View source for John Relish

{{Short description|English footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = John Relish
|image = 
| fullname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|10|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Huyton]], Lancashire, England
| position = [[Full back (association football)|Full back]]
| height = 5 ft 8 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>
| youthyears1 =  
|  youthclubs1 =   [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] 
| youthclubs2 =  [[Chester City F.C.|Chester]]
|  years1 =   1972–1974 
| years2 =  1974–1987 
| years3 =  1987–1989 
| years4 =  1989–1990
|  clubs1 =   [[Chester City F.C.|Chester]] 
| clubs2 =  [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] 
| clubs3 =  [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]] 
| clubs4 =  [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]]
| caps1 =     11  
| caps2 =  337  
| caps3 =    
| caps4 =    10  
| goals1 =  1  
| goals2 =  9  
| goals3 =  
| goals4 =  0 
| manageryears1 =   1986 
| manageryears2 =  1989–1993 
| manageryears3 =  1998–2001 
| manageryears4 =  2003–2005 
| manageryears5 =  2005–2008
| managerclubs1 =   [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] 
| managerclubs2 =  [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] 
| managerclubs3 =  [[Weston-super-Mare A.F.C.|Weston-super-Mare]] 
| managerclubs4 =  [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]] 
| managerclubs5 =  [[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]]
}}
'''John Relish''' (born 5 October 1953) is an English [[association football|football]] manager and former player, who previously managed [[Conference South]] side [[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]] before moving aside to develop a football academy at the club in October 2008. He was also involved in the coaching setup which oversaw Wales win in the [[non-league]] Four nations tournament in 2006.

Relish began his playing career as a [[schoolboy]] with [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] before joining [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]] as an apprentice. He left in 1974 to spend the next thirteen years of his career playing for [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]], mostly during the most successful period in the club's long history. Relish was part of the team that won promotion to the [[Football League Third Division]], won the [[1979–80 Welsh Cup|1980 Welsh Cup]] and in the subsequent season reached the quarter-final of the [[1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup|1981 European Cup Winners Cup]].<ref>[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/newport/newport.html Newport County A-Z of transfers]</ref>

In 1986, with Newport in the midst of a financial crisis that would see the club eventually forced out of existence, Relish took over as manager until [[Jimmy Mullen (footballer born 1952)|Jimmy Mullen]] took over the role. He continued to play for Newport until 1987 when he left to join [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]]. In 1989, he returned to Newport, this time as player-manager of the reformed team and remained in post until 1993, having led Newport to promotion from the Hellenic League.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/2234109.0/?act=complaint&cid=1488701|title=Relish throws hat into ring|publisher=South Wales Argus|date=30 April 2008|access-date=4 February 2009}}</ref>

==Management==

Relish was assistant manager under [[Colin Addison]] at [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]] during Addison's first spell in charge of Merthyr.<ref name=mt>{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=4623|title=Martyrs appoint Relish to management team|date=29 June 2002|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082322/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=4623|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

He became assistant manager of [[Weston-super-Mare A.F.C.|Weston-super-Mare]] under his former Newport manager [[Len Ashurst]] and took full charge of the club in 1998. He was sacked in October 2001 after an indifferent start to the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=1116|title=Relish goes at Weston|date=1 November 2001|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082338/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=1116|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

He returned to [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]], again as assistant-manager, but now under Andy Beattie in June 2002.<ref name=mt /> He became Merthyr's manager in 2003, but resigned in May 2005 after the playing budget had been cut for the following season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=26445|title=Relish quits Martyrs|date=3 May 2005|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082343/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=26445|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

He was appointed as manager of [[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]] the following month,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=27565|title=Holloway is first Relish recruit|date=17 June 2005|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082400/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=27565|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref> and the following season guided Bath to the Southern League title, and with it promotion to the [[Conference South]]. He moved aside to be replaced by his former assistant Adie Britten in October 2008, although remained with the club to work with their community and youth development programme.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=53004|title=Relish relinquishes managerial role|date=15 October 2008|access-date=4 February 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082447/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=53004|archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

==Personal==
His son Lee, played football for [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]], [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]],  [[Weston-Super-Mare F.C.|Weston-Super-Mare]],  [[Cinderford Town F.C.|Cinderford Town]] and Welsh League side [[Caerleon A.F.C.|Caerleon]] before retiring through injury. In December 2007, Lee Relish was appointed manager of [[Cinderford Town F.C.|Cinderford Town]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-columnists/2007/12/07/relish-following-in-dad-s-footsteps-91466-20216843/|title=Relish following in dad's footsteps|publisher=South Wales Echo|date=7 December 2007|access-date=4 February 2009}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Newport County A.F.C. managers}}
{{Newport County F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{Bath City F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Relish, John}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Huyton]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football fullbacks]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. players]]
[[Category:Chester City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Newport County A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Newport County A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Merthyr Tydfil F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Bath City F.C. managers]]