BIG SAM QUITS THE WANDERERS

By Mark Heys
April 29 2007

Sam Allardyce has confirmed that he has resigned as Bolton Wanderers manager with immediate effect following over seven years with the club.

An official statement has been issued by the club following widespread media reports over the weekend concerning Mr Allardyce's future and the statement reads as follows:

AFTER nearly eight privileged years with Bolton Wanderers Football Club, I would like to announce that, after careful consideration and dialogue with my close family and senior officials within the football club, I will be resigning as manager of the Club with immediate effect.

It was mutually decided that I step down now rather than at the end of the season, to give my successor the ideal opportunity to experience the preparation and build up of matchday in readiness of next season.

The decision to leave the football club, which has been my spiritual home for over 18 years, as both player and manager, is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life.

However, after guiding the team into a position where the Club is on the verge of qualification for European football for the second time in three years, which has been the accumulation of almost seven years of strategic building and hard work across all areas of the football club, I feel it is the right moment to step down from my duties and welcome a new exciting era for the Club under different leadership.

I feel the club is in a great position to continue its upward trajectory with a talented internationally recognised squad, supported by an excellent Academy programme across all ages working under the guidance of a highly-skilled football management team.

I believe the foundation of the next phase for the next development stage of the Club is well and truly in place. It is with this knowledge that I feel confident that I am moving on with my life content with a legacy that I have tried to create for this special club and I wish the owner, chairman, staff, players and above all the fans every success in the future.

Sam Allardyce (Sunday 29th April 2007)

Chairman Phil Gartside has also issued the following statement to the clubs supporters following the shock announcement concerning arguably the best manager the Wanderers have ever had.

I have reluctantly accepted the resignation of manager Sam Allardyce after eight years of unprecedented success at the Club.

I would like to thank Sam for his enormous contribution to Bolton Wanderers, both as a player, but more importantly as a manager.

Since joining the club as manager in October 1999, he has helped lead a fantastic transformation of this famous Lancashire club and has helped design and build an infrastructure that will enable the Club to continue the progress that we have undoubtedly made in his period of office.

He has given his reasons for wanting to leave the club at this time, which are private and we respect that privacy.

I would like to wish Sam and his family every success in the future

Phil Gartside (Sunday 29th April 2007)

WALKING DOWN THE MANNY ROAD WOULD LIKE TO WISH SAM ALLARDYCE ALL THE BEST IN HIS FUTURE CAREER AND THANK HIM FOR THE LAST SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.