Bradford axe falls on Hutchings

Just five months and 12 league games after succeeding his friend Paul Jewell as manager of Bradford City, Chris Hutchings yesterday found himself walking in the same direction as Jewell in mid-May - away from Valley Parade. Unlike Jewell, however, who had marched out voluntarily after being unable to work with the omnipotent Bradford chairman Geoffrey Richmond any longer, Hutchings was told to leave by the same chairman.

Stuart McCall, Hutchings' assistant and the most popular Bradford player in recent years, will take temporary charge of a side that had only Derby County below them in the Premiership after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Charlton. At 36 McCall's playing days are nearing their end - and he does want to be a manager - but he may still find the prospect of management arriving earlier than he had expected and the usual line-up of out-of-work suspects such as Steve Bruce were being touted as possible replacements for Hutchings last night.

McCall, though, would have the advantage of knowing Richmond well and presumably understands the kind of overbearing pressure he exerted on both Jewell and Hutchings.

A fortnight ago there was further evidence of that when Richmond publicly admonished Hutchings and said his job was far from safe, but though Bradford rallied with a resilient performance against Leeds at home, featuring a great goal from on-loan Stan Collymore, they then lost 4-3 to Newcastle in the League Cup last Wednesday and Hutchings took Collymore off with the scoreline 3-3.

Hutchings also substituted Benito Carbone and within the Valley Parade dressing-room it was felt that spelt the end for Hutchings if Bradford then lost at Charlton, which they did.

The timing of the dismissal leaves the new manager some space to try to reverse the declining situation. Bradford are only four points off fourth bottom spot, the target any Bradford manager would be happy to hit.