Less than four months ago Jonathan Woodgate was given the role as head coach at Dean Court until the end of the 2020/21 campaign following the departure of Jason Tindall. His contract is due to expire in the coming days and he has been told that he will not be remaining at Dean Court.
Woodgate had been given the backing by the the Cherries heirachy to add to his backroom staff and AFC Bournemouth would go on to add Joe Jordan and Gary O’Neil to the support staff alongside assistant manager Stephen Purches, first team coach Simon Weatherstone, Steve Fletcher and goalkeeper coach Neil Moss.
However 69-year-old Jordan saw his contract expire at the end of May and it has now been officially confirmed that he has also left the club.
AFC Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake told afcb.co.uk…
“Joe’s experience and huge wealth of knowledge, both as a player and coach, was exactly what was needed to complement Jonathan (Woodgate) in the dug out and on the training pitch,”
“We wish him well and look forward to welcoming him back to Vitality Stadium in the near future.”
With no official comment coming in regards to Gary O’Neil it could be a fair assumption to assume that he would be remaining as part of the backroom team at Dean Court, however the Daily Echo‘s comment that he “is still in position at Cherries, as well as the rest of the coaching staff at present”, sounds rather ominous.
The 37-year-old retired from professional football in 2019 after playing for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Bristol City and Bolton Wanderers, winning promotion from the Championship with Pompey, West Ham, QPR and Norwich.
Since his retirement, he joined Liverpool as assistant manager to the Under-23 squad in August 2020 before making the move to the south coast.
Meanwhle BBC Radio Solent reporter Kris Temple has poured doubt on the futures of Purches, Weatherstone, Fletcher and Moss posting that their futures “will be sorted imminently”.
🍒 First team coach Gary O’Neil remains at club as he is on a longer contract. The future of longer-serving members of the coaching staff (Purches, Weatherstone, Moss, Fletcher etc) will be sorted imminently. #afcb https://t.co/lGhHGuwVqY
— Kris Temple (@kristemple) June 27, 2021
Your say…
blandford_cherry wrote…
Good news (regarding O’Neil staying) although if Jonathan Woodgate lands a managerial position elsewhere wouldn’t he try and poach him to be assistant? – Join the conversation, click here.
