needs to bind the fans and the players together. There’s a lot of work to do if we’re going to stay up this season.”
REID'S SACRIFICES TO SAVE PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
SACKED Argyle boss Peter Reid was at the forefront of incredible efforts to keep Argyle afloat throughout its cash crisis.
He was unveiled as manager in June last year after the Pilgrims had been relegated from the Championship.
The annual wage bill at the time was about £8million, while plummeting attendances at Home Park meant the club’s turnover as he attempted to offload high-earners was a paltry £4.9million.
The extent of Argyle’s financial woes began to emerge at the end of last year, when staff and players were paid their wages late and then-chiefs desperately sought investment as their dreams of hosting World Cup football were shattered.
In November, the club’s bank account was frozen and they were unable to pay for a delivery of heating oil. Reid dipped into his own pocket to pay the reported £1,200 bill and keep back office staff, who were working without pay, warm in sub-zero temperatures.
Argyle, already under-performing in League One, then plunged into administration in March, a move which saw them docked ten points and catapulted to the bottom of the table.
Later that month, Reid made the extraordinary decision to part with his FA Cup runners-up medal, awarded at Wembley in 1986 after his Everton side was beaten by arch rivals Liverpool.
It was auctioned off alongside other Pilgrims’ memorabilia, raising £2,200 to help pay for running costs and keep Argyle operating through the unfunded administration process.
The Pilgrims never recovered from their points deduction and lost their fight against a second successive relegation last season.
Reid, who is also said to have given financial help to some of Argyle’s younger players, had to assemble a new-look squad for League Two without any cash to spend on transfer fees.
After a draw on the opening day of the season, the Greens have failed to pick up a single point and are rooted to the bottom of the table.
PETER REID LATEST BETRAYAL BY THE BOARD
THE NAME of Peter Reid can now be added to the long list of people who have been betrayed by the former board of directors at Plymouth Argyle.
Reid was dismissed as the Pilgrims’ boss yesterday at a meeting with acting chairman Peter Ridsdale, after the defeat by Southend at Roots Hall.
He is one of the countless casualties of the financial mismanagement in the boardroom when Sir Roy Gardner was chairman and Keith Todd was executive director.
He follows those members of staff who were made redundant when Argyle were forced into administration with debts of £17 million in March.
There are also the players and the remaining employees who have not been paid properly since December.
And then, of course, there are the loyal supporters who have seen their club sink to the bottom of the Football League, and taken to the brink of a financial abyss.
All of them have suffered in the cause of the Pilgrims.
Reid was appointed by the ‘New World’ regime, with Gardner and Todd heavily involved in the process, in June 2010.
He was told at the time the wage bill at the club needed to be slashed after their relegation from the Championship the previous season.
Reid, who had been the No 2 to former Pilgrims’ boss Tony Pulis at Stoke City, was not put off by that requirement.
But he was completely unaware – as was everyone else outside the corridors of power at Home Park – of the financial storm that was brewing.
Reid inherited a large squad of well-paid players, many of whom would have been happy to leave Argyle but were on such good salaries that was not an option for them.
In truth, the Pilgrims struggled even before the cash crisis at Home Park started to unfold, putting in a series of inconsistent performances.
But, come January, and with HM Revenue and Customs pushing for a winding up petition over unpaid taxes, Reid’s job became even harder.
Several of the club’s players had to be sold, including League One’s top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips and winger Craig Noone.
What had seemed inevitable finally became reality when Argyle were forced into administration, resulting in a 10-point penalty.
That proved to be the difference between them staying up, or getting relegated to League Two.
The takeover saga at Argyle was not resolved over the summer and Reid had to hastily assemble a new squad during pre-season after many out-of-contract players were released.
He had no money to spend, so his options were limited.
Reid sent out a side for the season-opening 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury Town on August 6 with an average age of only 22.
But their inexperience soon started to show and, as confidence among the players dipped, the Pilgrims found themselves in a downward spiral from which they have, as yet, been unable to get out of.
Reid’s record as Argyle manager does not make pleasant reading – 16 wins, eight draws and 37 defeats from 61 first team matches.
But considering the difficulties he faced, especially with the players (as well as himself) repeatedly not being paid their wages, it was a thankless task.
In the end, Reid has paid the price for the results with his job, but the dignity and leadership he has shown during Argyle’s financial crisis, has been hugely commendable.
It is that for which Reid will be remembered – and thanked – by the Green Army, rather than the team’s struggles on the pitch.
Had he bailed out on the club during the dark days of last winter, as he would have been perfectly entitled to do so, the consequences could have been very serious.
Reid has, over recent weeks, had an increasing air of exasperation over Argyle’s losing streak, despite his constant shuffling pack of the card when it came to team selection.
The regular switching of goalkeepers Jake Cole and Romain Larrieu did not seem conducive to reducing the amount of goals being conceded.
Neither did the chopping and changing when it came to centre-back pairings (sometimes enforced, but more often than not by his choice).
But, whether you agree with what he decided or not, he did so for the best of reasons – to try to find a winning formula for the Pilgrims.
What proved to be his last match as manager carried a similar theme to most of the others this season.
Argyle made a reasonable start against Southend, and had the better of the first half, although neither goalkeeper – including the recalled Cole for the visitors – had any saves to make.
It was 0-0 at the interval, with the Pilgrims still to score a goal in the first period of any match this term.
One incident summed up their lack of attacking threat.
It came in the 41st minute when midfielder Will Atkinson got to the by-line and cut the ball back into the six-yard area.
An experienced striker would have read the play and put himself into a position for a simple tap-in.
But winger Luke Daley was playing as Argyle’s lone forward in a 4-1-4-1 formation and did not react to the situation.
He should have done better but, equally, he would have not been asked to play such a role had Argyle not been so short of strikers to call upon in their small squad.
The Pilgrims, without a clean sheet all season, had looked solid defensively until they conceded a needless penalty.
Right-back Durrell Berry upended Southend midfielder Michael Timlin and striker Liam Dickinson put the home side from the spot in the 64th minute.
That was followed a couple of minutes later by Argyle captain Carl Fletcher being sent-off for violent conduct, after clashing with Timlin, and the visitors’ fate was effectively sealed there and then.
Southend made sure of maximum points when former Pilgrims’ left-back Peter Gilbert headed home in the 80th minute.
The result leaves Argyle eight points, and with an inferior goal difference, behind 21st-placed Barnet – who beat them 2-0 at Underhill last Tuesday.
So even though it is still relatively early in the season, it is understandable why Ridsdale made the decision to relieve Reid of his duties.
It is a harsh way for him to be treated when you consider Reid has not been paid for months and months, he auctioned off his 1986 FA Cup final losers’ medal to raise funds for the club, and has had to operate with a small, inexperienced squad.
But Argyle staying in the Football League is essential, and Reid has been sacrificed because of that.
HERALD COMMENT - A MAN OF DIGNITY
ARGYLE manager Peter Reid was yesterday being declared a legend for the way he has stuck behind the club.
News of his dismissal was widely greeted with shock, anger and dismay despite the club’s recent dismal performance.
Few can believe that a manager who has worked without pay and has made huge personal sacrifices to keep the club afloat could be treated so badly.
It is hard to imagine how any other manager in Reid’s position would have handled the situation. Surely they would have quit Home Park a long time?
Peter Reid should leave with his head held high, having remained dignified throughout the whole crisis.
It will be up to Argyle’s new owner to appoint his successor, someone who faces an unenviable task.
Whether that person can turn the team around in these circumstances remains to be seen.
www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Peter-Reid-sacked-Argyle-manager-losses/story-13354666-detail/story.html
