Megson welcomes Allardyce return

Bolton manager Gary Megson has welcomed former Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce's return to football with Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers.

The 51-year-old ended his year-long exile from the game - having been sacked by Newcastle in January - after signing a three-year contract with Rovers yesterday.

He will be officially unveiled at a press conference at Ewood Park later today and Megson, who took over from Allardyce's replacement Sammy Lee in October 2007, wished him well.

"Sam has been out for a while now and been on the television a great deal but now he is back," said the Wanderers boss.

"I think everyone at this football club wishes him well - apart from when we play them and also in their finishing position. I hope they finish below us."

Megson also had some sympathy for sacked Rovers boss Paul Ince, who presided over a winless 11-match Barclays Premier League run which ultimately cost him his job.

"It is never nice to see anyone lose a job but it happens and that is the world we live in," he added.

"You know it is going to happen and you can near-enough make an educated guess of when it is going to happen.

"The easiest thing is to remove the manager. My view is it is always down to the players you have got - good, bad or indifferent. It takes a while to change the players over. The knee-jerk reaction is to change the manager but you have still got those players."