Gillingham sack manager Bonner after poor run

Gillingham have sacked manager Mark Bonner after eight months in charge of the League Two club.

The Gills have lost their past three league matches, including a 3-0 home defeat by Bromley on Thursday.

Bonner was appointed as the Gills third permanent manager in the space of seven months in May 2024 and took charge of a total of 28 matches, winning nine and losing 15.

"Mark is a top guy, a top professional and has given absolutely everything he could have given to help the club succeed," Gillingham's managing director Joe Comper told the club website., external

"We liked him from the moment we met him, and we still do, which makes this decision even tougher."

Having led Cambridge United to promotion from League Two in 2021 Bonner was tasked with ending the Kent side's three year stay in the fourth tier.

They were top of the table at the end of September but a run of 10 defeats from their past 15 games including his last three in charge has left them 14th, 10 points short of the play-off places.

Gillingham's game at Chesterfield on Sunday was postponed.

"We felt if we were going to achieve something this season with what we believe to be a very talented group of players, we needed to make a change to give us the best possible opportunity of getting to where we want to be come the start of May," added Comper.

Bonner's assistant Anthony Hayes is also leaving the club whose next game is at home to Fleetwood Town on 11 January.