West Bromwich left without manager
Today, West Bromwich Albion manager, Steve Clarke, announced his retirement from football management. Baggies' supporters were left in shock after Clarke revealed in a press conference that he would no longer be a manager. At the age of 50, he isn't exactly one of the oldest managers on the scene, but age was not the reason behind his retirement.
Steve Clarke left West Bromwich to pursue his dream career of fire-fighting. Since a child, Clarke has always wanted to be a firefighter, and now, he has decided to finally follow his heart. The former Albion boss has joined a small fire brigade in the West Midlands where he will start to follow his childhood dream. He said to reporters during a press conference with the club,
“I don't want the fans to think that this is because of any kind of falling out with the club. I have loved every moment at The Hawthornes during my year in charge. I am glad that I was able to bring a smile to the face of the fans, after a very successful season for me and the club. West Bromwich will always have a place in my heart as the team that I managed during my only proper management tenure. Leaving the club really isn't the sort of thing that I want to do, but football management was never something I grew up wanting to do. Since I was a small child I have always wanted to be a fire fighter. I feel like because of my age, this will be my last chance to pursue my dream. I want to take this opportunity to thank the club for all the support they have given over the past year, and wish them good luck for the season ahead!”
Steve may of started out wanting to be part of the fire brigade, but he grew up with another hobby. Football. From the age of 19, Steve Clarke played for Scottish football team, St Mirren where he made 200 appearances during his five years as a defender at the club. In 1987, Clarke moved to English club, Chelsea where he spent the last 11 years of his career, making a total of 330 appearances. He played for Chelsea up until he retired as a player in 1998, at the age of 35. After that he had jobs at; Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool. However non of them were as the clubs actual manager. It wasn't until 2012 that Steve got his first proper job in charge of a club. That club was West Bromwich Albion, where he brought the team to an impressive, 8th place, with 49 points.
Candidates for the job include; former manager, Roberto Di Matteo, who is currently unemployed. Tony Pulis, who is also unemployed after he left Stoke City. Favourite for the job however, is current Norwich boss, Chris Hughton, who is reportedly unsettled at the Canaries.
