Downes and out

  • by Staff Writer
  • Tuesday, 11th December 2012

First team coach Wally Downes has left Sam Allardyce's backroom squad.

The former Wimbledon defender, who has been at West Ham for the past two seasons left the club earlier today.

Details of the reasons for Downes' departure are yet to be revealed although West Ham confirmed that he was no longer employed by the club earlier this evening.

News of the 51-year-old's exit emerged just before United's vice-chair Karren Brady gave the first glimpse of the board's plans for the Olympic Stadium to a meeting of the Supporters' Advisory Board.

Brady, who is responsible for hiring and firing and who chaired tonight's meeting revealed that she had spent part of the day at West Ham's Chadwell Heath training ground.

Downes, who is usually a prolific poster on social network Twitter last posted a message at 11am this morning. His latest Tweets gave no indication that he would be leaving the club imminently.

Indeed, as recently as Monday he commented on the West Ham squad, saying: "It's a pleasure to be involved with a team that has the 'bravest wall in the league'. You wont see us jump and turn 'cos it might hurt."

The nephew of former boxing champion Terry Downes, Wally joined West Ham in November 2010 when he joined the doomed Avram Grant's backroom squad as defensive coach. Prior to moving to West Ham he had worked in a coaching capacity for Reading, Southampton and Gillingham.

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