Soccer:Leeds manager Simon Grayson has been sacked after just over three years in charge of the Yorkshire club.

Grayson, 42, who replaced Gary McAllister as manager of his boyhood club in December 2008, has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks as Leeds have fallen out of the top six in the Championship.

A heavy 4-1 home defeat to Birmingham last night appears to have been the final straw for chairman Ken Bates, who is now in the hunt for his fifth Leeds manager during his seven years at the club.

Chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “We have 18 games to go this season and are still within touching distance of the play-offs, but felt with the transfer window now closed we needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new managerial team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players and make the difference.

“Simon and his staff have given the club over three good years service and we would like to place on record our thanks and wish them all the best for the future. Current youth-team manager Neil Redfearn has been asked to take temporary charge of the first team until a new manager is available.”

Former Blackpool boss Grayson, who began his playing career at the club, steered Leeds to promotion from League One in 2010 and missed out on the Championship play-offs by three points last season, but so far the club have failed to mount a serious promotion challenge this time around.