The longest-serving manager of Edinburgh League Two football club, Spartans, has left after “allegations of misconduct” surfaced.
Earlier this month, the club announced that Douglas Samuel – who led the club to the SPFL for the first time during his 14-year reign – would take a period of “extended leave”.
Now, they have confirmed the 59-year-old will leave the club entirely following an independent probe into “allegations of misconduct”.
The club declined to give more details “out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved”.
Paul Thomson will continue in his role as Interim Head Coach as the North Edinburgh team chases promotion to League 1.
Former Hibs and Kilmarnock manager Mixu Paatelainen, the club’s sporting director, has also assisted the coaching team this month.
In a statement, Spartans said: “Following an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct, The Spartans FC Head Coach, Douglas Samuel, has left the club.
“Out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved, and in accordance with our confidentiality policies, we will make no further comment on the specific details of the investigation or its findings
“Paul Thomson will continue as our Interim Head Coach for the foreseeable future, we really appreciate the commitment of our coaching, medical and support teams plus our players through this busy spell with another game on Tuesday.”
Douglas Samuel coached Spartans from 2012 to 2026 and led the club to the SPFL League Two for the first time in the club’s history in 2023.
The team has been chasing another promotion since then, and finished as runners-up in the fourth tier last season.
Spartans currently sit third in League Two after a volatile run of fixtures, including a 3-0 defeat to Dumbarton, a 5-1 victory over Forfar and a 4-0 loss to Hamilton.
Clyde lead the league with 17 points, with Stranraer second on 16, and Spartans third on 12 points.
