It was news that shocked and appalled Southend United fans last week when it emerged that Paul Sturrock had been shown the exit door at Roots Hall. Coming close to three years with the League 2 side and working wonders with the players at his disposal had seen the 56-year-old widely praised by his peers.
Furthermore, guiding Southend to Wembley in the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy had expected to become an enjoyable day out for the fans and club and, with the spotlight firmly shining brightest on the club, chairman Rob Martin opts to relieve Sturrock of his duties.
However, despite doing so almost two weeks in advance, Martin “allowed” the manager to lead the team out at Wembley, and offer that Sturrock has “politely” turned down, and rightly so. Furthermore, the former Plymouth Argyle boss insists that he will sit amongst the fans during the great day, regardless of the option to have led his team out at Wembley.
Frankly, the way Sturrock has been treated is absurd. No manager should be messed around much like he has, especially with all the work has put into the club. While it’s highly unlikely that he “politely” refused to manage his side in the capital, the fact is he leaves Roots Hall with his pride intact, safe in the knowledge that Martin and co. have been left to be made an embarrassment following the entire debacle.