LONDON (AP) – Alan Pardew is set to leave Newcastle for Crystal Palace after the Premier League rivals agreed on compensation for the manager’s services yesterday.
Pardew, who has been at Newcastle since 2010 and is the league’s longest-serving current manager, now has permission to speak to Palace about replacing Neil Warnock.
Although Palace is in the relegation zone and Newcastle are in tenth place, Pardew has endured a fraught relationship with fans of the north-east club where he was under contract until 2020.
And Pardew would be returning to the London club where he is still fondly remembered from his 1987-1991 spell as a player at Selhurst Park. Palace’s next game is against Aston Villa on Thursday.
“Crystal Palace have made a formal approach requesting permission to speak to Alan Pardew in relation to their vacant managerial position,” Newcastle said in a statement. “Crystal Palace have offered compensation at a level whereby Alan has now been permitted to speak to them.”
With Newcastle owner Mike Ashley maintaining a public silence, Pardew often bore the brunt of fans’ frustrations. The discontent came to a head in May when he was roundly booed by large sections of the home crowd at St James’ Park despite a victory over Cardiff.
Pardew also was banned last season for head-butting an opposing player during a game; the heaviest punishment ever inflicted on a Premier League manager. For three matches he was banned from stadiums, and for the remaining four games he was prevented from being on the touchline.
Ashley, who also owns retail company Sports Direct, is now seeking the seventh permanent manager of his near-eight years running Newcastle.
Whoever is hired will likely have to work under the same conditions as Pardew with Premier League survival and financial self-sufficiency the priority for Ashley rather than the heavy spending witnessed elsewhere.
The north-east club said assistant manager John Carver will take training today ahead of Thursday’s match against Burnley.
