Alan Smith has been sensationally sacked as Crystal Palace manager with just two games of the season remaining, hours after his side crashed to a home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Palace chairman Simon Jordan made the decision to remove Smith and replace him with Steve Kember after yesterday's 2-0 home defeat against Wolves a result which means if the Eagles lose on Wednesday away at Portsmouth they will be relegated.
The Palace boss began the season as replacement for outgoing boss Steve Coppell, and brought his side to the semi-finals of the Worthington Cup. But after a 5-0 hammering by Liverpool in the second leg of the tie, Palace's form slumped, and they have managed only two wins in their last 16 league games.
Protests against Smith's management had been brewing for some time, but fans could take no more on Saturday as they saw their side slide even closer to relegation to Nationwide Division Two. Supporters threw away their season ticket booklets, programmes and leaflets in disgust, littering the touchline in front of the Holmesdale Road main stand. And a handful of protesters stayed behind after the match, chanting for Smith's dismissal.
Smith, who was in charge of Palace previously from 1993-5, was youth team coach in the early 1990s - a role later taken on by his replacement Steve Kember. The sacked boss had been in charge at Wycombe and assistant at Fulham before making a return to Palace this season when chairman Simon Jordan decided to replace fans' favourite Steve Coppell.
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