Bournemouth have placed youth team manager Paul Groves and head of youth Shaun Brooks in charge until the end of the season after sacking Lee Bradbury on Sunday following a poor run of form. The League One club have had their promotion prospects severely damaged after picking up just one win from their last nine matches. Bradbury leaves the club 13th in the table and 10 points adrift of the play-offs with just eight matches remaining.
Bradbury took charge of Bournmouth in January 2011 after Eddie Howe departed to Championship side Burnley. He managed to lead The Cherries to the League One play-offs last season where they came agonisingly close to making the final at Wembley only to lose on penalties to Huddersfield. They got off to a poor start to the current campaign but they started to rise up the table after results improved in December and January. However, their defeat to Oldham on Saturday was their sixth from their last eight matches and leaves them in the bottom half of the league.
Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks have emerged as the early favourites in the Next Permanent Bournemouth Manager Odds with Stan James. Other names in the frame at this stage include Dover Athletic manager Nicky Forster, Nottingham Forest coach Sean O’Driscoll, Exeter boss Paul Tisdale and the out-of-work Martin Allen and Paul Buckle.
Bournemouth travel to 7th-placed Stevenage on Tuesday desperately needing a win to hold onto their slim chances of finishing in the top six. Stan James have Stevenage priced as the odds-on 20/23 favourites, while Bournemouth can be backed at 16/5 to come away with their first away win of 2012, with a draw available at 23/10.
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