At Northwich, Maamria transitioned into management at the age of 36, taking caretaker charge in October 2007 with the club in administration and 15 points adrift at the bottom of the Conference Premier. He guided them to survival and was named the division's Manager of the Year. He later served as coach and assistant manager under Westley at Stevenage, Preston North End and Newport County, while also managing Southport and Nuneaton Town. In March 2018, he was appointed manager of Stevenage, a role he held until September 2019, before becoming head coach of Oldham Athletic later that month. He was appointed manager at Burton Albion in September 2022, and remained in the role until December 2023.
Early life
Maamria was born and raised in Gafsa, Tunisia, the youngest of seven siblings.[3][4][5] His father worked in the phosphate mines, and the family lived in a tent until he was four years old.[4] He recalled running long distances to school and the family keeping two goats, one of which he named after Gary Lineker.[4] Inspired by Tunisia's debut at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he aspired to a career in football.[4] He has cited Diego Maradona as his footballing hero, considering him the greatest player of all time.[3]
Club career
Early career
Maamria progressed through the youth system at AS Marsa in Tunisia, making his first-team debut in 1992 and spending two years with the club.[3] He featured in the Tunisian President Cup final in 1994, in which AS Marsa defeated Étoile Sportive du Sahel 1–0 at Stade El Menzah.[3] He has described the match as one of the proudest moments of his career, owing to it being played in front of the Tunisian President and a full stadium of spectators.[3] He later played briefly for CO Transports, who also played in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1, leaving the club in 1995.[3]
While playing for AS Marsa in an away match against Étoile Sportive du Sahel in Sousse in 1995,[6] a tourist resort in the north of Tunisia, he was watched by Burnley's chief scout at the time, Brian Miller, who was on holiday.[1][4] Invited to a two-week trial,[4] he scored in a reserve match against Bradford City and was offered a short-term contract, but did not make a first-team appearance after breaking his leg.[1][7] Released at the end of the year, he joined Glentoran of the Irish League, signing under manager Tommy Cassidy on the recommendation of Burnley caretaker manager Clive Middlemass,[1][8][9] and scored two goals in seven appearances.[9] He signed for Scottish First Division club Ayr United during the 1997–98 season, where he made two appearances.[10][11][12]
Doncaster Rovers
Following his departure from Ayr, Maamria signed for Football Conference club Doncaster Rovers in August 1998,[12][13] making his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Dover Athletic on 15 August 1998.[12] Deployed as a winger in his first season, he scored three goals in 18 appearances.[12] Ahead of the 1999–2000 season, he was informed by manager Ian Snodin that he was not part of the club's long-term plans, although he chose to remain at Doncaster after offering to play for free, without a contract.[12] He was utilised as a centre-forward during the season, and finished as the club's top goalscorer with nine goals in 39 appearances.[6][12][14] In March 2000, he was placed on the transfer list, attracting interest from Cardiff City and Kingstonian,[15] with Cardiff making a formal bid that did not result in a move.[15] He was released in June 2000 and subsequently attended a two-week course to obtain a Football Association coaching badge.[16]
Southport and Leigh RMI
Maamria joined Football Conference club Southport in July 2000.[13][17] He made his first appearance as a 65th-minute substitute in a 1–0 away win against Chester City on 2 September 2000,[18] and scored his first goal a week later in a 3–0 victory over Telford United.[18] He finished the season with 13 goals in 34 appearances, including eight goals in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy, which Southport won.[18] He was released at the end of the season.[19]
Ahead of the 2001–02 season, Maamria signed a two-year contract with fellow Football Conference club Leigh RMI after scoring three goals in pre-season.[19][20] Alongside his playing role, he held a coaching position at Burnley.[1] He scored on his debut in a 1–1 draw with Hayes, and ended the season with 13 goals in 31 appearances.[21] During the campaign, he received the first red card of his career, for violent conduct in stoppage time in a match against Nuneaton Borough on 9 March 2002.[21][22] At the start of the following season, he scored his first professional hat-trick in a 4–2 home victory over Burton Albion on 24 August 2002,[13][23] and went on to score 13 goals in 27 appearances, including another hat-trick against Barnet.[23]
Stevenage Borough
Newly appointed Stevenage Borough manager Graham Westley identified Maamria as a transfer target in February 2003.[24] A fee was agreed with Leigh RMI, but Maamria initially rejected the move following negotiations.[24] After an improved offer, he signed for Stevenage for a five-figure fee on 21 February 2003.[25] He made his debut the following day in a 2–2 draw with Hereford United and scored his first goals for the club with a brace in a 2–0 away victory against local rivals Barnet on 1 March 2003.[23][26] He made 11 appearances and scored five goals as Stevenage moved from the relegation zone to finish 12th.[26][27] At the end of the season, Maamria joined Charleston Battery in the USL A-League,[28] making nine appearances without scoring,[29] before returning to Stevenage in September 2003 after receiving international clearance.[28] He scored 13 goals in 32 appearances during the 2003–04 season.[26]
In the 2004–05 season, a winning goal against former club Leigh RMI in October 2004 preceded a run of nine goals in nine matches.[30] Maamria scored both of Stevenage's goals in their 2–1 aggregate victory over Hereford United in the play-off semi-finals, and played in the 1–0 defeat to Carlisle United in the final.[30] He ended the season with 13 goals from 33 appearances.[26] Maamria received three red cards in the opening three months of the 2005–06 season, resulting in a five-match suspension.[31][32] He was later deployed in central midfield,[26] scoring seven goals in 31 appearances across the season.[31] Maamria left the club at the end of the season, having made 96 appearances and scored 33 goals during his second spell.[26]
Further spells and retirement
Maamria rejoined Conference National club Southport in July 2006,[13] scoring seven goals in 20 appearances during the first half of the 2006–07 season.[18][33] In December 2006, Rushden & Diamonds manager Graham Westley sought to make him his first signing, offering him a player-coach role,[34] although Southport stated they had not received an official approach.[35] Southport indicated they would require an improved offer, while Maamria expressed a desire to join Rushden to further his coaching career under Westley.[36] He signed a one-and-a-half year contract with Rushden on 31 January 2007,[37] scoring once in four appearances before returning to Southport on loan in March 2007 following Westley's dismissal.[33][38][39] His contract at Rushden was cancelled by mutual consent in May 2007.[40]
He signed for Conference Premier club Northwich Victoria on 10 August 2007,[41] making 11 appearances during the opening two months of the 2007–08 season before being appointed caretaker manager in October 2007, after which he did not play for the club again.[42] During the 2008–09 season, while serving as first-team coach at Stevenage, he was registered as a player due to limited squad availability and helped the club win its first Herts Senior Cup in April 2009, scoring twice in a 2–1 victory over Cheshunt in the final.[43] Later that month, he made a brief substitute appearance in a 1–0 victory over Ebbsfleet United, his final professional match.[13][44][45] He was an unused substitute in the 2009 FA Trophy final and was assigned a first-team squad number in both the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons.[46][47][48]
International career
Maamria made one appearance for the Tunisia under-21 team in 1991.[1][11]
Managerial career
Early coaching career
Having always intended to move into coaching after his playing career, Maamria began working with Burnley's youth teams while recovering from a broken leg sustained at the club.[6] He coached the under-12, under-14, and under-16 teams three evenings a week, continuing in various age-group roles alongside his playing commitments.[6] During this period, he helped develop future professional footballers Richard Chaplow, Marc Pugh, and Jay Rodriguez, all of whom later played in the Premier League.[6] He obtained his UEFA B Licence in 1999, his UEFA A Licence in 2001, and also attended a two-week FA coaching course at Lilleshall in June 2000.[16][49]
Northwich Victoria
While playing for Conference Premier club Northwich Victoria at the age of 36, Maamria was appointed caretaker manager in October 2007.[6][41][50] At the time, Northwich were bottom of the league, having lost 15 of their opening 17 matches and drawn the other two, leaving them 15 points adrift of safety,[51] and they had also entered administration.[6][50] In his second match in charge, Northwich recorded their first victory of the season, a 3–1 away win against Southport in the FA Cup on 27 October 2007.[51][52] Following a change of ownership on 11 December 2007,[53] Maamria was confirmed as permanent manager.[54] Under his management, Northwich won six of 11 matches and went on an eight-match unbeaten run in March 2008.[51] Two victories within the space of three days in April 2008,[51] including a 2–1 away win over his former club Stevenage, ensured the club's survival with a game to spare.[55] Maamria was subsequently named Conference Manager of the Year for the 2007–08 season.[6][49][56]
He remained in charge at the start of the 2008–09 season,[57] but Northwich lost seven out of their opening ten matches.[57] In September 2008, he was placed on gardening leave for reasons not disclosed,[58] and was dismissed on 23 October 2008 following an internal investigation.[58][59][60]
Coaching spells
Maamria rejoined former club Stevenage Borough in November 2008 as first-team coach under manager Graham Westley, who had previously signed him during his playing career.[49] He recommended the signing of Mark Roberts, having managed him at Northwich, with Roberts stating that Maamria's belief and desire were key factors in his decision to join Stevenage.[61] Maamria's appointment, alongside several new additions including Roberts and Jon Ashton, coincided with a club-record 24-match unbeaten run between December 2008 and April 2009.[6][62] Stevenage won the FA Trophy that season,[46] before securing promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history by winning the Conference Premier title in Maamria's first full season on the coaching staff.[63] The following year, the club achieved successive promotions by winning the League Two play-offs.[64]
In January 2012, Maamria joined League One club Preston North End as first-team coach following Westley's appointment as manager.[65] He left the club in February 2013 after Westley was dismissed.[66] The following month, Maamria returned to Stevenage as assistant manager during Westley's third spell in charge.[67][68] Stevenage reached the League Two play-offs in the 2014–15 season, losing in the semi-finals.[69] He departed the club alongside Westley shortly after, when Teddy Sheringham was appointed manager.[70] In 2015, Maamria obtained his UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching qualification.[49]
Southport
Maamria was appointed manager of National League club Southport on 19 November 2015, his first managerial role since keeping Northwich Victoria in the division seven years earlier.[6][71] He returned having played for the club during three separate spells and having previously been offered the managerial position in 2006.[6][71] At the time of his appointment, Southport were in the relegation zone, with three wins from their opening 20 matches and eight points adrift of safety.[71][72] Under Maamria's management, the club won eight out of their next 10 matches, including a nine-match unbeaten run,[72] earning him the National League Manager of the Month for December 2015.[73] He left the club on 14 March 2016, citing family and travel reasons,[6] with Southport in 17th place, eight points above the relegation zone.[74]
Nuneaton Town
Maamria was appointed as assistant manager to Westley at League Two club Newport County on 10 October 2016.[75] He left the club when Westley was dismissed on 9 March 2017.[76] After leaving Newport, Maamria stated he had received several opportunities to return to football but was waiting for the right role.[77] He was appointed manager of National League North club Nuneaton Town on 28 October 2017.[77] Nuneaton were one place above the relegation zone having won four league matches in the opening two and a half months of the 2017–18 season.[78] Maamria noted the need to manage expectations and identified the defence as an area in need of improvement.[79] A 2–1 win over promotion-chasing Harrogate Town on 9 January 2018 began a 10-match unbeaten run, during which the team conceded six goals.[78][80] By the time of Maamria's departure to Stevenage in March 2018, Nuneaton had moved to within five points of the play-off positions.[78]
Stevenage
Having previously played for the club and served as first-team coach and assistant manager in separate spells,[81] Maamria was appointed as manager of League Two club Stevenage on 20 March 2018.[82] He became the only African manager in professional English football at the time.[7][83] He recorded his first win as manager with a 4–1 home victory over local rivals Barnet on 2 April 2018.[84] Stevenage were inconsistent for much of the 2018–19 season but won five of their final six league matches to finish 10th, missing out on a play-off place by one point.[6][85][86] The 2019–20 season began with seven league matches without a win,[87] and Maamria was dismissed on 9 September 2019.[88]
Oldham Athletic
In September 2019, Maamria was named as head coach of League Two club Oldham Athletic on a two-year contract on 19 September 2019.[89] Having won nine of his 32 matches in an inconsistent season, Oldham were in 19th position when the League Two season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.[90] He was dismissed on 31 July 2020.[90]
Burton Albion
Maamria joined League One club Burton Albion as assistant manager to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on 1 January 2021.[91] At the time, Burton were bottom of the league table, having won two matches during the first half of the 2020–21 season.[92] The club won nine of their next 12 league matches, including a six-match winning run between February and March 2021, and finished 16th.[92][93] Hasselbaink resigned on 5 September 2022 with the club winless in their opening seven matches to start the 2022–23 season, citing limitations in the club's resources.[94] Maamria was initially placed in caretaker charge[95] before being appointed permanent manager the following day.[94] Burton secured League One safety with three games to spare,[96] finishing 15th,[97] but he was dismissed on 9 December 2023 following a six-game winless run.[98]
After leaving Burton, Maamria stated that he had declined several opportunities to return to management.[99] He noted his reputation for stabilising struggling teams, but indicated that he wished his next managerial role to be a longer-term project.[99]
Style of play
Maamria began his career in an attacking midfield role in Tunisia, and was initially deployed as a winger upon moving to England, including during his first season at Doncaster Rovers.[6][12] From his second season at Doncaster, he was primarily used as a centre-forward,[6][12] the position he predominantly occupied for the remainder of his career, apart from a brief period as a central midfielder during his second spell at Stevenage.[6][13][26] Maamria was noted for his combative style, having adapted his game in England to adopt a more physical approach,[6][26] and accumulated over 55 yellow cards and five red cards across his career.[13]
Personal life
In April 2001, while playing for Leigh RMI, Maamria was appointed Burnley's Ethnic Minorities Development Officer. His role focused on increasing the club's engagement with local Asian communities through school visits, football sessions, and matchday initiatives.[1][100][101]
↑ Smith, Neil (15 August 2001). "Waywell strengthens squad". LeighRMI-Mad.co.uk. Leigh Railway Mechanics Institute Football Club. Archived from the original on 1 May 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
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