Cambridge United sack head coach Mark Bonner after third straight …
Cambridge United have sacked head coach Mark Bonner following Tuesday’s 3-0 home defeat to Lincoln. United have lost three straight games and dropped to 18th place in League One, prompting the decision to part company with a man who has been at the club in various roles since 2011, taking full charge of the first team in 2020 and guiding them to promotion to League One in his first full season.
In September the 38-year-old signed a new contract with his side riding high in sixth place, but there has been a considerable loss of form since.
Majority owner Paul Barry said on the club’s website: “I want to start by simply saying this – Mark Bonner will rightly go down as one of the most important people in the history of Cambridge United[1] Football Club.
“All of us – owners, board, staff, players and fans – know how lucky we have been to have him and how hard this decision has been.” Cambridge United has made huge strides on and off the pitch over the last five years and Mark has been instrumental in building our strong foundations for the future, creating special memories and moments for all of us along the way – most notably promotion during lockdown, Newcastle away in the FA Cup[4] and the great escape last season.
“He has done it through his leadership and energy, his talent as a coach, his natural communication and empathy, and his desire to push the club forward on and off the pitch as someone born and brought up in Cambridge, who genuinely cares about our city and its communities.
He added: “But in football, sometimes you do have to make decisions you believe are right for the long-term future of the Club – difficult though they can sometimes be. Given our recent performances and results, we all feel – Owners and Board – that this is the right moment to part company with Mark, with huge respect, admiration and acknowledgement for all we have achieved together.
“We will now consider the right appointment for the Club at this stage of our development. In the meantime, Barry Corr, working with Kevin Betsy will have responsibility for the first team squad.”
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References
- ^ Cambridge United (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Woman dies following crash on Cambs A-road (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Police believe missing teenager could be in Cambridge (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ FA Cup (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ You can also sign up to our dedicated Peterborough, Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in. (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)