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{{Short description|South African soccer player, coach, and manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use South African English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name           = Eric Tinkler
|image          = 
|image_size     =
|caption        = 
|fullname       = 
|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1970|7|30|df=y}}
|birth_place    = [[Roodepoort]], South Africa
|height         = 1.86m<ref name = "NFT"/>
|position       = [[Midfielder]]
|currentclub    = 
|youthyears1    = 
|youthclubs1    =   
|years1         = 1990–1991
|clubs1         = [[Bidvest Wits F.C.|Wits University]]
|caps1          = 18
|goals1         = 0
|years2         = 1991–1992
|clubs2         = [[União de Tomar]]
|caps2          = 34
|goals2         = 5
|years3         = 1992–1996
|clubs3         = [[Vitória F.C.|Vitória]]
|caps3          = 84
|goals3         = 2
|years4         = 1996–1997
|clubs4         = [[Cagliari Calcio|Cagliari]]
|caps4          = 20
|goals4         = 0
|years5         = 1997–2002
|clubs5         = [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]]
|caps5          = 99
|goals5         = 9
|years6         = 2002–2005
|clubs6         = [[Caldas S.C.|Caldas]]
|caps6          = 54
|goals6         = 15
|years7         = 2005–2007
|clubs7         = [[Bidvest Wits F.C.|Bidvest Wits]]
|caps7          = 29
|goals7         = 3
|totalcaps      = 337
|totalgoals     = 34
|nationalyears1 = 1994–2002
|nationalteam1  = [[South Africa national football team|South Africa]]
|nationalcaps1  = 45
|nationalgoals1 = 1 
|manageryears1  = 2013–2016
|managerclubs1  = [[Orlando Pirates]] 
|manageryears2  = 2016–2017
|managerclubs2  = [[Cape Town City F.C. (2016)|Cape Town City]]
|manageryears3  = 2017–2018
|managerclubs3  = [[SuperSport United F.C.|SuperSport United]]
|manageryears4  = 2018
|managerclubs4  = [[Chippa United]]
|manageryears5  = 2019–2020
|managerclubs5  = [[Maritzburg United]]
|manageryears6  = 2021–2024
|managerclubs6  = [[Cape Town City F.C. (2016)|Cape Town City]]
}}

'''Eric Tinkler''' (born 30 July 1970) is a South African [[association football|football]] coach and former player.

==Early and personal life==
Tinkler was born in [[Roodepoort]].<ref name = "NFT">{{NFT player|pid=6933|access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref>

==Club career==
Tinkler played club football for [[Bidvest Wits F.C.|Wits University]], [[União de Tomar]],  [[Vitória F.C.|Vitória]], [[Cagliari Calcio|Cagliari]], [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]], [[Caldas S.C.|Caldas]] and [[Bidvest Wits F.C.|Bidvest Wits]].<ref name = "NFT"/>

Tinkler moved from Italian club Cagliari to English club Barnsley on 1 July 1997 for a transfer fee of £650,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-tinkler-joins-the-barnsley-party-1248611.html|title=Football: Tinkler joins the Barnsley party|date=2 July 1997|access-date=14 January 2019|author=Rupert Metcalf and Alan Nixon|work=The Independent}}</ref>

==International career==
Tinkler earned 45 caps for the [[South Africa national football team|South African national team]] between 1994 and 2002, scoring 1 goal.<ref name = "NFT"/> He was part of the South Africa squad that won the [[1996 African Cup of Nations]], playing in the final.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/62458/bafana-bafanas-1996-african-cup-of-nations-victory-remembered|title=Bafana Bafana's 1996 African Cup of Nations victory remembered|date=3 February 2016|access-date=14 January 2019|publisher=KickOff}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Tinkler became head coach of [[Orlando Pirates]] in December 2013; in May 2015 it was announced that he would continue in that role for the [[2015–16 South African Premier Division|2015–16]] season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2015/05/18/Tinkler-confirmed-as-Pirates-coach-for-next-season1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122154647/http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2015/05/18/Tinkler-confirmed-as-Pirates-coach-for-next-season1|title=Tinkler confirmed as Pirates coach for next season|date=18 May 2015|archive-date=22 January 2017|access-date=14 January 2019|publisher=Times Live}}</ref> Tinkler left Orlando Pirates to become the first head coach of [[Cape Town City F.C. (2016)|Cape Town City]] club on 17 June 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supersport.com/football/absa-premiership/news/160617/Tinkler_to_lead_Black_Aces|title=Tinkler to lead Black Aces|date=17 June 2016|access-date=14 January 2019|publisher=SuperSport}}</ref> On 8 June 2017 he moved to become head coach of [[SuperSport United F.C.|SuperSport United]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/75965/stan-matthews-backs-eric-tinkler-to-succeed-at-supersport-united|title=Stan Matthews backs Eric Tinkler to succeed at SuperSport United|date=8 June 2017|access-date=14 January 2019|publisher=KickOff}}</ref> He quit in March 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/psl/breaking-eric-tinkler-quits-supersport-united-13567149|title=BREAKING: Eric Tinkler quits SuperSport United|date=2 March 2018|access-date=14 January 2019|author=Ashfak Mohamed|publisher=IOL}}</ref>

After a spell with [[Chippa United]], he became manager of [[Maritzburg United]] in January 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/coaches/eric-tinkler/230864/|title=South Africa - E. Tinkler - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway|website=us.soccerway.com}}</ref> He left the club in November 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/maritzburg-united-part-ways-with-eric-tinkler|title=Maritzburg United part ways with Eric Tinkler|first=Dylan Appolis 23|last=November 2020|website=fourfourtwo.com|date=23 November 2020 }}</ref>

He returned as manager of [[Cape Town City F.C. (2016)|Cape Town City]] on 24 May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickoff.com/news/articles/south-africa-news/categories/news/premiership/cape-town-city-confirm-appointment-of-eric-tinkler/699661|title=Cape Town City confirm appointment of Eric Tinkler|date=24 May 2021|website=Kick Off}}</ref> On 31 December 2024, Tinkler left the club.<ref>https://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/psl/cape-town-city-eric-tinkler-part-ways-by-mutual-consent-46f19ea5-18df-400d-a080-f37fca774020</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|FA Cup
!colspan="2"|League Cup
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="6" valign="center"|[[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]]
|[[1997–98 Barnsley F.C. season|1997–98]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|10513|1997|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref>
|[[Premier League]]
|25||2||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||29||2
|-
|[[1998–99 Barnsley F.C. season|1998–99]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|10513|1998|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref>
|rowspan="4" valign="center"|[[Football League First Division|First Division]]
|25||3||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||30||3
|-
|[[1999–2000 Barnsley F.C. season|1999–2000]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|10513|1999|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref>
|33||4||1||0||5||0||3||0||42||4
|-
|[[2000–01 Barnsley F.C. season|2000–01]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|10513|2000|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref>
|0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||0||0
|-
|[[2001–02 Barnsley F.C. season|2001–02]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|10513|2001|access-date=12 September 2016}}</ref>
|16||0||0||0||1||1||colspan="2"|-||17||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!99!!9!!6!!0!!10!!1!!3!!0!!118!!10
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!99!!9!!6!!0!!10!!1!!3!!0!!118!!10
|}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan=3|[[South Africa national football team|South Africa national team]]<ref name = "NFT"/>
|-
!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|1994||5||0
|-
|1995||4||0
|-
|1996||11||1
|-
|1997||10||0
|-
|1998||0||0
|-
|1999||2||0
|-
|2000||6||0
|-
|2001||2||0
|-
|2002||5||0
|-
!Total||45||1
|}

==Honours==
'''Cape Town City'''
:Telkom Knockout Final<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://citizen.co.za/phakaaathi/south-africa-soccer-phakaaathi-phakaaathi/1668913/tinklers-achievements-dont-surprise-khoza/|website=citizen.co.za|access-date=2019-08-11|title=Tinkler's achievements don't surprise Khoza|date=27 September 2017}}</ref>

'''Supersport United'''
:MTN 8 Cup Final<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2017-10-15-tinkler-says-no-time-to-celebrate-mtn8-success-as-they-turn-attention-to-caf-confed-cup/|title='Winning trophies must become an addiction and a drug for us': Tinkler|website=TimesLIVE|language=en-ZA|access-date=2019-08-11}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{South African Premier Division managers}}
{{Cape Town City F.C. squad}}
{{Navboxes
| bg = #F7EB29
| fg = #006400
| bordercolor = #006400
| title = South Africa squads
| list1 =
{{South Africa Squad 1996 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{South Africa Squad 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{South Africa Squad 2000 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{South Africa Squad 2002 Africa Cup of Nations}}
}}
{{Orlando Pirates managers}}
{{SuperSport United F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tinkler, Eric}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Roodepoort]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Gauteng]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy]]
[[Category:South African men's soccer players]]
[[Category:South Africa men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:South African expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in Portugal]]
[[Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in Italy]]
[[Category:Bidvest Wits F.C. players]]
[[Category:Cagliari Calcio players]]
[[Category:Barnsley F.C. players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:Primeira Liga players]]
[[Category:Serie A players]]
[[Category:1996 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:1997 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:2000 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2002 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:White South African people]]
[[Category:Caldas S.C. players]]
[[Category:Orlando Pirates F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Cape Town City F.C. (2016) managers]]
[[Category:South African soccer managers]]
[[Category:SuperSport United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Chippa United F.C. managers]]

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