Following the announcement of Martin Ling's dismissal, Torquay United are on the outlook for a new manager.
Interim boss Alan Knill, who led the Gulls to safety during Ling's absence through ill health is currently the red hot favourite to succeed him.
He was informed of his dismissal on Sunday evening after receiving a phone call from Chairwoman Thea Bristow.
Ling had been due to meet with the board the following day.
It is worth noting that he is not the first football manager to be sacked in such a way, Neil Warnock was dismissed as Plymouth Argyle manager by Dan McCauley during a mobile phone conversation in 1996.
Ling's first season in charge proved to be largely successful as he rebuilt the Gulls' squad after Paul Buckle's departure to Bristol Rovers with the signings of Bobby Olejnik, Rene Howe and Brian Saah all proving to be important signings.
He also switched skipper Lee Mansell from right-back, where he had been deployed by Buckle, to centre midfield, which turned to be a success move as Mansell netted 13 goals in all competition, making him the club's second top scorer.
As well as this, he also harnessed the talents of Irish midfielder Eunan O'Kane, who netted twice in the Gulls' 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle in November 2011, which proved to be the first half of Torquay's first double over the Pilgrims' since the 1971-72 season.
The Gulls finished the campaign in fifth place in League Two as they were beaten in the Play-Offs by Cheltenham Town over two legs. Ling also lifted the Manager of the Month award twice (in January & March 2012) and Mansell, O'Kane, Howe and Kevin Nicholson were all named in the PFA Team of the Season.
However, following the summer departures of Olejnik, Mark Ellis and Eunan O'Kane, which raised over half a million pounds, the Gulls didn't quite the same heights in the season just gone, but were in 8th placed at the start of last December and still harboured slight Play-Off hopes after beating Exeter City, before Ling went on sick leave, in January.
Despite Ling's achievements, the board have now decided that a clean break would be best for both parties.
Here are two reasons that might explain why.
Firstly, if Ling had returned to the Plainmoor hot seat and ten games into the 2013-14 campaign Torquay found themselves in the bottom two in the league, the cries from the Pop Side could have been of 'LING OUT KNILL IN'.
Secondly, if he did make a winning return in charge and a managerial vacancy became available nearer to his family base in Hertfordshire, whilst managing Torquay, Ling was staying with his brother-in-law in the Exeter area. early in the season and he applied for it and was successful-the Gulls' board would be forced into making a managerial change early in the season.
These are two scenarios that the board would have wanted to avoid and they now need to act swiftly to find his successor.
