Experienced Premier League manager hopes his final contribution to the game will not be as a TV punditAs the clock ticked down in the final minutes of the 2006 FA Cup final, the crowning glory for West Ham manager Alan Pardew was within touching distance. The stadium announcer in Cardiff was in the process of confirming there would be four minutes of added time, and West Ham’s expectant fans were preparing to salute the manager who was on the brink of guiding them to their greatest moment in a generation. But fate had an alternative path for Pardew.

Source: Irish Independent February 22, 2026 13:02 UTC