View source for Michael Barron

{{Short description|English footballer (born 1974)}}
{{For|the American politician|Michael J. Barron}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name= Michael Barron
| fullname = Michael James Barron<ref name="Hugman2003-04">{{Cite book | editor-first = Barry J. | editor-last = Hugman | title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004 | year = 2003 | publisher = Queen Anne Press | isbn = 1-85291-651-6 | page = 37 }}</ref>
| image = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|12|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chester-le-Street]], England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}<ref name="Hugman2003-04"/>
| position = [[Right-back]]
| youthyears1 = {{0|000}}?–1993
| youthclubs1 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
| years1 = 1993–1997
| clubs1 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
| caps1 = 3
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1996
| clubs2 = → [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] (loan)
| caps2 = 16
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1997–2008
| clubs3 = [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]]
| caps3 = 309
| goals3 = 3
| totalcaps = 328
| totalgoals = 3
| manageryears1 = 2011
| managerclubs1 = [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] (Caretaker)
| manageryears2 = 2012
| managerclubs2 = [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] (caretaker)
| manageryears3 = 2021
| managerclubs3 = [[Blyth Spartans F.C.|Blyth Spartans]] (caretaker)
}}

'''Michael James Barron''' (born 22 December 1974) is a former professional footballer and coach. 

Barron started his football career at [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] and made three appearances for the club. He would spend time on loan with local club [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] before signing permanently there in 1997. Early in his Hartlepool career, Barron won back-to-back Player of the Year awards in 1997–98 and 1998–99. After the club suffered three consecutive play-off defeats, Barron won his first promotion with the club from the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] in 2002–03. After two unsuccessful play-off campaigns in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] and then subsequently [[Football League One|League One]], Hartlepool were relegated back to the fourth tier. Nevertheless, Barron won his second promotion with the club the following year. At the end of the 2007–08 season, Barron retired from football having made 374 appearances for Hartlepool, the ninth highest total in the club's history.

In his final season as a player, Barron began his coaching career at Hartlepool at youth level. He later moved into first-team roles with the club as a first-team coach, assistant manager and also as a caretaker manager on two separate occasions before leaving the club in 2013. Following this, Barron worked as a teacher before returning to coaching as assistant manager at [[Blyth Spartans]].

==Football career==

===Middlesbrough===
Barron was born in [[Chester-le-Street]], but started his career at [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]. Despite spending four years at the club, Barron only made three appearances and found his chances of breaking into the first team limited. Barron looked elsewhere for game time and he was allowed to go on loan to [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]]. Barron made his debut for Hartlepool against [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] and made 14 appearances during his loan spell. Middlesbrough then released Barron and he signed permanently for Hartlepool.

===Hartlepool United===
After his 3 months on loan at Pools, Barron was persuaded to sign permanently in 1997 under manager [[Mick Tait]], Barron found a role in the middle of a back three, playing as a sweeper, and impressed with his cool and calm nature. He was voted Supporters' Player of the Year in both 1998 and 1999.

Barron moved to right-back under [[Chris Turner (footballer, born 1958)|Chris Turner]].

Barron was in the Hartlepool side that had three consecutive [[Football League Third Division]] play-off semi-final defeats. He was part of the promotion-winning side in 2002-03 but Pools were pipped to the league title by [[Rushden & Diamonds F.C.|Rushden & Diamonds]] on the final day of the season. Hartlepool had to beat Rushden to win the title but could only draw.<ref>[[2002–03 Football League#Third Division]]</ref>

After promotion, Barron led Pools to the play-offs the following season and he was stretchered off in the second half of the second leg of the semi-final at Bristol City. Pools went on to lose in injury time.

The following year, Pools went one better and Barron led out the Hartlepool team as captain in their [[EFL League One|League One]] play-off final in May 2005 against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] where a late equaliser eight minutes from time denied Pools their first ever promotion to the [[EFL Championship|Championship]], Hartlepool went on to lose in extra-time 4–2 in front of a crowd of 59,808 at the [[Millennium Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4580603.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Hartlepool 2-4 Sheff Wed (aet) | date=29 May 2005}}</ref>

To celebrate 10 seasons with the club, a series of events were held such as a testimonial dinner with [[Bobby Robson]] as guest speaker. Barron could only attend the later stages of the dinner as he was involved in a reserve team match while trying to make his comeback from injury. A testimonial game, at Victoria Park against [[Leeds United]] which Hartlepool won 2–1, was also held.<ref name="nc" /> During his time on the sidelines, he became a regular special guest commentator on Pools World, the Hartlepool United audio commentary service. Barron signed a new contract in June 2007.<ref name="nc">{{cite web|title=Micky Barron Signs New Deal| date=29 May 2007 |url=http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=67400|publisher=hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk|accessdate=6 December 2011}}</ref> He retired at the end of the 2007–08 season which saw Hartlepool finish 15th in [[EFL League One|League One]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.poolstats.co.uk/seasons/tab/s200708.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224104013/http://www.poolstats.co.uk/seasons/tab/s200708.htm |archive-date=24 December 2013 |title=POOLstats – 2007-08 League Table}}</ref> He made 374 appearances for Pools, ranked 9th in the all-time list for the club, scoring 4 times.

==Coaching career==
During his final playing season with Hartlepool, Micky was a player-coach for the League One side as the youth team coach. He kept up this role before being the club's assistant manager to [[Mick Wadsworth]] whilst undertaking the role of reserve team coach; John Hewitson was then put in charge of Barron's previous role of youth team coach. He was appointed first-team coach under [[John Hughes (footballer, born 1964)|John Hughes]], before he was sacked along with Hughes in May 2013 which allowed [[Colin Cooper]] and [[Craig Hignett]] to replace to pair later on that month.

He took on first-team duties as caretaker manager on 6 December 2011, following the sacking of previous manager [[Mick Wadsworth]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Hartlepool United sack head coach Mick Wadsworth |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16056381.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=6 December 2011}}</ref> He was in charge for three games, losing the first two and then beating [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] 1–0, but reverted to his reserve team duties when [[Neale Cooper]] was appointed manager on 28 December 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16347508.stm |title=Neale Cooper returns to take Hartlepool job |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=28 December 2011}}</ref>

Cooper resigned as Hartlepool manager on 24 October 2012<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/241012-club-statement-445562.aspx| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121028123522/http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/241012-club-statement-445562.aspx| archive-date = 28 October 2012| title = Club Statement: Neale Cooper}}</ref> with the club sitting bottom of League One<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20031989 |title = Neale Cooper resigns as Hartlepool United first-team coach – BBC Sport| work=BBC Sport }}</ref> leaving Barron in charge as caretaker manager until a new manager was appointed. He drew his first game in his second stint as caretaker manager 2–2 against [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] courtesy of a late own goal, assisted by [[Ritchie Humphreys]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20014134 |title = Brentford 2-2 Hartlepool – BBC Sport| work=BBC Sport }}</ref>

In September 2020, Barron became assistant manager to former teammate [[Michael Nelson (footballer)|Michael Nelson]] at [[Blyth Spartans F.C.|Blyth Spartans]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mobile.twitter.com/Blyth_Spartans/status/1307304969247297544 |title=Barron arrives as Blyth no.2 |publisher=Blyth Spartans Official Site |date=19 September 2020 |accessdate=19 September 2020}}</ref> Following Nelson's dismissal in November 2021, Barron took temporary charge of Blyth.

In August 2024, Barron took up a coaching role at the Park View Academy of Sport. His role is to coach the first-year students at who, as part of a partnership with the college, play for [[Chester-le-Street United F.C.|Chester-le-Street United]] U18s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parkviewacademyofsport.co.uk/post/michael-barron-joins-park-view-academy-of-sport-chester-le-street-united |title=Michael Barron Joins Park View Academy of Sport & Chester-Le-Street United |publisher=Park View Academy of Sport |date=3 August 2024 |accessdate=3 August 2024}}</ref>

==Media career==
Since May 2020, Barron co-hosts Switch of Play which is a podcast of interviews with former Hartlepool players, alongside the club's former media manager Mark Simpson. 

From the start of the 2023–24 season, Barron began working as a co-commentator for [[BBC Radio Tees]] reporting on Hartlepool games.

==Personal life==
Alongside his coaching, he works as a teacher.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theleaguepaper.com/features/where-are-they-now/375530/hartlepool-u-2002-03/ |title=Where Are They Now? HARTLEPOOL U 2002-03 |publisher=The Football League Paper |date=5 September 2021 |accessdate=4 October 2023}}</ref>

In May 2024, Barron revealed that he had been diagnosed with heart failure.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-united-legend-micky-barron-thankful-for-overwhelming-outpouring-of-support-after-former-pools-defender-shares-news-of-serious-heart-condition-4646208 |title=Hartlepool United legend Micky Barron thankful for "overwhelming" outpouring of support after former Pools defender shares news of serious heart condition |first=Robbie |last=Stelling |website=Hartlepool Mail |date=29 May 2024 |access-date=11 June 2024}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{| 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"|[[EFL Cup|League Cup]]
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
|[[1993–94 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1993–94]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|1993|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|[[Football League First Division|First Division]]
|2||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|[[1995–96 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1995–96]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|1995|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|[[Premier League]]
|1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!3!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!4!!0
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]]
|[[1996–97 Hartlepool United F.C. season|1996–97]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|1996|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|[[Football League Third Division|Division Three]]
|16||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||16||0
|-
|[[1997–98 Hartlepool United F.C. season|1997–98]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|1997|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|Division Three
|33||0||1||0||1||0||2{{efn|name=FLT|Appearance(s) in [[Football League Trophy]]}}||0||37||0
|-
|[[1998–99 Hartlepool United F.C. season|1998–99]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|1998|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|Division Three
|38||1||1||0||2||0||3{{efn|name=FLT}}||0||44||1
|-
|[[1999–2000 Hartlepool United F.C. season|1999–2000]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|1999|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|Division Three
|40||0||2||0||2||0||5{{efn|name=POF|Three appearances in Football League Trophy, two appearances in [[EFL League Two play-offs|Third Division play-offs]]}}||0||49||0
|-
|[[2000–01 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2000–01]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2000|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|Division Three
|28||0||1||0||0||0||5{{efn|name=POF}}||0||34||0
|-
|[[2001–02 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2001–02]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2001|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|Division Three
|39||1||1||0||1||0||3{{efn|One appearance in Football League Trophy, two appearances in Third Division play-offs}}||0||44||1
|-
|[[2002–03 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2002–03]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2002|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|Division Three
|42||0||2||1||1||0||0||0||45||1
|-
|[[2003–04 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2003–04]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2003|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|[[Football League Second Division|Division Two]]
|32||1||3||0||2||0||3{{efn|One appearance in Football League Trophy, two appearances in [[EFL League One play-offs|Second Division play-offs]]}}||0||40||1
|-
|[[2004–05 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2004–05]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2004|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|[[EFL League One|League One]]
|13||0||1||0||0||0||5{{efn|Two appearances in Football League Trophy, three appearances in [[EFL League One play-offs|League One play-offs]]}}||0||20||0
|-
|[[2005–06 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2005–06]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2005|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|League One
|15||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||15||0
|-
|[[2006–07 Hartlepool United F.C. season|2006–07]]<ref>{{soccerbase season|447|2006|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
|[[EFL League Two|League Two]]
|29||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||31||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!325!!3!!14!!1!!9!!0!!26!!0!!374!!4
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!328!!3!!14!!1!!10!!0!!26!!0!!378!!4
|}

{{notelist}}

==Managerial statistics==
{{updated|27 November 2021}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=2435|title=Micky Barron's managerial career|work=[[Racing Post|Soccerbase]]|accessdate=27 October 2012}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
|-
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
|-
|align=left|[[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] (caretaker)
|align=left|6 December 2011
|align=left|28 December 2011
{{WDL|5|1|0|4}}
|-
|align=left|Hartlepool United (caretaker)
|align=left|24 October 2012
|align=left|13 November 2012
{{WDL|4|0|1|3}}
|-
|align=left|[[Blyth Spartans F.C.|Blyth Spartans]] (caretaker)
|align=left|17 November 2021
|align=left|29 November 2021
{{WDL|2|1|0|1}}
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|11|2|1|8}}
|}

==Honours==
'''Hartlepool United'''
*[[Football League Third Division]] second-place promotion: [[2002–03 Football League|2002–03]]
*[[Football League Two]] second-place promotion: [[2006–07 Football League Two|2006–07]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] Player of the Year: [[1997–98 Football League|1997–98]], [[1998–99 Football League|1998–99]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/UI/Person.aspx?oid=34 |title=Micky Barron |website=In The Mad Crowd |access-date=4 March 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Soccerbase|name=Micky Barron}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070710134644/http://www.hartlepoolunited.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10326,00.html Barron's Official Hartlepool United F.C. profile ]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070905125718/http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/cgi-bin/itmc_view_person.asp?oid=34 Micky Barron profile] at [http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/ In The Mad Crowd]
*[http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/player.asp?p=247 Vital Hartlepool Profile: Mickey Barron ]
*{{NeilBrownPlayers|player4/mickybarron}}
{{Hartlepool United F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Hartlepool United F.C. managers}}
{{Blyth Spartans F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barron, Michael}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Premier League players|Barron, Michael ark]]
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Chester-le-Street]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Blyth Spartans A.F.C. managers]]