Paul Compton

2024-07-09T21:29:06Z

82.2.156.136:

{{Short description|English footballer and manager (born 1961)}}
{{for-multi|the Australian computer scientist|Paul Justin Compton|the American lawyer|J. Paul Compton Jr.}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Paul Compton
| image =
| fullname = Paul David Compton<ref>{{Hugman|id=3895}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1961|6|6}}
| birth_place = [[Stroud]], England
| height = 6 ft 1 in<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=254 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref>
| position = [[Central defender]]
| youthyears1 =
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs1 = [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]]
| youthclubs2 = [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]]
| years1 = 1978–1980
| years2 = 1980–1983
| years3 = 1983–1984
| years4 = 1984–1986
| years5 = 1986–1987
| years6 = 1987–1991
| years7 = 1991
| years8 = 1991–1993
| years9 = 1997–1998
| clubs1 = [[Trowbridge Town F.C.|Trowbridge Town]]
| clubs2 = [[AFC Bournemouth]]
| clubs3 = [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]]
| clubs4 = [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]]
| clubs5 = [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]]
| clubs6 = [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]]
| clubs7 = [[Bashley F.C.|Bashley]]
| clubs8 = [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]]
| clubs9 = [[Bideford A.F.C.|Bideford]]
| caps1 =
| caps2 = 64
| caps3 = 13
| caps4 = 95
| caps5 = 27
| caps6 =
| caps7 =
| caps8 = 21
| goals1 =
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| goals4 = 4
| goals5 = 2
| goals6 =
| goals7 =
| goals8 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1990
| manageryears2 = 1992-1993
| managerclubs1 = [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]]
| managerclubs2 = Torquay United
}}
'''Paul David Compton''' (born 6 June 1961) is an English former professional [[association football|footballer]] and football club manager. He most notably managed [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] during the [[1992–93 in English football|1992–93 season]], and was assistant manager at [[Dorchester Town F.C.|Dorchester Town]] prior to rejoining [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] in the summer of 2008 as joint manager of their new youth set-up. He was born in [[Stroud]].

==Career==
===Playing career===
After ending an apprenticeship with [[Cardiff City A.F.C.|Cardiff City]], Compton joined [[Trowbridge Town F.C.|Trowbridge Town]] in 1978, moving to [[AFC Bournemouth]] in October 1980 for a fee of £10,000. He played 64 times for the Cherries before a free transfer took him to [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]] in December 1983. This was swiftly followed by another free transfer move to [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] in February 1984 where he quickly established himself as an aerial presence in Torquay's defence, though lacking the pace that could have taken him to a higher level.

After his debut away to [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] on 25 February, he played every game until the end of the season and played fairly regularly for the Gulls before leaving to join [[Newport County F.C.|Newport County]] in December 1986. He left Newport, prior to their eventual demise, shortly after playing in the Welsh Cup final defeat against [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]], in the summer of 1987, joining [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]], taking over as player-manager in 1990 and leaving in February 1991 to join [[Bashley F.C.|Bashley]] with Weymouth bottom of the [[Southern Football League|Southern League Premier Division]].

===Coaching career===
Compton rejoined [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] in August 1991 as youth coach, although he also restarted his professional playing career. On 8 May 1992, Compton was appointed as manager of Torquay, shortly after their relegation back to the bottom flight of [[the Football League]]. The expected push for promotion did not materialise and Torquay found themselves in a relegation battle, which, only after [[Neil Warnock]] was brought in and Compton had reverted to his old youth coach role, they survived. He later became assistant manager under [[Eddie May]] in 1995, but left the club altogether the following summer when May was replaced by [[Kevin Hodges]], who opted to dispense with Compton's services.

Between 1996 and 1997 he was the youth coach at [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]], but returned to the south-west, joining [[Bideford F.C.|Bideford]] as player, playing in the centre of defence alongside former Torquay player [[Phil Lloyd (actor)|Phil Lloyd]]. In the 1998 close season, Compton returned to [[Plainmoor]] as Torquay United's youth coach, bringing through many of the players that later brought money into Plainmoor on their sale.

In September 2000, shortly after making the shortlist for the youth development job at [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]], Compton moved to [[Swansea City F.C.|Swansea City]] as director of youth development at the Vetch Field. With Swansea in the midst of a serious financial crisis, Compton, along with the Swans management team of [[Colin Addison]] and [[Peter Nicholas (footballer)|Peter Nicholas]], was made redundant, the Welsh side no longer able to pay his wages.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/swansea_city/1860046.stm|title=Swans players take charge|publisher=BBC | date=8 March 2002}}</ref>

He subsequently joined [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] as youth coach, before joining [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]] as Head of player recruitment. He left this post in August 2007, and became assistant manager at [[Dorchester Town F.C.|Dorchester Town]] in December 2007. Immediately upon appointment, however, he took control of first team affairs whilst Director of Football Shaun Brooks took time off due to ill health.

In June 2008 he became joint manager of [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]]'s youth set-up alongside Matt Williams.

In 2017 Compton joined Southampton FC as their head of academy recruitment for the South West. Compton also travels into Europe looking to recruit talented young players.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Weymouth F.C. managers}}
{{Torquay United F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Compton, Paul}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Stroud]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Trowbridge Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:AFC Bournemouth players]]
[[Category:Aldershot F.C. players]]
[[Category:Torquay United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Newport County A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Weymouth F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bashley F.C. players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Torquay United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Weymouth F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Bideford A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Preston North End F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]

wiki143 - User contributions [en]

Paul Compton