It was never a match made in heaven but the short love affair between Gary Megson and the Bolton Wanderers fans finally came to an end of Wednesday when the club relieved him of his duties and began the search for a new manager.

 

Megson’s tenure did not begin in the best of circumstances with the Reebok fans clearly stating their dissatisfaction with the appointment. Sammy Lee’s replacement did lead the side out of relegation trouble but neither Megson nor the fans seemed to ever quite settle with each other. Matters came to a head when fans booed Megson’s decision to replace striker Ivan Klasnic with midfielder Gavin McCann after his side saw their 2-0 lead halved, a lead they lost shortly afterwards with the match finishing 2-2. At the final whistle, fans vented their frustrations and banners were unfurled indicating their desire to see a different face in the hot seat.

With Bolton slipping into the relegation zone, chairman Phil Gartside took the decision that the long-term future of the club would be better served if Megson moved on. The speculation over his replacement immediately moved into overdrive with Burnley manager Owen Coyle and former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City boss Mark Hughes paced firmly in the spotlight.