Former Barnsley captain Neil Redfearn has been placed in caretaker charge of Leeds United after the club today decided to end Simon Grayson’s reign as manager after just over three years in charge.
Grayson led the Whites to promotion from League One in 2010 and to seventh in the Championship last season- missing out on a playoff place by just three points. But last night’s 4-1 home defeat to Birmingham which extended their indifferent run to two wins in nine matches proved the final straw for Leeds outspoken chairman Ken Bates and he decided to fire Grayson and his backroom staff.
This has led to Oakwell legend Redfearn- or Redders, as he is affectionately known, taking temporary charge, stepping up from his role as the Leeds’ Academy manager.
Redfearn wrote his name into Barnsley Football Club history as he captained the side that won promotion to the Premier League for the first and so far only time in 1996-1997, scoring 19 goals that season, before leading them into that Premier League season of 1997-1998, bagging 14 goals as the Reds were eventually relegated in 19th position before he sealed a £1m move to Charlton Athletic that summer.
Since retiring from playing in 2006, Redfearn has dipped his toe into management but it has been fairly unsuccessful. The 46 year old was in charge at Scarborough for the 2005-2006 season, which saw them relegated from the Conference, and he has also had short spells in charge of York and Halifax, before joining Leeds as their Academy Manager on New Years Day 2009.