Paul Fairclough

Infobox Football biography
playername = Paul Fairclough


fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1950|1|31
cityofbirth = Liverpool
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname = PF
position = Midfielder
currentclub = Barnet (Manager) England C national football team (Manager)
youthyears =
youthclubs = Liverpool
years =
clubs = Liverpool Wealdstone St Albans City Cheshunt
caps(goals) =
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 1988–90 1990–98 2000–02 2003– 2004–
managerclubs = Hertford Town Stevenage Borough Stevenage Borough England C national football team Barnet

Paul Fairclough (born 31 January 1950) is the current manager of Barnet F.C. and the England C national football team, formerly known as the National Game XI, England Non-League team or the England Semi-pro team.

Prior to Barnet he was manager of Stevenage Borough, taking them to a Nationwide Conference title and a much-publicised FA Cup tie with Newcastle United.

Barnet career

Fairclough was appointed caretaker manager of Barnet for the final few months of the 2003/04 Conference season, replacing the popular Martin Allen who had controversially left the North Londoners for Brentford in March 2004. Initially there was some scepticism surrounding Fairclough's appointment due to his history with rivals Stevenage Borough.

Despite some edgy performances, Fairclough kept Barnet's promotion hopes alive, cementing 4th place, setting up a playoff semifinal with Shrewsbury Town. Barnet won the first leg at Underhill 2–1 thanks to a dramatic injury-time header from Bees defender Simon Clist. The second leg was a cagey affair and the tie was eventually settled on penalties – Barnet losing 5–3 in the shootout. Although the team had failed to reach the playoff final, Fairclough was handed the job on a permanent basis shortly after by Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous.

In his first full season as Barnet manager and determined to make up for the previous season's disappointment, Fairclough's team took the Conference by storm. Following an excellent start to the campaign, the Bees propelled themselves to the top of the division, a position they occupied for the majority of the season. His side produced some excellent performances both at Underhill and on the road, most notably perhaps the 3–1 victory over promotion rivals Carlisle United in mid-October, watched by a then record Conference crowd of 9,215. With a solid defence marshalled by captain Ian Hendon, and 29 goals from striker Giuliano Grazioli, Barnet won the Conference title, securing automatic promotion to the Football League and finishing 12 points clear of their closest challengers with a vastly superior goal difference.

In his maiden venture into League management Fairclough successfully fought off relegation back to the Conference, ensuring Barnet's Football League status with victory over Rushden and Diamonds on the final day of the season. The highlight of the campaign undoubtedly came in late October when Fairclough's men travelled north to take on Manchester United in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup. Unfortunately though, the match will be remembered for the wrong sending off of Barnet goalkeeper Ross Flitney inside 2 minutes for a handball outside the area. The 4500 [ [http://www.barnetfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AwaySupport/0,,10431~982155,00.html Away Support Statistics | 2005/2006 | Barnet | Match | Away Support | Away Support ] ] travelling fans did have something to cheer however when Dean Sinclair scored a 'World Class'a late consolation goal. He ran past three defenders to fire a deadly shot into the top-left hand corner of the goal. United eventually ran out 4–1 winners.

During the 2006–07 campaign Fairclough led Barnet to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup – the first time in the club's history. Indeed, the team's league position improved significantly on the previous season, finishing well clear of the relegation zone in 14th place. Despite this, Fairclough has expressed his disappointment with the season overall, bemoaning his side's failure to draw a "big fish" in the FA Cup which could have seen a sizable cash injection into the club. Fairclough was also critical of his team's performances on the pitch, in particular some of his side's defensive displays. As a result he has signalled his intentions for a squad shake-up in the close season, releasing a number of first team players just days after their final league match. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnet/6621167.stm BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Barnet | Fairclough fashions thinking team ] ]

Other Life

While in a managerial position at Hertford in the late eighties, he was also an IT teacher at Onslow St Audrey's School in Hatfield. He was renowned for his brightly coloured shirts and stories about the members of Dexys Midnight Runners. His brother-in-law is Dexys lead singer Kevin Rowland.

Managerial stats

References

External links

* [http://www.barnetfc.com Barnet FC Official Website]
*soccerbase (manager)|id=1608|name=Paul Fairclough
* [http://www.thefa.com/England/NationalGameXI/Players/Postings/2003/12/10928.htm The FA profile]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnet/6621167.stm BBC Feature on Paul Fairclough]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-qPvBI076A Manchester United vs. Barnet Carling Cup 3rd Round Highlights]

succession box
before=John Owens
title=England C national football team manager
years=2003–present
after="Incumbent"