Hegarty departs Tannadice hotseat

By Sean Sarancuzk
January 30 2003

Sadly United have sacked yet another manager in the bid to find our feet and lift of bottom of the SPL, so far United have axed Alex Smith in November and today Paul Hegarty along with Maurice Malpas and John Holt.

Dundee United have parted company with manager Paul Hegarty after just 14 games in charge.

Hegarty had succeeded Alex Smith in November, stepping up from the coaching staff to take the job until the end of the season.

United have revealed that they are already close to unveiling Hegarty's replacement.

A United spokesman said: "A press conference has been called at 3.30pm in which the situation regarding the current manager and the future manager will be resolved.

"We are confident of unveiling our new manager later today."

United are currently bottom of the Scottish Premier League with just three wins all season, although Wednesday night's 2-0 loss at Celtic was no disgrace.

With a CIS Insurance Cup semi-final - also against Celtic - just a few days away, the timing of Hegarty's departure was unexpected.

Hegarty had also been allowed to make full use of the January transfer window to bolster his squad, signing Billy Dodds from Rangers, Livingston defender Gary Bollan, ex-Partick free agent Daniele Chiarini and taking Bradford's Andy Tod until the end of the season.

But Hegarty was never the first choice of chairman Eddie Thompson, whose protracted buy-out of former manager and chairman Jim McLean was finally completed in October.

Thompson had originally wanted Ian McCall but he opted to stay at Falkirk.

Steve Paterson, then at Inverness and now in charge of Aberdeen, then became the favourite but the bid to sign him also ended without success.

Hegarty, who was a legend at Tannadice as a player, was promoted from his caretaker role as a result but since beating Motherwell on November 16 United have failed to win game.

The subsequent 12-game sequence saw United beaten seven times to drop behind Motherwell in the table and bow out of the Scottish Cup.