With an inspiring young team, why was Gareth Evans sacked?

Chief Sports Writer

Monday 4 March 2013

IT came with all the force of a whisper amid the overwhelming rumbles of a gathering storm.

Livingston have a solid group of committed, enthusiastic players who were keen to follow Gareth Evans and John Collins. Picture: SNS

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Hugh MacDonald

The dismissal of Gareth Evans, the manager of Livingston, and the subsequent resignation of John Collins, director of football, last week did not attract the scale of scrutiny afforded to a series of league matches and the furore over the independent verdict on Rangers' wrongdoing over EBTs.

Yet it deserves investigation, not least after newspaper reports suggesting Evans was the victim of some sort of "dressing-room revolt". This theory was dismissed fervently by players at the club yesterday. The assertion that the manager had in cliched terms "lost the dressing room" was the only one that made sense to outsiders. Evans was not dismissed because of poor form on the pitch. As the the club conceded in a statement, the sacking was made "despite results being generally acceptable". But any hint of rebellion by the players was quashed last night in player conversations with Herald Sport. One player said: "There have been reports that we were upset by the double and triple training sessions but this is simply not true. For a start, Gareth was continuing the sort of sessions that we had under Gary Bollan. Quite simply, the stuff was basically the same and the mood of the players was generally good." The player, speaking anonymously because any comments might be viewed as a breach of his contract, added: "Yes, there were some unhappy players. But these were the ones who were not playing and that is only natural, even right. John Collins and Gareth would not have been pleased if players who were out of the team were happy about it. This is professional, competitive sport and guys who are not getting game should be unhappy. "But this is a club that has a solid group of committed, enthusiastic players who were keen to follow Gareth and John. The idea that Gareth was disliked by the players is so far from the truth to be utterly unacceptable. I am extremely angry at suggestions that we had any part to play in his dismissal." Players yesterday spoke of a group who were self-motivated and committed to success at the club. Livingston have a core of solid, experienced professionals but the club also has players of substantial promise. Paul Watson, a 22-year-old centre-back, is quick, strong and good on the ball. He has already played 100 matches in professional football at a tender age and can only grow to be better physically and in technique. Mark McNulty, only 20, has been marked out by respected scouts as a natural goalscorer with substantial potential. Stefan Scougall is attracting interest from top clubs in the Barclays Premier League. Neat, tidy, with an accomplished left foot, he has the ability and the character to take balls in tight positions and to emerge on the front foot. They are part of a side that is third in the first division and who recorded a facile 4-1 victory over Airdrie United on Saturday. Anyone who has watched the club this season would surely accept this is a side on the up, possibly a contender for promotion next season, and who consistently play football in a pleasing style. This impression, complemented by players' reaction to the news, makes the dismissal of Evans baffling to outsiders. This mystery was not lifted officially by the club. Its website states categorically that no further statement on the dismissal "will be made at this time", mentioning only that Richie Burke, head of youth development, would take over in the interim and that Evans had gone after concerns had been voiced over "the stewardship of the club under Gareth". It is, of course, the club's right to maintain a silence but views of overwhelming player dissatisfaction published over the weekend have now been refuted. So why does that all matter, almost a week after the event? Should there be any surprise or outrage in the wider world over the departure of two employees at a first division club? There are compelling reasons to answer in the affirmative. Much of what was happening at Livingstion was positive, even gently inspiring for the wider game. Evans and Collins also had strong defining characteristics. "Gareth phoned after the victory on Saturday and congratulated me on the result," a player told Herald Sport last night. He added: "He is a good man." Collins, who followed his manager out of the door, is a principled one. Scottish football can ill-afford to lose men with such traits.

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With an inspiring young team, why was Gareth Evans sacked?

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