It was not meant to be like this. On the 17th December 2013, Danny Wilson strode back into Oakwell the returning hero, ready to save the club from the clutches of Championship relegation.
Sadly fairytales in football are too few and far between and after 14 months, one relegation, 63 games and probably most importantly 31 defeats, Wilson has been fired with the club 17th in League One, as many points off relegation as they are the play-off places.
Tuesday’s night demoralising 2-1 home defeat to Fleetwood proved to be the final straw but it is believed that home form has been what has saved him in recent weeks. Before Tuesday The Reds had won four home games on the bounce but had suffered six straight away defeats, the most recent four even without scoring a goal.
Many people say you should never go back and that adage proves true in this instance but whereas in 1998 a then fresh faced 38 year old walked out of a club just relegated from its first (and so far only) Premier League campaign to join hated rivals Sheffield Wednesday, he leaves now, 55 years old and with his legacy in tatters with even the Oakwell board scathing in its assessment of him.
In today’s prepared statement they talked about recent results and performances as being “concerning” especially with the club having “the fifth highest wage bill in League One” and the “fourth highest equity donation by an owner”
Assistant manager Chris Hutchings has departed with Wilson leaving Academy Head Coach Mark Burton and Senior Development Coach Paul Heckingbotttom in caretaker charge for Saturday’s trip to struggling Crawley.
In his second spell in charge at Oakwell, Danny Wilson won 19, drew 13 and lost 31 of his 63 games in charge, a 30.5% win rate.