We take a look at who are the top six favourites to become next Grimsby Town manager according to the Sky Bet bookies market.
Ian Holloway took to his social media account on Wednesday to surprise fans with an announcement of his resignation from the club.
The Mariners drop a place to 20th while Bradford climb to 18th in the League Two table, a point ahead of Grimsby and seven above the bottom two.
Ian Holloway wrote on social media on Wednesday morning: “To all the fans, It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my resignation as manager of Grimsby Town Football Club.
“New wannabe owners are hovering over GTFC and John has told me he is selling his stake in the club. So it’s time for a fresh start across the board for this great club.
“As I said recently, I intend to be fully honest with you, the supporters. Contact was made by the new owners to me on several occasions before the takeover, which I felt was inappropriate, and told them as such. This is the key factor in my decision.
“Why? The relationship between the incoming new owners, board and manager is so so important. It needs to be strong for a club to succeed, and we got off on the wrong footing. Therefore, that relationship will be strained from the off, which is bad for the club.
“This is a club that, if everybody has its best interests at heart, can progress onwards and upwards. That is their challenge. That is their honour. I sincerely wish them all the best going forward and I implore them to communicate regularly and openly with the fans.
“For a myriad of reasons, on and off the pitch, it feels like we didn’t get a fair crack together, and I take me share of the blame too. I hoped for this to be a long, serious relationship but it hasn’t worked out that way, and that saddens me.
“I wish you every bit of success. The fans deserve it. God bless.”
The Mariners expressed their “sadness” at Holloway’s decision to walk away in a statement on their website, and thanked him for his work at the club.
It read: “It is with great sadness and disappointment that Ian Holloway has made his intentions absolutely clear that, with John Fenty agreeing to sell his shares, he does not want to remain at the club without progressing with the people that he came here to work with.
“The board and ‘Ollie’ had a joint vision, first to improve the league position, secondly to deliver top-class training facilities and finally by relocation to a new community stadium.
“It has been a difficult year for obvious reasons which invariably affected all clubs, some worse than others.
“The club, albeit prematurely, will prepare to move on to a new chapter and would like to put on record its thanks to Ian and Kim (Holloway) for committing themselves to our vision and wish them both all the very best for the future.”
Meanwhile, Grimsby’s prospective takeover appears to have collapsed on a turbulent day.
Holloway blamed his resignation on the “inappropriate” actions of the club’s prospective new owners, led by Tom Shutes, stating they contacted him directly on several occasions.
Shutes and his associates Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit denied that but club chairman Philip Day then stated that representatives of the group had called Holloway three times.
In a statement reported by the Grimsby Telegraph, Shutes, Stockwood and Pettit wrote: “Like many fans, we reacted with surprise and disappointment when we heard of Ian Holloway’s resignation earlier this morning through social media.
“We would like to clarify to all concerned that none of us have ever had any contact with Mr Holloway. Several weeks ago, we did make it clear through a mutual friend that we were very supportive of Ian and that if we were to take over as custodians of the club we wanted to build a legacy with him in place (which we also communicated to Philip Day in our discussions over the last week).
“While we have acted at all times in the best interests of the club, we have to step away from further negotiations and give Philip Day the space and time he clearly needs to navigate the Mariners through this turbulent period in the club’s history.”
Day responded in a statement on the club’s website.
It read: “Ian Holloway received two telephone calls from Mr Mark Palmer who stated that he was speaking on behalf of Mr Shutes.
“We are aware that Mr Palmer acted for Tom Shutes in previous negotiations and due diligence. Ian recorded one of those conversations and it has been heard by the board.
“Further, Ian Holloway recently received another call, this time from Mr Dean Holdsworth, who had been asked to speak to him on behalf of Messrs Shutes, Stockwood and Pettit.
“As well as a director, Ian Holloway was an employee of the club and did not consider it appropriate behaviour to go behind the board and approach an employee direct.”
Time to find out who are the top six favourites to become next Grimsby Town manager…
6) Phil Parkinson
Late November 2020 saw Sunderland announce that they sacked their manager Phil Parkinson after 13 months in charge of the third tier based club.
A draw at Fleetwood was a third league game without a win for the Black Cats, leaving them eighth in the League One table.
The ex-Bolton Wanderers boss, 52, replaced Jack Ross at the Stadium of Light in October 2019 and led them to eighth place last season.
Parky had a successful spell at Valley Parade between 2011 and 2016, enjoying a promising run in the Johnstones Paint Trophy, guided them to League Two safety, the League Cup final (lost 5-0 to Swansea), promotion to League One via the playoffs, a 4-2 FA Cup at Chelsea despite being 2-0 down – booking a place in the FA Cup quarter finals, reached the League One playoffs (lost to Millwall), but then left the club for Bolton.
He recently ruled himself out of the job at Bradford City.
Sky Bet odds: 10/1
5) Simon Grayson
Grayson was last in charge of Blackpool, however a worrying start saw them pick up just one win in 12 games in all competitions.
A 3-2 defeat at home to Gillingham left them 15th in the League One table, despite being 4th in mid-December 2019.
Prior to that, he was with Bradford City (in League One at the time), though got the boot in May 2018, managing just 14 matches for them – winning 3, drawing 5, and losing 6.
He’s also managed Sunderland, Preston, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Blackpool.
His managerial honours have seen him win the 2015 League One final with Preston, win the 2012 League One playoff final with Huddersfield, promotion from the third tier of English football with Leeds in 2010, and another League One playoff final win with Blackpool in 2007.
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
4) Sol Campbell
The former England international has been out of work since he departed Southend United in June 2020, leaving via mutual consent.
The 45-year-old former footballer took charge of the Shrimpers back in October 2019, but won only four of his 23 games in charge.
They were relegated after the League One season was ended in June, three months after matches were halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Preivous to that, he was manager of Macclesfield Town, but left in 2019 with the club suffering off-field financial problems with players revealing they considered boycotting the final game of the 2018/19 season in protest about unpaid wages after they were paid late for three consecutive months.
He mutually agreed to part ways with the club 8th in the League Two table and miraculously saved them from relegation.
Sky Bet odds: 7/1
Club Statement: Sol Campbell and his backroom staff leave the club by mutual consent.
— Southend United (@SUFCRootsHall) June 30, 2020
3) Danny Cowley
Cowley was most recently was sacked by Huddersfield Town, despite beating second-place West Brom in his last game in charge, which all-but-confirmed the club’s survival.
It’s understood that owner Phil Hodgkinson wanted total control over transfers — but his manager was not willing to work that way.
Danny first grabbed the attention of the country when he and his brother took Lincoln City all the way to the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 2017, causing shocks against Ipswich, Brighton and Burnley along the way.
The Imps finished the 2016/17 season crowned champions of the National League and then in the 2017/18 season finished 7th, claiming a playoff place in their first season back in the Football League and also won the EFL Trophy at Wembley.
In the 2018/19 season, Danny and Nicky Cowley’s side finished top of the League Two table and won promotion to League One.
Danny Cowley left League One high flyers Lincoln to join the Championship strugglers in September, who at the time were 23rd in the table having failed to win any of their first six matches.
Sky Bet odds: 7/1
2) Filipe Morais
Morais currently plays as a winger for Grimsby Town having signed for them early December.
He started his career with Chelsea before making appearances for MK Dons, Millwall, St Johnstone, Hibernian, Inverness, Oldham, Stevenage, Bradford, Bolton and Crawley.
The latter club he once was a caretaker at following the departure of Harry Kewell.
Sky Bet odds: 6/1
1) Paul Hurst
Hurst guided Shrewsbury Town to the Playoff Final last May, despite starting the season as favourites for relegation, alongside the final of the Checkatrade Trophy.
He left to join Ipswich in the summer of 2018 but was sacked in October of the same year after taking them to the bottom of the Championship table.
He was then appointed by Scunthorpe United in May 2019 but was sacked in January 2020.
- Ilkeston Town (joint with Rob Scott) – 15 January 2009 until 14 May 2009, 29 games, 18 wins, 6 draws, 5 defeats, 62.1 win %
- Boston United (joint with Rob Scott) – 14 May 2009 until 22 March 2011, 75 games, 45 wins, 16 draws, 14 defeats, 60.0 win %
- Grimsby Town (joint with Rob Scott) – 23 March 2011 until 19 September 2013, 132 games, 59 wins, 38 draws, 35 defeats, 44.7 win %
- Grimsby Town – 19 September 2013 until 24 October 2016, 182 games, 90, wins, 46 draws, 46 defeats, 49.5 win %
- Shrewsbury Town – 24 October 2016 until 30 May 2018, 97 games, 47 wins, 23 draws, 27 defeats, 48.5 win %
- Ipswich Town – 30 May 2018 until 25 October 2018, 15 games, 1 win, 7 draws, 7 defeats, 6.7 win %
- Scunthorpe United – 13 May 2019 until 29 January 2020, 38 games, 12 wins, 10 draws, 16 defeats, 31.6 win %
- Total – 568 games, 272 wins, 146 draws, 150 defeats, 47.9 win %
Sky Bet odds: 4/1
Paul Hurst favourite in next Grimsby Town manager odds. #LeagueTwo #Mariners #GTFC https://t.co/WEuqhIFBbT
— Midfield Gen. (ret.) (@ParkStryfe) December 23, 2020
Now you have seen who are the top six favourites to become next Grimsby Town manager, who do you want to see appointed? Let us know in the comments below or on our socials.
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