Hoddle Resigns As Wolves Boss - Updated

By Scott Cooper
July 1 2006

WOLVERHAMPTON Wanderers manager Glenn Hoddle today resigned as manager of the club with immediate effect. He cited the fact that his ambition failed to match the clubs as the reason for his departure.

Hoddle succeeded Dave Jones as Wolves manager back in the December of 2004. His appointment at the time was big news in English football as the former England boss put pen to paper on a sixth month deal. The decision by the Wolves board to offer such a short deal was met by criticism by the Wolves fans who were worried Hoddle would only be in the Molineux hot seat short-term whilst he looked for a more lucrative deal elsewhere.

However at the end of that season Wolves were showing promising form and following weeks of speculation the boss put pen to paper on a one year rolling contract.

It was met with delight by the majority of the Wolves support but the season which followed failed to go the way Hoddle expected. Wolves started the season slowly and eventually petered out to a seventh place finish and rumbles of discontent from sections of the Wolves support started to appear.

Hoddle's cause was not helped by Chief Executive Jez Moxey branding the season a "complete disaster" in his programme notes with just a handful of the season remaining.

Fans chanted "Hoddle Out" in the remaining few games of the season but despite the board and Hoddle appearing to be slit come the end of the season, the Wolves board gave Hoddle a vote of confidence and confirmed he would be Wolves manager for the foreseeable future.

However today Hoddle released a statement to the Press Association announcing his decision to resign as Wolves manager with "immediate effect".

"I wish to announce my decision, with immediate effect, to resign as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club." Hoddle told Sporting Life.

"It has been a very difficult decision but I feel my expectations and the club's expectations have drifted too far apart in recent weeks. This decision has been made early in pre-season for the benefit of the club.

"I would like to take the opportunity of thanking the board, players, staff and fans for their support and efforts and wish everyone connected with Wolverhampton Wanderers every success in the future."

Wolves will now be forced to search for a new manager before the season starts at the beginning of August,