Preston North End have sacked Paul Heckingbottom after a run of six defeats in seven league matches left the club second bottom of the Championship.

The decision followed Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Lincoln City at Deepdale, where the final whistle was greeted by boos and jeers. The defeat was Preston’s sixth in seven league games this season.

Heckingbottom was appointed in August 2024 and took charge of 109 matches. However, he oversaw only five league wins in 27 games since the start of January, with the club’s decline prompting a change in management despite investment in the squad.

“Football is a results business,” Preston said in a club statement, adding that results during 2026 and the start of the current campaign had not been acceptable. The club thanked Heckingbottom for his professionalism and work ethic.

Assistant manager Stuart McCall has also left Preston, while coach Jason Euell has been placed in interim charge. Euell’s first task will be to prepare the team for a trip to QPR on Saturday, before a three-week international break.

A difficult tenure

Preston finished 20th in Heckingbottom’s first season, their lowest position since returning to the Championship in 2015. They avoided relegation with a final-day draw at Bristol City but ended that campaign without a league win in their final seven matches.

The club had begun the 2025-26 Championship season strongly, losing only once in their first nine matches and emerging as early pace-setters. But 12 defeats in their final 22 games led to a 14th-place finish.

Heckingbottom was backed during the transfer window, with Harry Clarke, Alfie Devine, Stan Mills, Leo Leroy and Johnny Kenny joining Preston. The club now faces the challenge of stabilising its league position under interim leadership and finding a permanent successor.

Read the original report from www.bbc.co.uk.