18 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Chris Wilder sacked by Sheffield United – for a second time
Wilder will leave his boyhood club for the second time as manager in a major move from American owners COH Sports.
The 57-year-old, who guided his hometown club from League One to the top flight at the end of the 2018-19 season, is set to be relieved of his duties following a review of the Blades' Championship campaign, a little more than 19 months after returning to Bramall Lane for a second spell in charge.
Under Wilder, the South Yorkshire club finished third behind Leeds and Burnley and were beaten by Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley despite taking the lead.
That came as a huge disappointment, with the club having been heavily involved in the race for automatic promotion before winning just two of their final seven regular-season games to slip 10 points off the pace.
The former Blades defender – he made 126 appearances for the club in two spells during a playing career which also involved stints with Southampton, Rotherham, Notts County, Bradford, Brighton and Halifax – was appointed manager for the second time in December 2023 on an 18-month contract.
American-based consortium COH Sports, who completed a takeover in December last year, handed Wilder a new contract until the end of the 2027-28 season in January, but it appears his second reign is over.
