Leeds boot Venables at last

LEEDS: Terry Venables was fired as Leeds United manager yesterday after a miserable eight-month spell in charge of the disintegrating Premier League football club. Former Sunderland manager Peter Reid was appointed boss for the rest of the season.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale said the 60-year-old former Barcelona, Tottenham and England manager had been dismissed. He said Reid was appointed interim manager and a permanent succcessor would be named in the summer. First-team coach Eddie Gray had been expected to be named interim manager, but Reid was the surprise choice and will be in charge for Sunday’s match at Liverpool. Reid was fired as Sunderland manager on Oct 7 after the club managed only eight points from their first nine matches of the season. He had been in charge at the Stadium of Light since March 1995.

Venables, 60, still had 16 months to go on his two-year contract. Leeds has lost six of their last eight league matches and lies only seven points above the relegation zone. Venables succeeded David O’Leary on July 8, tempted at the prospect of working with a squad which reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2000. Leeds had finished in the top five in each of the previous five seasons, but have fallen apart this term while selling off six of their top international stars to ease their financial troubles. Players who have left include Rio Ferdinand (to Manchester United), Jonathan Woodgate (to Newcastle), Lee Bowyer (to West Ham), Robbie Fowler (to Manchester City), Robbie Keane (to Tottenham) and Olivier Dacourt (on loan to AS Roma). Venables considered quitting after Woodgate was sold but decided to stay.