Craig Brown and Archie Knox quit Motherwell

Dec 10 2010 By Andrew Weston

Craig Brown and Archie Knox

MOTHERWELL Football Club are this morning (Friday) looking for their fourth manager in 18 months after Craig Brown and his assistant Archie Knox resigned from their post at Fir Park last night.

The decision by the former Scotland boss and his deputy has left Motherwell angry and shellshocked after both had seemingly pledged their futures to the club earlier in the week having rejected an approach from Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne to take over the Pittodrie hotseat.

However after crunch talks with Motherwell chief executive Leeann Dempster on Thursday afternoon, the pair were not given any assurances that they would have the finances to strengthen an already threadbare Steelmen squad.

Milne refused to give up on his number one targets and yesterday was able to promise Brown scope to strengthen the Aberdeen squad in next month's transfer window as well as significantly increase the duo's wage packet.

In a bizarre twist of fate Motherwell's next competitive away league match will be at Aberdeen (Saturday December 18) where it is fully expected Craig Brown and Knox will be in the home dugout.

The whole episode has left a sour taste in the mouth of Motherwell fans who were furious when Mark McGhee quit Fir Park for Aberdeen in June last year.

Just two days after announcing on their official website that Brown and Knox were staying at the club, red-faced Motherwell posted an emotive statement late last night where the resignation of the Aberdeen bound pair was confirmed.

The club also expressed their disappointment over Aberdeen's conduct and said they had raised the matter with the Scottish Premier League.

Motherwell's head of youth development Gordon Young will take charge of first team duties as the club begin their search for a new manager.

Motherwell statement in full click here: http://bit.ly/eTfkxh