Reading sack Paul Ince as manager with club in Championship relegation zone

Paul Ince has been sacked as Reading manager with the club fighting for Championship survival. A 2-1 defeat at Preston on Monday extended their winless sequence to eight matches and left them a point adrift of safety after a six-point deduction for breaching the EFL’s financial rules.

Ince was appointed on an interim basis in February last year and led Reading to safety with four wins in 14 fixtures. This season began positively and the club were in the top three after 11 matches but they have won only twice in the league in 2023.

“Reading Football Club can confirm that the contract of first team manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect,” a statement said. “Assistant manager Alex Rae has also departed the club. Our Under-21s manager and former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, has been installed as interim first-team manager until the end of the season.”