Former Celtic and Sheffield United star sacked 'with immediate effect' as debut management role concludes
Journeyman also had spell at Brighton, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County
Former Celtic and Sheffield United striker Colin Kazim-Richards has been relieved of his duties at Crawley Town ‘with immediate effect’.
The Sussex side currently sit rock bottom of EFL League Two and six points behind the survival places. Kazim-Richards received plaudits last season for keeping them in the division following his appointment in May - but after one win in their first 10 matches, he’s now lost his job at the Broadfield Stadium, alongside assistant Julian Gray and director of football Erdem Konyar. The Red Devils represented the 40-year old’s first job in senior management.
A 3-2 midweek defeat at home to Shrewsbury Town put the final nail in the coffin for the former Celt, who scored two goals for the club in 13 appearances a decade ago. Kazim-Richards represented 18 clubs during his 19-year playing career, including Brighton, Sheffield United, Fenerbahce, Toulouse, Galatasaray, Olympiacos, Blackburn Rovers, Bursaspor, Feyenoord and Derby County, as well as Celtic. He also accrued 37 caps for Turkey.
Former Celtic man sacked from debut management role
A Crawley Town statement read: “Crawley Town Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Colin Kazim-Richards and Assistant Head Coach Julian Gray have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect. Director of Football Erdem Konyar will also be leaving the club.
The club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Colin and Julian, who joined during a challenging period and played an important role in securing the club’s EFL status at the end of last season. We would also like to thank Erdem for his hard work and commitment since returning to the club last year. All three depart with the best wishes of everyone at Crawley Town, and we wish them every success in their future endeavours. The club will make no further comment at this time.”
What is Kazim-Richards’ footballing philosophy?
A run of two wins and three draws in their last seven matches kept Crawley in the league last season under Kazim-Richards’ stewardship while on interim duties. Owner Raphael Khalili saw enough to then offer him the full-time position in May. Speaking on his appointment, Kazim-Richards said: “It’s a great feeling to now be able to implement the culture and mindset that I believe this club deserves.
“We can build on the foundation we created during those seven games, in terms of the way we work, the staffing, and the people we’re working with. It’s about creating an environment where people can come to work and perform at the highest level, while also understanding the standards of this club and the standards that will be set by us. That includes the type of football we want to play and a mentality of domination.
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