Sam Allardyce has resigned as manager of Bolton.
Allardyce leaves Bolton on the verge of qualification for the UEFA
Cup, with Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside confirming in a
statement that Allardyce has left the club amid rumours he could be
appointed as Manchester City boss in the summer.
Gartsidesaid: 'I have reluctantly accepted the resignation of Sam
Allardyce after eight years of unprecedented success at the club.'
A BBC Panorama investigation linked him to a bungs scandal, though
Allardyce refuted the accusations made in the programme and
threatened the programme-makers with legal action.
Panorama's 'Undercover: Football's Dirty Secrets' claimed that
Allardyce and his son Craig, formerly a football agent, were given
illegal payments to facilitate player transfers.
He has apparently revealed his reasons for stepping down to
Gartside, but the Bolton chairman wants the matter to be kept
private.
Gartside said: 'I would like to thank Sam for his enormous
contribution to Bolton Wanderers, both as a player, but more
importantly as a manager.
'Since joining the club as manager in October 1999, he has helped
lead a fantastic transformation of this famous Lancashire club and
has helped design and build an infrastructure that will enable the
club to continue the progress that we have undoubtedly made in his
period of office.
'He has given his reasons for wanting to leave the club at this
time, which are private and we respect that privacy.
'I would like to wish Sam and his family every success in the
future.'
Allardyce then released his own statement explaining how he had
reached his decision to stand down.
'After nearly eight privileged years with Bolton Wanderers Football
Club, I would like to announce that, after careful consideration
and dialogue with my close family and senior officials within the
football club, I will be resigning as manager of the club with
immediate effect.
'It was mutually decided that I step down now rather than at the
end of the season, to give my successor the ideal opportunity to
experience the preparation and build-up of matchday in readiness of
next season.
'The decision to leave the football club, which has been my
spiritual home for over 18 years, as both player and manager, is
one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life.
'However, after guiding the team into a position where the club is
on the verge of qualification for European football for the second
time in three years, which has been the accumulation of almost
seven years of strategic building and hard work across all areas of
the football club, I feel it is the right moment to step down from
my duties and welcome a new exciting era for the club under
different leadership.
'I feel the club is in a great position to continue its upward
trajectory with a talented internationally-recognised squad,
supported by an excellent Academy programme across all ages working
under the guidance of a highly-skilled football management
team.
'I believe the foundation of the next phase for the next
development stage of the club is well and truly in place. It is
with this knowledge that I feel confident that I am moving on with
my life content with a legacy that I have tried to create for this
special club and I wish the owner, chairman, staff, players and
above all the fans every success in the future.'
There was little indication that Allardyce was intent on walking
away from the club he joined as an apprentice.
Only eight days ago in his programme notes before the home match
with Reading - which they lost 3-2 - he spoke of the immediate
challenge ahead.
Allardyce said: 'The main aim is to finish top of our league, and
top of our league means fifth.
'I think that would be a major plus for a club like ours.
'I still maintain that around the 60-point mark would be the
optimum total to achieve our aim.'
