Jackie McNamara has quit as York City manager.
The beleaguered boss is leaving after a meeting with chairman Jason McGill in which it was “was agreed that results and performances, in the main, have not been acceptable”.
However, McNamara has been asked to stay on to train and prepare the team until a successor is found.
The club released this statement this morning (Monday):
After purposeful discussions it was agreed that results and performances, in the main, have not been acceptable nor have they achieved the high standards expected.
In order to assist the managerial transition period and to accommodate a thorough identification, interview and appointment process, the chairman has asked Jackie McNamara to train and prepare the team until a suitable candidate has been determined.
This process should be completed within two weeks.
Poor form
The news follows a terrible run of form, culminating in the 6-1 defeat at Guiseley. That result led to the club’s statement last week that the manager would resign after the game at Braintree Town last Saturday “if the team fails to gain a positive result”.
In the match, City took the lead only for bottom-of-the-league Braintree to equalise with an 88th minute penalty. Braintree had already had a spot-kick saved.
The result left City hovering close to the relegation zone in the National League, and McNamara pondering his future.
McNamara arrived at Bootham Crescent on November 4, 2015, ten days after previous manager Russ Wilcox was sacked.
At that time City were one place above the relegation zone in League Two. But seven months later they were bottom – and relegated out of the Football League for only the second time in the club’s history.
But McGill backed McNamara to turn the club around and bring league football back to York. With damning statistics, including a winless run away from home stretching to 30 games.
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