Roger Preece

Football player infobox
playername = Roger Preece


fullname = Roger Preece
height = height|ft=5|in=8
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1969|6|9
cityofbirth = Much Wenlock
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Gap Queens Park (club coach)
clubnumber =
position = Midfielder/Full back
youthyears = 1985–1986
youthclubs = Coventry City
years = 1986–1990
1990–1996
1996–1997
1997
1997–1999
2000–2003
2003–2004
clubs = Wrexham
Chester City
Southport
Telford United
Shrewsbury Town
Telford United
Newtown
caps(goals) = 111 0(12)
170 0 (4)
0 9 00(0)
0 800 (1)
052 0 (3)
032 0 (1)
0 1 00(0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
managerclubs = Newtown
manageryears = 2003–2006
pcupdate = 22/1/2008
ntupdate =

Roger Preece (born June 9 1969, Much Wenlock) was an English professional footballer who mainly played as a midfielder. He played in The Football League for three clubs and has also played and managed in non–league football.

Playing and Coaching Career

Preece began his playing days as an apprentice with Coventry City, but in August 1986 he moved to Wrexham. He made more than 100 Football League appearances over the next four years but suffered from a poor disciplinary record, as he was sent off five times.Sumner (1997), p.108] In the summer of 1990 he was released by Wrexham and switched to local rivals Chester City, who were a division higher in the Football League Third Division. He began his Chester days at full back but went on to make his greatest mark as a midfielder.

He helped Chester win promotion from Division Three in 1993–94, with Preece scoring in the promotion clincher against Hereford United on April 23 1994. [Sumner (1997), p.117] . He was named player of the season the following campaign. [cite web|url= http://www.chester-city.co.uk/records.asp
title= Club Records: Player of the Season | publisher = chester-city.co.uk | accessdate=2008-01-22] Unfortunately, Preece was to play just one more game for the club as a clattering tackle from Hartlepool United's Mick Tait [Sumner (1997), p.121] on the opening day of 1995–96 ruled him out of action for the remainder of the season. He eventually left the club in October 1996 after failing to recover, [Sumner (1997), p.122] spending the remainder of the season with GM Vauxhall Conference sides Southport and Telford United.

In June 1997 Preece returned to The Football League as player–coach with Shrewsbury Town. [cite web|url= http://www.chester-city.co.uk/june97news.asp
title= Jolly Roger | publisher = chester-city.co.uk (see 27 June) | accessdate=2008-01-22] In 2000 he teamed up again with boss Jake King at Telford United, where the pair worked together until Preece became Newtown manager in June 2003. [Cite news
title= Newtown appoint Preece
url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/2963800.stm | publisher= BBC Sport | date= 2003-06-04
accessdate= 2008-01-22] He remained in charge until October 2006, leaving after a 6–0 loss to Rhyl. [Cite news
title= Welsh Premier Roundup
url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/sport/pages/mattwalters_21october06.shtml
publisher= BBC Wales | date= 2006-10-23 | accessdate= 2008-01-22]

Preece is now a coach with Wrexham based side Gap Queens Park, [cite web|url= http://www.gapqueensparkfc.com/GQP_1stTeam_CoachingStaff.php
title= First team coaching staff | publisher = gapqueensparkfc.com | accessdate=2008-01-22] as well as with Wrexham's centre of excellence. [cite web|url= http://www.wrexhamafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10311~1192538,00.html
title= Centre of excellence – the story to date | publisher = Wrexham FC official website | accessdate=2008-01-22]

Honours

Chester City

*Football League Division Three runners-up: 1993–94.

*Player of the Season: 1994–95

External links

*soccerbase|id=6452
* [http://www.chester-city.co.uk/what_happened_to_3.asp Chester City ‘What Happened To…?’ article (2002)]
* [http://www.welsh-premier.com/player_detail_solo.php?player_id=11947 Welsh Premier career stats]

Bibliography

*cite book | first=Chas | last=Sumner| coauthors= | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City F.C. 1885-1997 | publisher=Yore Publications | location= | year=1997 | editor= | id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6

References