Southend United have sacked boss Chris Powell in a bid to stave off relegation from League One - leaving just five black and ethnic minority managers in the top four tiers of English football.
The Shrimpers have not won for 11 games - a run stretching back to January 19 - and are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
A club statement read: 'The results over a number of weeks, 11 games without a win, has impacted all concerned and immediate changes needed to be made.'
The decision leaves just five BAME managers in the Premier League and Football League, with Darren Moore also recently losing his job at West Brom.
Chris Hughton and Nuno Espirito Santo - of Brighton and Wolves respectively - are the two most high-profile, with Keith Curle, Dino Maamria and Sol Campbell making up the five remaining.
Academy coach Ricky Duncan will take over at Southend on a caretaker basis, with a huge game against fellow relegation rivals Shrewsbury to come on Saturday afternoon.
Southend finished 10th last season, closer to the play-off spots than the relegation places, but have struggled this season and are in trouble at the bottom of the league.
Their last win came away at Bradford on January 19 - a thumping 4-0 victory - but since then the side have lost seven and drawn four.
Powell is most well-known for his time at Charlton Athletic, both as a player and manager. During his time in the dugout, the Addicks were promoted from League One to the Championship, going on to finish ninth in the second tier.
The five-capped England left back also took charge of Huddersfield and was caretaker at both Leicester and Derby earlier in his career.
priscillaa
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My must they mention bame , doesn't matter he wasn't performing at his job get over it
JAMESRMA10
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If what we want is true equality, then BAME statistics shouldn't even be mentioned in this story.
Isblessed
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Results makes the managers! You are again making something out of nothing........strange that you never mention the lack of female managers in the league.....or are YOU being discriminating.....?
Buffet
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Good. Now can we move on and get him on the merry go round? Don't care about his skin. He'll learn his trade over time. In ten years, he's going to be a big name
vamosl
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"Southend are without a win in 11 and only outside drop zone on goal difference" This is why he got sacked!
farewella
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What has it got to do with BAME he lost games get over it
Yamahai
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It's not about colour it's about ability - God move on..
virginK
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Perhaps they are just rubbish managers who deserved to be sacked ....
Armstrongrno
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Was Mourinho sacked because he was Portuguese
aosasuna
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Got FA to do with colour.....it's the fact that Southend are and have been in free fall for some months. The only surprise is that Powell lasted this long.
leavessS
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He was absolutely shocking at QPR. Surprised he's had jobs since. Nothing to do with race
dreamcup
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The board are obviously totally racist ... Sacking a balack man like this
Polaroid
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Not a race issue. It's a results business. Anyone with half a brain knows that.
gangsta
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They really should have let him keep his job to keep the quota of BAME managers up!
ourselvef
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Why make a race issue out of it many clubs would sack a manager after 11 game win less run whether black or white its all about results after all
DallasDK
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I'm sorry for Chris Powell but if you don't produce results regardless of whether your black or white you will be fired, it's call business.
Josejob
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Why do you bring colour into it when black manager gets sack never say anything when a white manager gets sacked,and theirs been more white manages been sacked this year than black manager's
Phoesha
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So what he's black? He's a terrible manager. Same went for Carlton Palmer
iudod33
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How dare Southend or any other club sack a black manager... HOW RACIST!!!!
Grialdo
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Gentleman but unfortunately hasn't worked out for him at Southend. They had to sack him regardless of his race.
Labarber
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Don't make this a black issue, it does not matter in modern football if you are black, white green or yellow, if you don't get the results and your club are in danger of relegation then you face the sack
bearing
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It'll be classed as racism. He hasn't done a good job end of it
king1995
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We can't keep having this brought up every time a 'BAME' manager loses his job. Managers in the football league lose their job all the time, why should it be any different for 'BAME' managers? We are all the same, don't make it a race issue.
izzues
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Let's not make this a BAME thing. I watched them against Posh on Saturday and they didn't have 1 shot on target and Posh are terrible at home!
opldmkk
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So are Southend expected to not sack a manager who hasn't won in 11 games simply because he's black? Absolutely ridiculous, if he was good at his job it would've irrelevant what race he was, he wouldn't be losing his job !