City confirm Downing’s departure
KEITH Downing’s expected departure from Bristol City has been confirmed with the firstteam coach following Paul Simpson out of the exit door at the Robins High Performance Centre.
Simpson left City last Friday, with manager Nigel Pearson confirming 24 hours later it was all of his volition, and with Downing not in the dugout for the 3-0 defeat at West Brom his exit appeared a matter of when rather than if.
“We are very grateful for the contribution Paul and Keith have made,” said City CEO Richard Gould. “They have been professional and hard-working during a period of change.
“The club has evolved its structure during the last 12 months and the responsibilities they were recruited for have changed to the point where both parties recognised the need for a mutual agreement to part company.”
Downing and Simpson joined City in the summer of 2020, having left posts in the England youth set-up, to assist new Robins head coach Dean Holden in his transition to the top job.
They took brief caretaker charge of one game, coincidentally a 1-0 home defeat to Barnsley with the Tykes the visitors to Ashton Gate this Saturday, before Pearson was brought in as manager.
Pearson indicated a wish to keep the bulk of the backroom coaching staff together but, during Simpson’s leave of absence to undergo cancer treatment, recruited former Middlesbrough team-mate Curtis Fleming, initially on a short-term basis.
Fleming was then promoted to assistant on September 22, with Simpson and Downing effectively demoted with their titles changed from assistant head coaches to first-team coaches. Five weeks later both have left the club, negotiating severance pay for the early termination of their contracts.
Pearson has made some small but significant changes to staff since taking charge, with Dave Rennie joining as head of medical and Fleming, and Simpson and Downing both leaving in quick succession indicates further change could be afoot. However, City have stated they are not actively looking to replace Downing or Simpson with under-23 head coach Alex Ball recently stepping up to assist first-team affairs and that arrangement could well continue.
Downing and Simpson both delivered statements thanking the Lansdown family, club and supporters over the last 14 months.
Simpson, who had been linked with the manager’s job at Carlisle United before former Robins boss Keith Millen was appointed on Tuesday, curiously signed off with, “hopefully this change can lead to a happy, healthy future for everyone.”