Chairman Andy Holt has put Accrington Stanley up for sale following a bizarre social media spat over the weekend.
Holt was responding on Twitter/X to comments from Accrington assistant Jimmy Bell, who had stated on Radio Lancashire last week that he and boss John Coleman wanted clarity over their futures.
Bell said he and Coleman had not been offered new deals, with their contracts due to expire next summer: “Me and John want to stay and we’ll do everything we can to move the club forward,” Bell told the station. “Our contracts are running down. We’ve been here a long time – I think it’s 23 years in all. We absolutely love the club, the fans and everything about it.
“But I’ve got to work, and I would love that security again of having a four-year or three-year contract. John has to work as well, we’re not fortunate enough to just retire. I find it amazing that we are running down a contract now. Andy has done magnificently for the club and at some stage we’re going to have to have a chat – and I hope it’s sooner, not later.”
Holt responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “I’m not replacing them. I’m replacing me.”
Replying to questions from Accrington fans, the chairman added: “I’m not the right person to take this forward.
“Accy needs to change and become a new club with new methods. I have nothing more to offer the club. I’m spent.”
He then delivered the bombshell, putting the club up for sale via the social media platform:
Coleman, alongside assistant Bell, has guided the club to three promotions and EFL status in two spells in charge since 1999, although last season saw them drop from League One to the fourth tier. They currently lie seventh in League Two following a 1-0 victory over MK Dons on Saturday.
Holt wasn’t happy with his assistant manager’s radio appearance however, telling fans during the impromptu social media Q&A on Saturday: “When we got relegated last season the first thing our managers said was ‘give us a new contract or sack us’.
“There was no way their performance deserved anything but the sack. But their past with the club got them a ‘get out of jail free card’.
“Had they buckled down and proved they still had the hunger and desire to rebuild the club, I would discuss new contracts.
“Instead, after a few wins, they went to the media. They tried to use fans to pressure me – which was a mistake.”
Over the course of Saturday night, Holt went on to unleash a string of expletives, block several Twitter members, and list examples of money he had invested in the club, which he evidently felt could have been better used by the management team.
When one fan suggested on Sunday that Holt may not have been entirely himself on Saturday night, he appeared to double down:
As of Holt’s most recent tweets, the club appears to remain up for sale:
