Owen Coyle leaves Queen's Park with 'a heavy heart'
- Planet Sport writer
- 15 May 2023
Owen Coyle has stepped down step from his role as head coach of Queen's Park.
Owen Coyle has left Queen's Park in the wake of their promotion near miss.
The cinch Championship club announced Coyle had "decided to step down from his role as head coach".
Queen's Park led the table for much of 2023 but only won once in their final nine matches, including two legs of the Premiership play-off quarter-finals.
The Spiders conceded 13 goals in their three biggest games of the season - the title decider against Dundee and their play-off matches against Partick Thistle.
In a statement issued by the club, Coyle said: "It's with a heavy heart that I inform everyone that I will be leaving Queen's Park.
"I informed the club of my wish to leave after what has been an outstanding last 12 months winning promotion to the Championship when nobody gave us a chance of doing so and then coming so close to winning the league and reaching the SPFL (Premiership) playing exciting and entertaining football.
"I would like to thank my first-team staff and everyone that helped make it an enjoyable year, Queen's Park is a wonderful club with an amazing set of supporters who I want to personally thank. I wish the club continued success on its journey."
The former St Johnstone, Burnley, Bolton and Ross County manager helped the club to a second consecutive promotion after joining late in the 2021/22 season.
Chief executive Leeann Dempster said of his departure: "Although disappointing, we respect Owen's decision and wish him well for the future, and we thank him for his efforts over the last 12 months.
"We now begin the task of finding a new head coach to help us in our aims of being the best club to develop talented young players and achieving success on the pitch."
