League Two side Sutton United have appointed former Cardiff City manager and Welsh international Steve Morison as their new manager.
The Millwall icon fills the vacancy left following the sacking of Matt Gray in December, with United currently sitting at the bottom of the Football League after Forest Green Rovers‘ draw with Salford City earlier today.
Morison joins the U’s from Isthmian League Premier side Hornchurch, where he had been managing since the summer. The Essex club are currently seven points clear at the top of the table.
His last game in charge of the Urchins was a 1-1 draw with Horsham, Sutton’s opponents in the second round of the FA Cup, announcing his departure from the club after the match in the clubhouse.
In a statement to the club, Hornchurch chairman Alex Sharp said: “I’m disappointed to confirm that Steve will be leaving us after six months, following probably the most impressive first half of a season we have ever seen.
“Steve has brought a level of professionalism to the club that has lifted us from the disappointment of last season’s play-off final defeat and whilst I am sad to see Steve leave from the club’s perspective, I am delighted that he has got an exciting opportunity to return to the Football League so quickly and feel proud that Hornchurch has provided the platform for that return.
“Steve has been fantastic for the club and the foundation he has put in place sees us top of the league with games in hand and a fantastic goal difference and we will do our best now to close out the season as we have started off.”
Morison will join the South London club alongside his assistant coach Ant Felton, who begins his role on Monday.
His previous experiences as a manager in the Football League saw him take charge at Cardiff City, where owner Vincent Tan appointed him following a promising spell as interim boss. He steered the Bluebirds well clear of the relegation spots of the Championship, finishing in 18th place.
He won Championship Manager of the Month in March 2022, but following a difficult start to the following season, the Welsh international was sacked in September.
Writer’s View
There have been numerous strong appointments at the bottom of League Two over the past weeks, including the Cowley Brothers at Colchester United, Karl Robinson at Salford City and Nigel Adkins taking permanent charge of Tranmere Rovers. Whilst Morison does not have the experience compared to these three, it is still a fairly strong choice for manager at Sutton. His experience of steering a club like Cardiff away from the drop could prove to be a decisive factor when it comes down to it in the final throws of the season.
It is a baptism of fire for the former Millwall striker though. His first three games see him welcome an in-form Barrow to the VBS Community Stadium, before travelling to Mansfield Town the following week. After that, the fixtures do ease, with matches against Walsall, Harrogate Town and Doncaster Rovers. Morison will look to these games to build confidence and form to get the precious points they need to survive this season.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
