Grayson sacked by Huddersfield Town

Grayson, who joined the club 11 months ago after being sacked by Leeds, had failed to win a game for the Terriers in thier last 12 League fixtures.

Their last win in the League was a 1-0 win at Barnsley on November 10.

Grayson was sacked by Leeds on February 1 last year and took the Town job on February 20, steering them to promotion from League One via the play-offs.

The Terriers defeated Sheffield United on penalties in the play-off final in May, and after a bright start to life in the Championship, had dropped towards the relegation battle after a dire run which culminated in a 4-0 defeat at Watford last Saturday.

Huddersfield chairman Dean Hoyle said in a statement: “In making this decision, we have thought long and hard.

“It has been made with both the short term and long term needs of the club in mind. We brought Simon in with the immediate aim to lead the club to promotion and he did that at the first attempt. It is an achievement for which we are grateful.

“We knew the transition to Championship football would be difficult and our targets for this season have been realistic, with retention of our status the priority.

“However, having worked so hard to get back into the second tier we have to do everything we can to consolidate that position.

“After exceeding all our expectations in the early part of the season, our results and performances as a team and from individual players have tailed off alarmingly.

“Worsening displays have accompanied a run of just six points and no wins from the last 12 League games, including some very heavy defeats, culminating at Watford last Saturday.

“Whilst we would all have hoped for even some modest signs of improvement to begin to emerge as the weeks have passed that has not been the case. This has made the position untenable.

“We will now seek to recruit a new First Team Manager who can, in the short term, lead and reinvigorate the team and players for the remainder of this season and also drive us forward towards our long term aims.

“We will not rush to make a new appointment. In the interim Academy Manager Mark Lillis and Senior Professional Development Coach Steve Eyre will take control of the team, starting with Saturday’s FA Cup Fourth Round game at home to Leicester City.

“Managerial change is a last resort and I hope our supporters will now get fully behind the team, Mark and Steve, starting on Saturday.”