Bolton fans forced Gary Megson out, says Sam Allardyce

Posted Friday, January 01, 2010 by BBC.com

Bolton fans forced Gary Megson out, says Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce was Bolton's manager for eight years.

Sam Allardyce believes there was little Gary Megson could do to keep his job once Bolton's fans had turned against him.

Megson was sacked on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw with Hull on Tuesday night left Wanderers 18th in the Premier League.

Megson endured a rocky relationship with the club's fans almost from the moment he was appointed manager in October 2007 and was roundly booed during the match at the Reebok Stadium.

By contrast, Allardyce could not have been more popular with supporters throughout his hugely successful eight-year stint at Bolton, and the Blackburn manager believes that fan power has proved ultimately decisive in Megson's fate.

"Unfortunately for Gary, the fans wouldn't quite take to him – they didn't quite endear themselves to him and they always felt there was something they disagreed with, no matter what he seemed to do," Allardyce said. "I always think that's a very unfortunate situation because in the end, if your fans decide that they don't like you then you've got very little chance of keeping your job, no matter how good you are."

Allardyce expressed his disappointment after seeing both Megson and Alan Irvine, who was sacked as Preston manager earlier this week, removed from their respective posts in the north-west in quick succession.

"It's particularly harsh at the moment," Allardyce said. "When you're in the job, you always think you should be given a little longer but obviously both sets of bosses believe they are going the wrong way and want to do something about it.

"Whether it's the right thing to do only time will tell. But I'm particularly disappointed for Alan and Gary and the only thing they can hope is that the clubs settle their contracts properly and let them move on with their lives."

Blackburn are currently only three points better off than Bolton in 13th and Allardyce admitted the Trotters should not be singled out as a crisis club.

"It's no more worrying (there) than it is for ourselves or anybody else in that bottom 10," Allardyce said. "Bolton have two games in hand, so win the two games in hand and they are above us and we are in that predicament.

"It is not an easy league at this time of the year when more than half of the season has gone by. You generally don't have as tight a bottom end as we've got at the moment and it is a worry for us all."