Tony Mowbray leaves Middlesbrough with immediate effect

Assistant manager Mark Venus will take charge of first team affairs.

The news comes hours after Mowbray vowed to fight on despite Saturday's humiliating 3-2 defeat at bottom club Barnsley.

A short statement on Middlesbrough FC website said the 49-year-old had left the club with "immediate effect".

It said: "Middlesbrough Football Club have today announced that manager Tony Mowbray has left the club with immediate effect.

"Assistant manager Mark Venus will take charge of the team until further notice.

"The club would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Tony Mowbray for all of his substantial efforts, dedication and integrity.

"He leaves with the very best wishes of the club."

When Boro walked off 3-0 down at half-time on Saturday, the 2,000 visiting fans booed both players and manager chanting: "You're getting sacked in the morning."

The game and the protests were witnessed first hand by Boro chairman Steve Gibson, chief executive Neil Bausor and non executive director Keith Lamb.

Boro have only won five Championship games in 2013.

Sky Bet have installed former Stoke boss Tony Pulis as clear favourite to be the next Boro boss.

He heads the betting at 9/4 followed by Nigel Clough (8/1), Karl Robinson, Alex McLeish and Martin O’Neill (all 14/1).

Sky Bet Football Trader Chris Spicer said: "Tony Pulis is the natural favourite for any Championship vacancy given his record of transforming Stoke into a solid Premier League outfit, but it remains to be seen whether he would be a popular choice among the fans given his brand of football.

“We installed him as the 5/2 favourite initially and have cut his price slightly to 9/4 as he attracts more money than any of the other candidates on our list."
 
Saltburn-born Mowbray returned to Boro three years ago taking over after Gordon Strachan's costly reign.

He was already a legend at the club, which he joined from school and made his professional debut in 1982 aged 18 - when he was given the task of marking Kevin Keegan at St James' Park.

He soon gained a reputation as a tough, uncomprimising and resilient and became a fans' favourite, taking on the captain's armband by the age of 22.

Mowbray played through many of the darlest days in Middlesbrough's history - as it somehow dodged financial extinction - from the locks on the Ayresome Park Gates, to training sessions on public land, to the comeback game at the home of Hartlepool United.

But once the side was stabalised and saved, he proved integral to its rebirth.

The promotion season of 1988 was the highpoint of his career, but Boro struggled in the top flight and when relegation followed, the club failed to make an impact in Division Two.

His final season saw Colin Todd guide the club into the play-offs, but months later he joined Celtic in a £1m deal.

He returned to Ayresome Park for a testimonial in front of more than 20,000 supporters and ended his playing career at Ipswich Town.

He then went into coaching and his first taste of management came as a caretaker at Ipswich.

In May 2004, he was placed in charge of Scottish premier league side Hibernian, and was an immediate success, guiding them into the top four of the SPL for two seasons in a row.

In October 2006, he succeeded Bryan Robson as manager of West Brom and claimed the Championship title in his second season.

He refused to alter his open, attacking play and the Baggies were swiftly relegated.

However, Mowbray was then handed one of the biggest jobs in British football as manager of Celtic.

Things started badly, with a wrangle over Neil Lennon's position on his backroom staff, and Celtic fell ten points behind rivals Rangers before Christmas. And after a 4-0 defeta against St Mirren in March, he was dismissed next day.

Then Middlesbrough came calling.

Speaking at the post match press conference following Boro's defeat at Barnsley on Saturday, Mowbray appeared visibly upset.

Referring to the boos and chants, he said: "I can understand their frustrations. They're from Teesside, they're passionate about their football. I'm from Teesside and I'm passionate about my football.

"I'm from where they're from so I feel their frustration and I feel their annoyance.

"All I can say is it's not through a lack of desire to find answers. I work pretty hard and feel as if the team are very much behind what we are trying to do."