Leeds sack Peter Reid: Paul Hart is on the verge of replacing Peter Reid at Leeds United in a move which is likely to precipitate Glenn Hoddle's return to management to fill the vacancy at Nottingham Forest.

Hart, a former Leeds player in the 1970s, is prepared to walk out of the First Division club and the only thing that could block his move now is if the Leeds board risk further antagonising their fans by trying to tempt George Graham back to Elland Road.

Neil Warnock, Sheffield United's manager, and Gary Megson of West Bromwich could be tempted to leave their clubs, but they will be no more than fall-back options in what now appears to be a straight choice between Hart and Graham.

If it is Hart - named last night as the bookies' 2 to 1 favourite - Hoddle will have the chance to take over at Forest little more than a month after his departure from Tottenham. The former England coach is close to the Forest chairman Nigel Doughty and is acutely aware that he would probably be overlooked if a Premiership job came up.

A complex situation should be much clearer within the next 48 hours, but the one certainty is that Hart is top of a shortlist initially drawn up several weeks ago by the Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie and the vice-chairman Allan Leighton.

What should be a straightforward arrangement - Forest will not stand in Hart's way provided a suitable compensation package is offered - is complicated, though, by the fact that Leeds's new chief executive Trevor Birch is an admirer of Graham and has reservations about employing someone without any Premiership experience.

The choice of the Leeds board will have to be unanimous, a problem which would be resolved if, as expected, Graham tells Birch he is reluctant to return to the club he left in acrimonious circumstances five years ago. If Graham can be talked round, he may need skin as tough as a rhinoceros after the shabby manner in which he left the club for Spurs in 1998.

Other than that, Leeds have finally stopped deluding themselves that Martin O'Neill could be prised from Celtic and they do not fancy their chances of getting Gordon Strachan from Southampton, even though south coast sources indicated yesterday that the former Leeds player had had a falling-out - how serious is not known - with the club's board.

As for Reid, the former Sunderland manager now has the unwanted record of being sacked by two Premiership clubs in 15 months. He was actually informed of the decision when he met Birch at a Manchester hotel yesterday lunchtime, but it was not until much later that it was confirmed in the form of a statement to the Stock Exchange.

Leeds acknowledged Reid's "sterling job" in avoiding relegation after replacing Terry Venables towards the end of last season, but added that they could "not allow this season to reach a point beyond which the club's Premiership status comes under serious threat".

The recent run of results, culminating in Saturday's 6-1 defeat at Portsmouth, had "clearly been unacceptable" and the board concluded "it has a duty to act now".

"The process of identifying a longer-term first-team manager is under way and the board has a clear view of the credentials required . . . Notwithstanding current financial constraints, we are determined to return to our place as one of the top clubs in England and are looking to appoint a new first-team manager who will reflect this determination."

Birch, who has experienced more in his first eight days at the club than most would expect in a season, said: "It is of course sad to part company with Peter under these circumstances. The board appreciates and thanks Peter for his efforts.

"But we have got to move forward and are overwhelmingly focused first and foremost on retaining our Premier League status and ultimately bringing success on and off the field back to this great club."

In the meantime, Eddie Gray, a former Leeds manager, will replace Reid, with the first-team coach Kevin Blackwell also retained for the time being.

"At least the break in league fixtures will give the club time to sort out the situation," Blackwell said last night. "This is a big, big club and I'm sure there won't be a shortage of people wanting to succeed Peter."

Guardian Service