Pardew – Going, going ………..

Last updated : 10 September 2003 By Tony Scholes

Reading boss Alan Pardew is the man West Ham want as their new manager and today he has taken the first step towards that by resigning his position at Reading.

Chairman at Reading John Madejski said that there was no way Pardew would be allowed to speak to the Hammers although if a Premiership club came knocking then there would be no problem but he was not having a promotion rival taking his manager away.

Pardew, who has been in charge of Reading since replacing Tommy Burns in October 1999, is not happy though and wants to talk to West Ham and so has taken the decision to resign although Madejski as refused to accept the resignation.

In a statement this afternoon Madejski said, "The manager Alan Pardew has tendered his resignation, which the Reading board has not accepted.

"The team will now be managed by Kevin Dillon assisted by the current management team of Brian McDermott, Nick Hammond and Niall Clark, for the game at West Ham on Saturday."

There is no a lot Reading can do now other than delay Pardew’s move to the Boleyn Ground. They have replaced him on a temporary basis and clearly will not be able to keep a manager now who wants to talk to another club.

Despite Madejski’s strong words that Pardew would not be going to West Ham he is hardly in a position to stop him and it is most unlikely that Reading will play again under Pardew’s management.

Ironically the two clubs meet on Saturday, I wonder just which side of the fence Pardew will be sitting.

West Ham have now said that they expect to have to play another match under Trevor Brooking before making an appointment. That is now certainly going to be Pardew but will have to wait until after Saturday’s match. Madejski will be best served in then letting go a manager who no longer wants to be at Reading