View source for Mick Wadsworth

{{Short description|English football coach and former player}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name     = Mick Wadsworth
| image          = 
| caption        =
| fullname       = Michael Wadsworth<ref name="PFA 631">{{Cite book
 | editor-first = Barry J.
 | editor-last = Hugman
 | title = The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005
 | year = 2005
 | publisher = Queen Anne Press
 | isbn = 978-1-85291-665-7
 | page = 631 }}</ref>
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1950|11|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Barnsley]], England
| currentclub    = 
| position       = [[Forward (association football)|Striker]]
| years1   = 1976–1977    |clubs1 = [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe United]]    |caps1 = 28     |goals1 = 3
| manageryears1  = 1985     | managerclubs1  = [[Matlock Town F.C.|Matlock Town]]
| manageryears2  = 1993–1996| managerclubs2  = [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]]
| manageryears3  = 1996–1999| managerclubs3  = [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]]
| manageryears4  = 1999     | managerclubs4  = [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]]
| manageryears5  = 2001–2002| managerclubs5  = [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]]
| manageryears6  = 2002–2003| managerclubs6  = [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]
| manageryears7  = 2003–2004| managerclubs7  = [[Congo DR national football team|DR Congo]]
| manageryears8  = 2005–2006| managerclubs8  = [[S.C. Beira-Mar|Beira-Mar]]
| manageryears9  = 2008     | managerclubs9  = [[Gretna F.C.|Gretna]] (caretaker)
| manageryears10 = 2009     | managerclubs10 = [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]]
| manageryears11 = 2010–2011| managerclubs11 = [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]]
| manageryears12 = 2013     | managerclubs12 = [[Celtic Nation F.C.|Celtic Nation]]
| manageryears13 = 2014     | managerclubs13 = [[Sheffield F.C.]]
}}
'''Michael Wadsworth''' (born 3 November 1950) is an English [[association football|football]] coach and former player.

Born in [[Barnsley]] his playing career spanned only one season in [[The Football League]] with [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe United]], along with spells playing for [[Gainsborough Trinity F.C.|Gainsborough Trinity]], [[Mossley A.F.C.|Mossley]] and [[Frickley Athletic F.C.|Frickley Athletic]]. Following the end of his playing career he took up coaching and has had a number of roles at a range of clubs including spells as manager of [[Frickley Athletic F.C.|Frickley Athletic]], [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]], [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]], [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]], [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]], [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]], Portuguese side [[SC Beira-Mar|Beira-Mar]], [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]] and [[Celtic Nation F.C.|Celtic Nation]]. He has also managed the national sides of both [[Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team|St. Kitts & Nevis]] and [[Congo DR national football team|Democratic Republic of Congo]]. Wadsworth has also held a number of coaching roles, including eight years working in a number of roles for [[The FA]].

==Playing career==
Although Wadsworth played in [[The Football League]] for a short period of time, his playing experience was limited to 28 appearances for [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe United]] in the [[1976–77 in English football|1976–77]] season.<ref name="PFA 631"/> Thus, he is best known for coaching.

A [[non-League football|non-League]] playing career with clubs including [[Gainsborough Trinity F.C.|Gainsborough Trinity]] and [[Mossley A.F.C.|Mossley]] ended at [[Frickley Athletic F.C.|Frickley Athletic]], where Wadsworth was [[player-manager]]. Wadsworth was then employed by the FA until commencing his club management career in 1993.

==Coaching career==

===The FA===
In 1985, Wadsworth was appointed as an FA regional coach in the north-west region of England, a position he would hold until 1991, when he became a Technical Co-ordinator on the FA's Excellence Programme, working on the futures of promising youngsters. Between 1988 and 1992, he was also an official match observer for the [[England national football team|England national team]] under Bobby Robson and then [[Graham Taylor (football manager)|Graham Taylor]].

Wadsworth also coached some of the FA's representative teams during his time in their employ, including a coaching role with the national team at the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]]. He spent two years as manager of the [[England C national football team|England non-league team]], five years as manager of the England youth team and had a coaching role with the [[England national under-21 football team|England U-21 team]].

===Carlisle United Manager===
In 1993, Wadsworth was offered a coaching role at [[PSV Eindhoven]], but could not accept due to a lack of Dutch coaching credentials. In August, however he was appointed [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] manager. Carlisle finished 7th in [[Football League Third Division|Division Three]] and made the playoffs, but lost in the semi-final. The following season Carlisle reached the [[Football League Trophy|Auto Windscreens Trophy]] final but lost to Barry Fry's [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]]. In the league the club finished 1st in Division Three, winning promotion.

After a poor start to [[1995–96 in English football|1995–96]] in [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]], Wadsworth resigned from his post as Director of Coaching.

===Scarborough===
In January 1996 Wadsworth became the assistant to the inexperienced [[Gary Megson]] at [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]]. Norwich were to finish the season 16th of 24 in [[Football League First Division|Division One]]. At the end of the disastrous season he moved to [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]] as manager and took the club to the play-off semi-finals in his second season.

===Colchester United Manager and St Kitts & Nevis Coach===
In January 1999 Wadsworth left Scarborough to manage [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]]. He brought in a host of new players and the club escaped from relegation by finishing 18th in Division Two that May. In the close-season, he released a number of the fans favourite players including [[Joe Dunne]] and [[Tony Adcock]]. Wadsworth held a short-term coaching role with [[Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team|St. Kitts & Nevis]]. Not long afterwards, however, Wadsworth resigned from Colchester on 25 August 1999 citing difficulties with commuting from his home at Pontefract.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cu-fc.com/news/article/club-history-90s-and-00s-230024.aspx|title=The 1990s and 2000s|publisher=Colchester United F.C.|date=11 August 2013|access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref>

===Newcastle United Assistant Manager===
It was therefore somewhat ironic that after leaving Colchester, Wadsworth spent two weeks working with [[Steve Coppell]] even further south at [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] before becoming assistant manager to Sir [[Bobby Robson]] at [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]].

In May 2000, Newcastle finished 11th in the [[Premier League]], a position they would repeat in 2001.

===Southampton Assistant Manager, Oldham Athletic Manager===
Wadsworth was to leave Newcastle in June 2001, without telling Sir Bobby, to become assistant manager to [[Stuart Gray (footballer, born 1960)|Stuart Gray]] at [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]. In November the duo were sacked after a very poor start to the season. The following month he was appointed manager of [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] but was fired at the end of the season after finishing ninth in Division Two.

===Huddersfield Town Manager===
After [[Lou Macari]] and [[Joe Jordan (footballer)|Joe Jordan]]'s dismissal Wadsworth was appointed manager of [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] in July 2002, after being recommended to chairman David Taylor for the job. Firstly he brought in [[Dave Wilkes]] as his First Team Coach and former Barnsley keeper Dave Watson but by January 2003 he was sacked but as Wadsworth and the club could not agree a severance package, he was reinstated until March.

===Congo national team===
In November 2003 he was appointed manager of [[Congo DR national football team|Democratic Republic of Congo]] ahead of [[African Nations Cup]], for which they had qualified. He was sacked from "The Simbas" on 2 February 2004, the day after the team had lost their third of three matches in the tournament.

===Beira-Mar and Shrewsbury Town===
In June 2004, he was appointed manager of Portuguese club [[SC Beira-Mar|Beira-Mar]], but left in September amid claims of boardroom interference. Wadsworth re-surfaced at [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]] in January 2005 as assistant manager to [[Gary Peters (footballer)|Gary Peters]] and remained with the club until March 2006.

===Gretna and Chester City===
Wadsworth was appointed Director of Club Development at Scottish side [[Gretna F.C.|Gretna]] in July 2006, and he later took on a dual role as [[Director of Football]] and assistant manager when [[David Irons]] was appointed as Gretna's new manager in July 2007.<ref>{{cite news|title=Irons will lead Gretna into SPL|publisher=BBC Sport|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gretna/6903910.stm|access-date=17 July 2007|date=18 July 2007}}</ref> On 19 May 2008, forty members of staff at Gretna, including Wadsworth, were laid off due to financial difficulties and after relegation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gretna/7408191.stm|title=Gretna lay off remaining 40 staff|publisher=BBC Sport|date=19 May 2008|access-date=19 May 2008}}</ref>

Wadsworth was then appointed [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]] manager on 29 June 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chester appoint Wadsworth as boss|publisher=BBC Sport|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chester/8124988.stm|access-date=29 June 2009|date=29 June 2009 }}</ref> After just two wins in 13 Football Conference games, Wadsworth was sacked.<ref>{{cite news|title=Manager Wadsworth leaves Chester|publisher=BBC Sport|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chester/8282685.stm|access-date=30 September 2009|date=30 September 2009}}</ref>

===Hartlepool United===
Wadsworth was appointed First Team Coach at [[Football League One]] club [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] in June 2010<ref>{{cite news | title=Hartlepool Appoint Mick Wadsworth As Coach | publisher=Vital Hartlepool | url=http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=203008 | access-date=10 August 2010 | date=28 June 2010 | archive-date=31 August 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831113419/http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=203008 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
and Caretaker Manager on 19 August following the resignation of Director of Sport Chris Turner.<ref>{{cite news
 |title        = Turner resigns from post at Victoria Park
 |publisher    = Hartlepool United Football Club
 |url          = http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10326~2127336,00.html
 |date         = 19 August 2010
 |access-date  = 3 September 2010
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100822134035/http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10326~2127336,00.html
 |archive-date = 22 August 2010
 |url-status     = dead
}}</ref> After a successful season in League One where Pools finished 16th and on 23 June Wadsworth was rewarded with an extension to his contract; becoming the club's first permanent manager in 920 days. On 6 December 2011, following a run of bad home form the club announced he had been relieved of his duties.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hartlepool United sack head coach Mick Wadsworth|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16056381.stm|access-date=6 December 2011 | date=6 December 2011 |publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

===Sheffield United===
In October 2013 Wadsworth was appointed as temporary first team coach at [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] to support caretaker manager [[Chris Morgan (footballer)|Chris Morgan]].<ref name="blades">{{cite web|url=http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20131018-mick-wadsworth-1120243.aspx |title=Experienced Mick to assist Morgs |publisher=Sheffield United F.C. |date=18 October 2013 |access-date=20 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018122757/http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20131018-mick-wadsworth-1120243.aspx |archive-date=18 October 2013 }}</ref>

Mick had a six-month spell as manager of non-league [[Sheffield F.C.]], in 2014, and returned to [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] as the club's Senior Youth Development in July 2015.<ref name="Sheffield United F.C">{{cite web|url=http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/sheffield-united-academy-mick-wadsworth-2549927.aspx|title=Experienced coach joins Academy ranks|publisher=Sheffield United F.C.|date=16 July 2015|access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> He left the club in August 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/18649126.mick-wadsworth-carlisle-utds-glorious-1994-5-season---huge-outpouring-emotion-left-blues/|title = Mick Wadsworth on Carlisle Utd's glorious 1994/5 season – and the "huge outpouring" of emotion when he left the Blues}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Wadsworth grew up in the village of [[Dodworth]] which is in the metropolitan borough of [[Barnsley]]. His father was a collier and Wadsworth himself began his career working down the pit.{{citation needed|date=January 2022|reason=cite deleted per WP:USURPSOURCE}} Prior to working as a football coach, Wadsworth worked as a PE teacher and taught future footballer [[David Hirst (footballer)|David Hirst]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tes.com/news/rising-stars-brunton-park|title = Rising stars at Brunton Park}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://owlsonline.com/?page=news&news_id=725|title=Owls Wary of Pools Threat – Owlsonline}}</ref> Wadsworth is a boyhood fan of [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]].
Wadsworth is a keen artist and has auctioned off some of his drawing of football grounds for charity.<ref name="News and Star">{{cite web|title=The former Carlisle United manager who's turned Brunton Park into art – for a great cause|url=https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19607439.former-carlisle-united-manager-turned-brunton-park-art---great-cause/|work=News and Star}}</ref> Wadsworth can also play the piano, guitar and harmonica.{{citation needed|date=January 2022|reason=cite deleted per WP:USURPSOURCE}}

Wadsworth's son, Greg, is a football agent.<ref name="News and Star"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/angry-mick-wadsworth-blasts-hartlepool-3699889|title = Angry Mick Wadsworth blasts Hartlepool|date = 29 September 2010}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Carlisle United'''
*[[Football League Third Division]]: [[1994–95 Football League|1994–95]]
*[[Football League Trophy]] runner-up: [[1994–95 Football League Trophy|1994–95]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/fry-s-delight-as-carlisle-succumb-to-sudden-death-1616946.html |title=Fry's delight as Carlisle succumb to sudden death |first=Trevor |last=Haylett |website=The Independent |date=24 April 1995 |access-date=29 May 2024}}</ref>

'''Individual'''
*[[Football League One]] Manager of the Month: December 2010

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/player.asp?p=3106 Mick Wadsworth profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104024158/http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/player.asp?p=3106 |date=4 November 2017 }} at [http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/ Vital Hartlepool]
*{{soccerbase (manager)|955|Mick Wadsworth}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061024142946/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/profile-192.html League Managers Association profile]

{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Matlock Town F.C. managers}}
{{Carlisle United F.C. managers}}
{{Scarborough F.C. managers}}
{{Colchester United F.C. managers}}
{{Oldham Athletic A.F.C. managers}}
{{Huddersfield Town F.C. managers}}
{{DR Congo national football team managers}}
{{S.C. Beira-Mar managers}}
{{Gretna F.C. managers}}
{{Chester City F.C. managers}}
{{Hartlepool United F.C. managers}}
}}
{{DR Congo squad 2004 African Cup of Nations}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadsworth, Mick}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Barnsley]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Gainsborough Trinity F.C. players]]
[[Category:Frickley Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Frickley Athletic F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Matlock Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Carlisle United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Scarborough F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Colchester United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Oldham Athletic A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:S.C. Beira-Mar managers]]
[[Category:Gretna F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Chester City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Scottish Premier League managers]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Portugal]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Portugal]]
[[Category:Newcastle United F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team managers]]
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:2004 African Cup of Nations managers]]
[[Category:Norwich City F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Mossley A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:English football coaches]]