Lee Clark: Birmingham City sack manager and his assistant

Birmingham City have sacked manager Lee Clark and his assistant Steve Watson.

Blues, 21st in the Championship, have placed first-team coach Richard Beale and chief scout Malcolm Crosby in temporary charge at St Andrew's.

Former Huddersfield boss Clark, 41, was appointed in June 2012 and led Birmingham to 12th in his first season in charge, before they avoided relegation on the final day last term.

"The search for a successor has already begun," a club statement confirmed., external

"The board will look to make an appointment in the very near future."

Clark - along with his Huddersfield backroom staff of Terry McDermott and Derek Fazackerley - steered the club to mid-table in their first season, despite off-field difficulties with the club up for sale.

With funds continuing to remain tight, however, City struggled last season.

McDermott and Fazackerley left in February when Clark promoted his old Newcastle United team-mate Watson to be his number two.

And Blues only stayed up on the final day of the season thanks to an injury-time Paul Caddis equaliser at Bolton.

It was following a defeat by Bolton - 1-0 at home on Saturday - that the St Andrew's board, now led by Panos Pavlakis after the departure of Peter Pannu three weeks ago, chose to act.

Clark's sacking came just hours after he had attended a Monday morning news conference to preview Blues' trip to Blackburn on Tuesday evening.

Instead, Beale and former Sunderland manager Crosby will have the immediate task of maintaining Blues' recent away form.

Although Blues' poor home record from last season has stretched into this season, their last three away games have brought draws at Norwich and Charlton and a victory at Millwall.