Sparkes and Niedzwiecki leave Reading as redundancies begin
Andrew Sparkes: Joined Reading with Rubén Sellés in summer of 2023
Written by Training Ground Guru — January 5, 2024
ASSISTANT Manager Andrew Sparkes and Director of Player Development Eddie Niedzwiecki have been made redundant by Reading as part of ongoing cost-cutting by the club.
As TGG reported before Christmas, the League One club has sent redundancy letters to between 17 and 20 staff. Owner Dai Yongge had been fined £20,000 by an independent disciplinary commission for failing to deposit wages.
In September, he was charged with misconduct by the Football League after not banking enough money to cover 125% of the forecast monthly wage bill. Today Reading announced that Sparkes and Niedzwiecki had left the club as part of a “restructure of the first team coaching staff.”
They added: “Whilst both Andrew and Eddie were valued members of the first team set-up, ongoing financial challenges at the club meant changes in this department were necessary.”
Sparkes joined the club in the summer of 2023, having previously worked with Head Coach Rubén Sellés at Southampton. Niedzwiecki rejoined in 2022, having been Assistant Manager from 2019 to 2021.
