The Fir Park club last night confirmed they hoped to conclude a deal with former Scotland boss Brown which would seem him take charge of first-team affairs until a permanent successor to Gannon could be found.

Brown, 69, spent eight years at the helm of the national team but has not managed since leaving Preston in 2004.

Motherwell's search for a longer-term solution will then begin in earnest as the reality of Gannon's sacking begins to sink in.

A forthright statement released by Motherwell claimed Gannon's "repeated refusal" to sign a contract was the main reason behind the decision to terminate his employment, and not the poor recent form which has seen the Lanarkshire side fail to win any of their last seven games.

Motherwell chairman John Boyle also questioned Gannon's commitment to the club and claimed his relationship with directors and staff had become "untenable".

As Gary McAllister, George Burley and Jimmy Calderwood immediately came to the fore as possible replacements, Motherwell cancelled this morning's pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow night's Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash at Hearts.

Gannon did not sign a contract after taking over from Mark McGhee days before Well's season kicked off on July 2 with a Europa League qualifier against Llanelli.

In a short but colourful tenure, he was fiercely critical of refereeing standards in Scotland and had a public spat with the Scottish Football Association's head of referee development, Hugh Dallas.

Gannon, who also refused to speak to the media on a couple of occasions following matches, continued to avoid signing a deal although he often spoke publicly of his long-term plans for the club.

However, there was an unusual sourness and rancour about the way Motherwell confirmed the London-born Irishman's dismissal, which led weight to Boyle's claim of a deterioration of relations within the club.

"It is deeply regrettable that the board have felt it necessary to part company with the manager at this stage of the season but we have reached a situation where we felt there was no other option," Boyle's statement read.

"Generally, results on the field have been satisfactory since Jim Gannon was appointed and the board wishes to make it clear that today's decision is not related in any way whatsoever to recent results.

"Over the past couple of months it has become abundantly clear that the manager was not fully committed to the club and, despite our best efforts, he repeatedly refused to sign a contract.

"Relations between the manager, staff and directors deteriorated to the extent that the situation became untenable."