Christmas Comes Early: Pards Replaces Reed

Les Reed has left his position by 'mutual consent' (whether he is leaving the club is not clear) and has been replaced by Alan Pardew who will take charge at the Fulham game.

The board have finally seen that things had to be sorted out and given fans an early Christmas present. As Gerald Ford said when he replaced Richard Nixon as US president, 'The long nightmare is over.' Not that Pards is a Gerald Ford: he can walk and chew gum at the same time.