Falkirk chairman Gary Deans says ‘change is required’ at the League One club as former Norwich City coach Gary Holt takes charge following the departures of David McCracken and Lee Miller as co-managers.
The Bairns looked in pole position for the League One title at the turn of the year but three league wins in 2021 has allowed Partick Thistle to move into top spot. Sporting director and former manager Holt will take the team until the end of the season, having worked as manager at Livingston and first-team coach at Norwich City.
The former Norwich City man is Bairns boss until the end of the season. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
He was also Falkirk manager between 2013-2014 before leaving for Norwich City and rejoined the club in the behind-the-scenes sporting director role earlier this season. A 1-0 defeat to Peterhead this week brought an end to McCracken and Miller’s 17-month reign in the dugout and Deans says something had to give.
Deans said: “It’s never easy having to ask people to leave the football club and this is no different. Both Lee and David, as well as Derek Jackson, have been good servants to this Club but we all must acknowledge that things have not worked out as envisaged.
“Recent performances and results have not been good enough and change is required. We thank all three for their contribution to Falkirk FC over a number of years and wish them well for the future. We are grateful that Gary Holt has agreed to assume temporary control of first-team duties.
The pair have left. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group via Getty Images)
“This was not the role that Gary was originally recruited for, and both he and the Board of Directors, are keen to undertake a rigorous process to recruit a new first-team coaching set-up which will allow Gary to return to his Sporting Director duties and to continue building on the positive work undertaken so far.”
NTOF now offers a YouTube channel featuring exclusive interviews, post-match discussion, in-depth debate, and much more – LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and don’t miss any of our videos.