Accrington owner reveals why he sacked long-serving manager John Coleman via WhatsApp

Accrington Stanley owner and chairman Andy Holt has revealed he sacked long-serving manager John Coleman and assistant Jimmy Bell by WhatsApp message and then accused them of dividing the club.

Coleman managed Stanley for bigger than 12 years across two spells, the latest of which saw him and Bell plan shut charge for almost a decade earlier than a immediate statement on Sunday asserting their departure.

Many followers had been dismayed by the nature of the dismissal nevertheless Holt has now defined his contemplating, citing an interview Bell did with Radio Lancashire earlier this season where he expressed a wish for longer contracts for himself and Coleman, as correctly as miserable performances, as the catalyst.

Holt reacted furiously to the interview, declaring the club up on the market, and he mentioned on accringtonstanley.co.uk: “I WhatsApp messaged and texted both John and Jimmy at spherical 9am telling them of the dedication. I also knowledgeable them the club would assign an announcement out quickly.

“Every messages to them and that assign out by the club might perchance perchance very correctly be extinct towards the club, so it had to be easy, easy and reputedly frigid.

“I essentially gather labored with John and Jimmy and most of the time it change into once sizable, and fun. They performed badly in our relegation season, I didn’t sack them bask in every other owner would gather.

“They made serious errors and no matter this, I didn’t want it to remain. They went public and divided our fanbase potentially eternally, an action that I did no longer deserve, having regarded after them extraordinarily correctly in my time at the club.

“I knew with out retraction our relationship change into once over. Regardless of getting months and months to enact this, they didn’t. It change into once a combination of miserable efficiency and the public disagreements that resulted in the live.

“Their performances resulted in losses closing season of £600,000 followed by this season of £1m. Losses that I essentially gather a different, either fund the club or assign directors in. I selected to fund the losses because I peaceful imagine Accrington deserves and desperately wishes a sizable club. However the persevered funding of these losses stops at the live of this season.”

Accrington had been relegated from League One closing season and at the 2nd sit 16th in the League Two table. Coach John Doolan change into once appointed as intervening time manager following the departures of Coleman and Bell.

Further reporting by PA