Goalkeepers as managers

How Andy Woodman is bucking a widely believed myth

When Andy Woodman was appointed as Bromley’s manager, a lot of fans questioned the club’s wisdom. Andy’s name was completely absent from the rumour mill, and the list of former goalkeepers who’ve pulled up trees as managers is a short one.

But I think Bromley’s owner, Robin Stanton-Gleaves, deserves credit for seeing something in Andy and thinking outside of the box. It would’ve been all too easy to have appointed another name from the managerial merry-go-round.

My honest opinion at the time of Andy’s hiring was let's get behind him. He gained lots of experience playing in the lower tiers of the Football League and has worked as a goalkeeping coach at some top clubs, including Arsenal and Newcastle. You’d have to assume he would’ve learnt a lot on his journey. 

I do wonder why some people have the perception that goalkeepers can’t make successful managers. Is it because, as they say, "you have to be mad to be a goalkeeper", or do people think that it's such a specialist position that a goalkeeper’s knowledge of the game is too narrow?

In my opinion, the opposite is true. A good goalkeeper is constantly organising and communicating and has to stay focused while the whole game is played in front of them. In that regard, they’re possibly better suited to management than an eyes-for-goal striker.

Do goalkeepers consider the management career path a realistic option? A lot of them, if they progress into coaching, seem to stick to their specialist area. And some choose a different path altogether. Petr Čech, for example, moved into an executive role at Chelsea as a technical and performance advisor, while another giant of the goalkeeping game, Peter Schmeichel, moved into punditry. Former Bromley goalkeeper Chris Kettings, meanwhile, chose the management career path… for Aldi supermarkets.

I also wonder how goalkeepers feel about having one of their own as a manager. On the plus side, they will have your back and understand what you’re going through at any given moment. On the negative side, you can't pull the wool over their eyes. There’s nowhere to hide if you’re not performing at your best.

Older fans may remember the former goalkeeper Mike Walker, who was Norwich City boss in the early 90s. He had them battling it out with the big clubs and playing terrific football. They even beat the mighty Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. Following this success, Mike was lured away by Everton, but he didn't even last a year there and his managerial career petered out in the years that followed. Despite this, Norwich fans of a certain vintage remember him fondly.

With an FA Trophy (it never gets old saying that) and a play-off season to his name, perhaps Andy Woodman’s successes at Bromley will make club owners look a little closer at former goalkeepers’ when hiring a new manager. I’m delighted that Bromley did.

Editor’s footnote:

The lack of goalkeepers in the managerial ranks is certainly noticeable. Mike Walker aside, here’s an off-the-top-of-my-head list of players who swapped their gloves for the gaffer’s chair. It’s not a long list. Are there any other examples you can think of?

Tim Flowers

Despite being a Blackburn Rovers legend and an England international, Tim’s managerial career hasn’t had the sheen of his playing career. He twice filled the caretaker-manager seat at Northampton Town but bobbed along in the background until Solihull Moors took a punt on him in 2018. Two years of mixed success with the Moors were followed by short stints at Macclesfield and Barnet, neither of which ended happily. Tim was last spotted managing part-timers Stratford Town in the Southern League Premier Division Central, but this arrangement seems to have run its course too. Will Tim bounce back in the National League any time soon?

Dino Zoff

Dino had a first-class career as a goalkeeper and remains the oldest ever winner of the World Cup (at 40 years of age - one for the pub quiz there). Then, when he finally laid his gloves to rest, Signore Zoff became one of the most respected managers in Italian football. He sat in the hot seats of Juventus, Lazio (x3), Fiorentina, and the Italian national team, and his managerial trophy cabinet includes a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup. He also came close to winning Euro 2000 with Italy, losing to France in the final thanks to a cruel Golden Goal. Remember them? Dino was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and turned 80 earlier this year. His opinions and insight are still highly regarded in the Italian press.

Peter Shilton

Here we have another England international with a wealth of top-drawer playing experience. But Peter’s managerial career flew past him like Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal. Two disaster-laden seasons at Plymouth Argyle in the early 90s were enough to convince him that management wasn’t his bag. Having put the Green Army into a relegation spiral in 1995, Peter left to pursue other opportunities. But not in management. At the age of 45, he put his gloves on again and signed as a backup goalkeeper for Wimbledon. Stints at Bolton, Coventry, West Ham, and Leyton Orient followed. When he finally retired at 47, with 1,005 professional games to his name, Peter didn’t return to management. He’s pretty active on the after-dinner speaker circuit, though.

Now, who did I miss?

---

Thanks for taking the time to read the article.

If you havent as yet make sure you read the other articles in the archive.

If you’d like to show an appreciation for the work that goes into this newsletter you can buy the team a coffee through the link below.

You can also find Mike Head on Twitter - here

Most importantly of all subscribe to the newsletter to ensure you get these updates direct to your inbox.