Kevin Blackwell is back in English football for the first time since October 2013, after Crawley Town appointed him as interim head coach. The 67-year-old steps in while the club says it is close to naming a permanent manager.
Crawley's reason for the change
The move comes after Crawley sacked Colin Kazim-Richards on Wednesday. They are bottom of League Two and have one win in their last five matches, with four defeats in that run.
Crawley said in a club statement: "We have made significant progress in recruiting our next permanent manager and are working hard to conclude that process." That leaves Blackwell as the short-term option while the search continues.
Blackwell's long gap from the English game
Blackwell's last managerial role in England ended in October 2013, so this is a return after nearly 13 years away. That is the main story here, more than any talk of a reset on the pitch.
BBC Sport reported that Crawley have appointed former Leeds United and Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell as their interim head coach. The club have gone for experience at a difficult moment, and the appointment gives them a familiar name while they work on the permanent one.
The permanent search is still live, and Crawley have made clear they want that process finished. Blackwell's first job is to steady a side that has won one of its last five before the club name a full-time boss.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
