Southend sack manager Chris Powell with club 20th in League One
Wednesday 27 March 2019 10:36, UK
Southend have sacked Chris Powell as manager in a bid to stave off relegation to Sky Bet League Two.
A run of 11 matches without a win had "impacted all concerned and immediate changes needed to be made", the club said.
"The club's interests are paramount, but the board are nevertheless disappointed to see Chris Powell leave," a statement added.
Academy coach Ricky Duncan will take over on a caretaker basis.
Powell, 49, took over as manager at Southend in January last year, returning to the club he played for between 1990 and 1996.
He led the club to a 10th-place finish last season.
But Southend's form in the current campaign has left them above the relegation zone only on goal difference with just seven matches left.
His sacking means there are now just five BAME managers across all 92 league clubs - just 4.5% of the total.
