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{{Short description|English football player and manager (1940–2025)}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Colin Addison
| image = 
| full_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|5|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Taunton]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|10|31|1940|5|18|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Hereford]], England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}<ref name=Golesworthy/>
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]], [[midfielder]]
| years1 = 1957–1961
| years2 = 1961–1966
| years3 = 1966–1967
| years4 = 1967–1971
| years5 = 1971–1973
| clubs1 = [[York City F.C.|York City]]
| clubs2 = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
| clubs3 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
| clubs4 = [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]
| clubs5 = [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]]
| caps1 = 87
| caps2 = 160
| caps3 = 28
| caps4 = 94
| caps5 = 44
| goals1 = 28
| goals2 = 62
| goals3 = 9
| goals4 = 22
| goals5 = 6
| totalcaps = 413
| totalgoals = 127
| manageryears1 = 1971–1974
| manageryears2 = 1975–1976
| manageryears3 = 1976–1977
| manageryears4 = 1977–1978
| manageryears5 = 1979
| manageryears6 = 1979–1982
| manageryears7 = 1982–1985
| manageryears8 = 1985–1986
| manageryears9 = 1986–1987
| manageryears10 = 1987–1988
| manageryears11 = 1988–1989
| manageryears12 = 1990
| manageryears13 = 1990–1991
| manageryears14 = 1992–1993
| manageryears15 = 1993–1994
| manageryears16 = 1995–1996
| manageryears17 = 1996–1998
| manageryears18 = 1999–2000
| manageryears19 = 2000–2001
| manageryears20 = 2001–2002
| manageryears21 = 2002–2003
| manageryears22 = 2004
| managerclubs1 = [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] (player-manager)
| managerclubs2 = [[Durban City F.C.|Durban City]]
| managerclubs3 = [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] (assistant)
| managerclubs4 = [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]]
| managerclubs5 = [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] (assistant)
| managerclubs6 = [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]]
| managerclubs7 = [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]]
| managerclubs8 = [[Al-Ahli (Doha)]]
| managerclubs9 = [[Celta Vigo]]
| managerclubs10 = [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] (assistant)
| managerclubs11 = [[Atlético Madrid]]
| managerclubs12 = [[Cádiz CF|Cádiz]]
| managerclubs13 = [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]]
| managerclubs14 = [[Al-Arabi Kuwait]]
| managerclubs15 = [[Cádiz CF|Cádiz]]
| managerclubs16 = [[CD Badajoz|Badajoz]]
| managerclubs17 = [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]]
| managerclubs18 = [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]]
| managerclubs19 = [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]]
| managerclubs20 = [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]]
| managerclubs21 = [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]]
| managerclubs22 = [[Barry Town United F.C.|Barry Town]]
}}

'''Colin Addison''' (18 May 1940 – 31 October 2025) was an English professional [[association football|football]] player and manager.

Addison was born in [[Taunton]], Somerset. He started his playing career with [[York City F.C.|York City]] before moving to [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]], [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]. His managerial career started when he took the post of player-manager of [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] in 1971 during their famous 1971–72 FA Cup run, which saw them defeat [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]].

Later, Addison managed a wide variety of clubs in the UK, as well as in Spain, South Africa, Kuwait and Qatar.

==Playing career==
Addison was born in [[Taunton]]<ref name=Golesworthy/> but brought up in [[York]]. He joined [[York City F.C.|York City]] as an amateur and turned professional in May 1957.<ref name=Golesworthy>{{cite book|title=Soccer Who's Who|editor=Maurice Golesworthy|publisher=The Sportsmans Book Club|location=London|year=1965}}</ref>

In his second season, he scored 10 league goals helping York win promotion to the recently created Third Division, and midway through the 1960–61 season he was transferred to First Division side [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] for £12,000, a then-record fee for City.<ref name="blades who's who">{{cite book |author=Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham |title=Sheffield United Who's Who |publisher=Hallamshire Press |year=2008|pages=30 |isbn=978-1-874718-69-7}}</ref>

Addison was a regular at the [[City Ground]] scoring 62 goals in 160 league appearances, before being signed by Bertie Mee's [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in 1966 for £45,000. His time at Highbury was hampered by injury and, after scoring an average of one goal in every three games for the Gunners, he was sold to First Division side [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] at the end of the 1967 season.

Addison joined United on the recommendation of assistant manager [[Andy Beattie]]<ref name="blades who's who" /> who he had played with whilst at [[Nottingham Forest]], signing for £40,000.<ref name="blades who's who" /> Signed as a centre forward and to provide goals, he remained a first-team regular until the 1971 season, when he opted to move into management, joining leading non-league side [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] as player-manager.<ref name="blades who's who" />

==Managerial career==

===Player-manager===
Addison arrived at [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] in October 1971, succeeding the legendary [[John Charles]] as player-manager. He inherited a strong group of players which he led through the club's famous giant-killing FA Cup run and ultimately election to the Football League.

In the Second Round, Addison and his team needed two replays to get past [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]] but it was worth the effort as a trip to top-flight [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] awaited. After going 2–1 down in the tie, it was Addison who hit the 25-yard equaliser to take the Magpies to the return fixture at [[Edgar Street]].

In front of a capacity crowd and on a quagmire of a pitch, Addison and Hereford [[Hereford United v Newcastle United 1972|won 2–1 after extra time]] with Radford and George scoring. They went on to take [[West Ham United]] to another replay in the Fourth Round before eventually losing 3–1 at [[Boleyn Ground]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-addison-depends-on-principles-1079635.html|title=Addison depends on principles|date=10 March 1999|work=The Independent|access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref>

Hereford were elected to the Football League at the end of Addison's first season as a manager, and the success continued the following season when Hereford finished as runners-up in Division Four.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/article/612721/Manager-History |title=Manager History |publisher=Hereford United |access-date=23 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929110454/http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/article/612721/Manager-History |archive-date=29 September 2009 }}</ref>

=== Management ===
Addison carried on playing until November 1973, but with a broken leg, he proceeded as manager until 1974 when he left to manage South African side [[Durban City F.C.]]

He returned to England in December 1975, joining [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] as assistant to [[Ron Fenton|Ronnie Fenton]]. His next managerial position was at [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] achieving the 'Great Escape' of the [[1976–77 Newport County A.F.C. season|1976–77 season]]<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39804433 Newport County Great Escape]</ref> before he returned to [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] as assistant manager to [[Ron Atkinson]].

After two seasons in charge at [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]], Addison departed in 1982, returning to [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] where he led the team to their highest post-war league finish in the 1982–83 season. In May 1985 Addison moved to Qatar to guide [[Al Ahli SC (Doha)|Al-Ahli]] to second position in the Qatari league. Subsequently, Addison took [[Celta Vigo]] into 'La Liga' First Division in his first season in charge.

A second spell at [[West Bromwich Albion]] as assistant manager to Ron Atkinson followed, before he and Atkinson departed for [[Atlético Madrid]] in October 1988. However, Atkinson left after only two months, with Addison taking over the leadership of the club. Addison departed Atlético Madrid leaving the capital's side fifth in La Liga, moving to [[Cádiz CF]], where he garnered a string of victories to ensure Cadiz's position in the First Division. Addison then moved to Kuwait where he won the league with [[Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait)|Al-Arabi]], finishing above the second-placed team managed by Felipe Scolari. Returning to the UK, Addison once again took up the reins at [[Hereford United]].

Later management roles included [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ciderspace.co.uk/ASP/history/addison-colin.asp|title=Colin Addison – an appreciation|publisher=Ciderspace|access-date=23 August 2009}}{{dead link|date=November 2025|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2995870/On-the-Spot-Colin-Addison.html|title=On the Spot: Colin Addison|date=5 January 2001|work=The Telegraph|access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]] and the [[Conference National]] side [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]], leading the club to their highest league finish at the time. He was manager of [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]] in the [[1998–99 in English football|1998–99]] season, when goalkeeper [[Jimmy Glass]] scored a memorable goal for [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] that changed the course of the season in the dying minutes, subsequently relegating Scarborough.<ref>{{cite web 
|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-scarborough-stunned-into-silent-disbelief--scarborough--1-peterborough-united--------1-1092697.html
|title=Scarborough stunned into silent disbelief – Scarborough 1 Peterborough United 1
|work=The Independent 
|date=10 May 1999 |access-date=30 December 2014}}</ref>
== Radio career ==
Addison was a pundit on [[BBC Radio Wales]] until 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/people/managers/well-known-ex-managers|title=Well known managers|publisher=Welsh Premier Football|access-date=23 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225000541/http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/people/managers/well-known-ex-managers|archive-date=25 February 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Addison resided in the city of [[Hereford]].<ref name="telegraph obit">{{Cite news |date=3 November 2025 |title=Colin Addison, footballer and manager who led Hereford United to a famous FA Cup victory |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/11/03/colin-addison-footballer-manager-hereford-fa-cup-obituary/ |access-date=5 November 2025 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref> His death there at the age of 85 was announced on 31 October 2025 .<ref>[https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/sports-news/football-former-hereford-united-player-and-manager-colin-addison-has-died-at-the-age-of-85/ Former Hereford United player and manager Colin Addison has died at the age of 85] Your Herefordshire</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=31 October 2025 |title=Colin Addison: Legendary Hereford United manager dies aged 85 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c14ppz2rgr0o |access-date=1 November 2025 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Honours==
* [[National League (English football)|Football Conference]] Manager of the Month: February 2003<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.confguide.com/cgi-bin/news.mpl/2003/06/14/a |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030702230324/http://www.confguide.com/cgi-bin/news.mpl/2003/06/14/a |archive-date=2 July 2003 |title=Conference end of season awards |work=ConfGuide.com |date=14 June 2003 |access-date=14 March 2023}}</ref>
* A road, Addison Court, near the football ground in [[Hereford]], is named in his honour.<ref name="telegraph obit" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name| 11726890}}
* {{BDFutbol manager|7323}}
* {{soccerbase (manager)|296|Colin Addison UK}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Colin Addison managerial positions
|list1=
{{Hereford United F.C. managers}}
{{Newport County A.F.C. managers}}
{{Derby County F.C. managers}}
{{Celta de Vigo managers}}
{{Atlético Madrid managers}}
{{Cádiz CF managers}}
{{CD Badajoz managers}}
{{Scarborough F.C. managers}}
{{Yeovil Town F.C. managers}}
{{Swansea City A.F.C. managers}}
{{Forest Green Rovers F.C. managers}}
{{Al Arabi SC (Qatar) managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Addison, Colin}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from Taunton]]
[[Category:Footballers from York]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:English expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:York City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. players]]
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Hereford United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Hereford United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Newport County A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Derby County F.C. managers]]
[[Category:La Liga managers]]
[[Category:CD Badajoz managers]]
[[Category:Cádiz CF managers]]
[[Category:RC Celta de Vigo managers]]
[[Category:Atlético Madrid managers]]
[[Category:Scarborough F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Yeovil Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Swansea City A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Al Ahli SC (Doha) managers]]
[[Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Merthyr Tydfil F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Spain]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Barry Town United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Cymru Premier managers]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in South Africa]]
[[Category:Expatriate soccer managers in South Africa]]
[[Category:Durban City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Qatar]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Qatar]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Kuwait]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Kuwait]]
[[Category:Kuwait Premier League managers]]
[[Category:Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait) managers]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Notts County F.C. non-playing staff]]