Bill Dearden

Football player infobox
playername = Bill Dearden


fullname = William Dearden
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1944|2|11|df=y
cityofbirth = Oldham
countryofbirth = England
height =
currentclub = Blackpool (chief scout)
clubnumber =
position = Striker (retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1963-1966
1966-1968
1968-1970
1970-1976
1976-1977
1977-1979
clubs = Oldham Athletic
Crewe Alexandra
Chester City
Sheffield United
Chester City
Chesterfield
caps(goals) = 034 0(2)
047 0(7)
085 (22)
175 (61)
036 0(7)
027 0(2)
manageryears = 1999
1999-2002
2002-2004
2006-2008
managerclubs = Port Vale (caretaker)
Mansfield Town
Notts County
Mansfield Town

William (Bill) Dearden (born 11 February 1944 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is an English football manager, most recently at Mansfield Town before his departure on 8 March 2008. Dearden also managed the Stags between 1999 and 2002, and was named Mansfield manager for the second time on 28 December 2006. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/6214427.stm Dearden named Mansfield manager] , BBC, retrieved 2006-12-28] He has also managed Notts County, and had a four-day spell as joint caretaker manager of Port Vale in 1999.

Player

As a player, Dearden was a striker with hometown club Oldham Athletic, Crewe Alexandra, Chester City (two spells), Sheffield United and Chesterfield. His most successful spell as a player was arguably his six years at Sheffield United, where he scored 61 goals in 175 league appearances. [ [http://since1888.co.uk Since 1988 Football League Database.] (accessed 22 July 2007)]

Dearden began in the junior teams at Oldham Athletic and made his league debut for the Latics in the 1964-65 season. In 1966, he moved to Crewe Alexandra and two years later he was on the move again to Chester City. His performances in the lower divisions prompted Sheffield United to invest £10,000 in his transfer in 1970. In season 1971-72, he was the Blades leading scorer with 18 goals, and topped the scoring list again a year later with 23. He then moved to a midfield role in the team and, after losing his place in 1975, he returned to Chester City. In 1977, he was transferred to Chesterfield where he completed his playing days.

Manager and coach

His coaching career began in the late 1970s when he was player-coach at Chesterfield. He joined Mansfield's coaching staff in 1983.

Dearden spent eleven years at Mansfield, first as youth-team coach, and later first-team coach. In 1994, he took up a similar position at Port Vale, and was briefly the club's caretaker manager following John Rudge's 1999 dismissal. He subsequently left Port Vale when Brian Horton was named manager. He returned to Mansfield later the same year when he was named caretaker manager and later full-time manager, following Steve Parkin's departure.

During his three-year stay as Mansfield manager, he brought up several talented youngsters from the youth team, including Liam Lawrence, Bobby Hassell and Lee Williamson, and signed key players such as Chris Greenacre and Wayne Corden, guiding the Stags to the verge of promotion. However, he left the club midway through the 2001/02 promotion season to take control of local rivals Notts County. It is rumoured that his departure came as a result of a dispute with Mansfield chairman Keith Haslam.

Dearden joined Notts County on January 7 2002 with the club on the brink of relegation and suffering serious financial problems. Dearden successfully guided the Magpies to Division Two safety thanks to winning streak of eight wins in the club's final eleven games. This dramatic turnaround in form was nicknamed the "Great Escape" by the Magpies faithful and help earn Dearden Nottinghamshire's Sports Personality of the Year in 2003. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2004/11/19/features_campaigns_sports_awards_nottinghamshire_personality_vote_feature.shtml BBC Nottinghamshire] , retrieved 2006-12-28]

The remainder of his tenure at Meadow Lane was dominated by the club's financial problems. He was unable to make a single permanent signing but comfortably kept Notts County in Division Two during his first full season. He left the club by mutual consent on January 7 2004 with the Magpies under new ownership. [ [http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/profile-19.html?LMAS=ac18bcd2957323bc427fa9646321af92 League Managers Association website] , retrieved 2006-12-28] He later held coaching jobs at Blackpool and Milton Keynes Dons, but was out of work when he was named Mansfield manager for a second time in December 2006.

On 8 March 2008 Dearden left Mansfield by mutual consent, following 8 home games without a win. [ [http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~1260199,00.html Dearden departs] Mansfield Town Official Website, 8 March 2008. Retrieved on 8 March 2008.]

On 11 July, 2008, Dearden returned to Blackpool as the club's chief scout. [ [http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Dearden-back-at-Bloomfield-Road.4273965.jp "Blackpool Gazette"] , retrieved 2008-07-11]

Managerial stats

:"As of 10 June 2007."

References

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|id=1361|name=Bill Dearden