Anthony Williams (footballer)

Anthony Williams

Personal information
Full name	Anthony Simon Williams [1]
Date of birth	(1977-09-20) 20 September 1977 (age 46)
Place of birth	Maesteg, Wales
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Aberystwyth Town (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–2000	Blackburn Rovers	0	(0)
1998	→ Queens Park Rangers (loan)	0	(0)
1999	→ Macclesfield Town (loan)	4	(0)
1999	→ Huddersfield Town (loan)	0	(0)
1999	→ Bristol Rovers (loan)	9	(0)
1999	→ Gillingham (loan)	2	(0)
2000	→ Macclesfield Town (loan)	11	(0)
2000–2004	Hartlepool United	131	(0)
2003	→ Swansea City (loan)	0	(0)
2004	→ Stockport County (loan)	15	(0)
2004–2005	Grimsby Town	46	(0)
2005–2007	Carlisle United	11	(0)
2006	→ Bury (loan)	3	(0)
2007	→ Wrexham (loan)	9	(0)
2007–2009	Wrexham	27	(0)
2009–2010	Neath	20	(0)
2012	Bury	0	(0)
Total		288	(0)
International career‡
1996–2000	Wales U21	16	(0)
Managerial career
2012–2013	Crawley Town (assistant)
2013–2014	Portsmouth (assistant)
2017–2022	Cardiff Metropolitan University (assistant)
2022–	Aberystwyth Town
2024-	Aberystwyth Town Ladies (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:34, 14 January 2012 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:07, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

Anthony Simon Williams (born 20 September 1977) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer who is currently manager of Cymru Premier side Aberystwyth Town and interim manager of Adran Premier side Aberystwyth Town Ladies. ^[2]

As a player, he was a goalkeeper from 1994 until 2012. He came through the youth ranks at Premier League side Blackburn Rovers before going on to feature for Queens Park Rangers, Macclesfield Town, Huddersfield Town, Bristol Rovers, Gillingham, Hartlepool United, Swansea City, Stockport County, Grimsby Town, Carlisle United, Bury, Wrexham and Neath. Williams is also a former Wales U-21 player. ^[3]

Playing career

Blackburn Rovers

Williams began his career as a trainee at Blackburn Rovers in 1997 and had loan spells at Queens Park Rangers, Macclesfield Town, Huddersfield Town, Bristol Rovers and Gillingham in three seasons but made no appearances for Blackburn. ^[4]

Hartlepool United

Williams joined Hartlepool United on a free transfer in June 2000 ^[5] and started 131 league games in four seasons at Victoria Park, ^[4] helping Hartlepool to the Division Three play-off semi-final in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, ^{[6] [7]} and to promotion in the 2002–03 season. ^[8] He lost his place in the first-team to Jim Provett at the start of the 2003–04 season and had loan spells with Swansea City and Stockport County. ^{[9] [10]} At the end of the season, his contract was not renewed and he was released by Hartlepool. ^[11]

Grimsby Town

Williams joined Grimsby Town where he was an ever-present in the 2004–05 season but rejected the offer of a new contract at the end of the season.

Carlisle United

Instead he joined Carlisle United. ^[3] At the start of the 2005–06 season he was the first choice goalkeeper but lost his place to Keiren Westwood and joined Bury on a short loan spell in January 2006 ^[12] before joining Wrexham on loan in March 2007 until the end of the 2006–07 season. ^[13]

Wrexham

Williams joined Wrexham on a permanent basis in May 2007, signing a two-year contract, after impressing during his loan spell at the club when he kept five clean sheets in nine games. ^[14] Following Wrexham's relegation to the Football Conference in May 2008, he was transfer listed by the club, ^[15] but stayed with the side until the end of the season before being released. ^[16]

Neath

On 1 June 2009, Williams signed for Welsh Premier league side Neath, ^[17] making twenty appearances before being released at the end of the season. ^[18]

Coaching career

On 24 June 2011, Williams was named as goalkeeping coach at Bury. ^[19] He returned to the playing ranks in January 2012 when back up keeper Ritchie Branagan suffered an injury resulting in Williams being given a squad number. ^[20]

He joined Crawley Town as assistant manager, with Richie Barker in August 2012. ^[21] In November 2013, Williams had his contract terminated at the club following the departure of manager Richie Barker. ^{[22] [23]}

On 17 December 2013, Williams was appointed goalkeeper coach as well as assistant manager at Portsmouth, he was appointed by his old manager at Crawley, Richie Barker. On 27 March 2014, Williams was sacked by Portsmouth ^[24]

He was then assistant manager and first-team goalkeeping coach at Cardiff Metropolitan University FC before in May 2022 being appointed as manager of fellow Cymru Premier club Aberystwyth Town. ^[25]

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	Nat.	From	To	Record
				P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Aberystwyth Town		28 May 2022	Present	28	10	2	16	35	68	−33	035.71
Aberystwyth Town Ladies (interim)		09 March 2024	Present	6	0	2	4	1	11	−10	000.00

Honours

Carlisle United

• Football League Trophy runner-up: 2005–06 ^[26]

References

1. "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/01/2012 and 31/01/2012". The Football Association. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
2. https://x.com/AberTownWomen/status/1766567171927191799?s=20
3. "Keeper Williams joins Carlisle". BBC Sport. 9 June 2005. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
4. "Anthony Williams". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
5. "Summer signings: Comprehensive list of Football Transfers (21 June)". BBC Sport. 12 August 2000. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
6. "Blackpool reach play-off final". BBC Sport. 16 May 2001. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
7. "Play-off joy for Cheltenham". BBC Sport. 30 April 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
8. "Diamonds win title". BBC Sport. 3 May 2003. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
9. "Swans snap up Williams". BBC Sport. 21 November 2003. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
10. "Williams stays at Stockport". BBC Sport. 17 February 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
11. "Hartlepool release quartet". BBC Sport. 25 May 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
12. "Bury sign keeper Williams on loan". BBC Sport. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
13. "Wrexham take Port Vale's Walker". BBC Sport. 22 March 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2007.
14. "Wrexham snap up keeper Williams". BBC Sport. 17 May 2007. Archived from the original on 31 May 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
15. "Axe falls on 14 Wrexham players". BBC Sport. 25 April 2008. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
16. "Saunders begins Wrexham revamp". BBC Sport. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
17. "Eagles swoop for keeper Williams". Welshpremier.com. 3 June 2009. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
18. "Massive clearout at The Gnoll". welsh-premier.com. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
19. "Goalie coach tied down". buryfc.co.uk. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
20. "Squad number for Taff". buryfc.co.uk. 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
21. "Crawley Town appoint Anthony Williams as assistant boss". BBC Sport. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
22. "Anthony Williams leaves Crawley Town". Crawley Town Official Website. 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
23. "Richie Barker leaves Crawley Town". Crawley Town Official Website. 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 30 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
24. "League Two: Portsmouth part with manager Richie Barker after poor run of form".
25. James, Aled (28 May 2022). "Aberystwyth Town unveil former Crawley Town, Portsmouth and Cardiff Met coach as manager". Y Clwb Pel-Droed. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
26. "Carlisle 1–2 Swansea". BBC Sport. 2 April 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

External links

• Tony Williams' at Soccerbase
• Official Wrexham A.F.C. profile