Jeff Wrightson

Last updated

Jeff Wrightson
Personal information
Full name Jeffrey George Wrightson [1]
Date of birth (1968-05-18) 18 May 1968 (age 55)
Place of birth Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Wallsend Boys Club
1984–1986 Newcastle United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1986–1987 Newcastle United 4 (0)
1987–1992 Preston North End 166 (4)
1992–1997 Gateshead 186 (1)
Yeovil Town
Spennymoor United
Blyth Spartans
Managerial career
2007–2010 Gateshead (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jeffrey George "Jeff" Wrightson (born 18 May 1968) is an English former footballer who made 170 appearances in the Football League playing as a defender for Newcastle United and Preston North End. [2] He went on to play for a number of non-League clubs, in particular Gateshead where he made more than 200 appearances and where from 2007 to 2010 he was assistant manager.

Contents

Career

Wrightson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. He began his football career as a member of Wallsend Boys Club, then signed apprentice forms with his hometown club Newcastle United when he left school in 1984. He played alongside future England international Paul Gascoigne in the Newcastle youth team that won the 1985 FA Youth Cup. Wrightson played four games in the Football League First Division before being released at the end of the 1986–87 season. [2] [3]

Wrightson joined Preston North End, newly promoted to the Third Division and managed by former Newcastle United defender John McGrath. Used mainly as a substitute in his first few months with the club, he played more regularly later in the season and helped the club to a mid-table position. The following season, Preston adopted a three-man defensive line, with Wrightson playing alongside Bob Atkins and Adrian Hughes;[ citation needed ] they reached the end-of-season playoffs only to lose to eventual winners Port Vale. [4]

Wrightson won the club's Player of the Year award in the 1990–91 season, but was released at the end of the next season after turning down the offer of a new two-year contract.[ citation needed ] He had scored five goals from nearly 200 games in all competitions. After an unsuccessful trial with Blackpool he returned to his native north-east, where he signed for non-league Gateshead. In five seasons with the club he made a total of 226 appearances, [5] before enjoying spells with Yeovil Town, Spennymoor United and Blyth Spartans.

He coached juniors at Walker Central BC for three years, [3] before returning to Gateshead in May 2007 as assistant to former Newcastle and Preston teammate Ian Bogie, newly appointed as first team manager. [6] In 2008 they led the club to promotion to the Conference North, [7] and promotion to the Conference National the following season. [8] Wrightson left Gateshead after the 2009–10 season, as he was unable to commit to a full-time role for the following season. [9]

Personal life

His son Kieran played youth and reserve football for Newcastle United and currently plays Non-League football for North Shields F.C. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateshead F.C.</span> Association football club in Gateshead, England

Gateshead Football Club is a professional association football club based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season. The team play their home matches at the Gateshead International Stadium.

Neale Terence McDermott is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.

Martin Brittain is an English former footballer who played as a winger. A boyhood Newcastle United supporter, Brittain progressed through the club's academy to make his senior debut for Newcastle United under Sir Bobby Robson on 3 March 2004 as a 76th-minute substitute for Michael Bridges in a 3–1 win over Vålerenga in the UEFA Cup third round. Brittain was also awarded the prestigious Jackie Milburn trophy in 2004 as Newcastle United young player of the year.

Alan O'Brien is a former Irish footballer who last played for Wealdstone. O'Brien, who played as a winger, represented the Republic of Ireland at full international level five times, all while he was on the books of Newcastle United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Williamson (footballer)</span> English footballer and manager

Michael James Williamson is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a centre back. He is currently the head coach of EFL League Two club Milton Keynes Dons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Ferrell</span> British footballer (born 1984)

Andrew Eric Ferrell is an English footballer. He played in League Two for Hereford United during the 2006–07 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Brayson</span> English footballer

Paul Brayson is an English footballer who plays for Newcastle Benfield as a striker.

Carl Michael Jones is an English footballer and who plays for Shildon as a defender.

Philip Turnbull is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Northern Premier League Division One East club Dunston UTS.

Ian Bogie is a former professional footballer, and former manager of Gateshead and Stockport County. He spent two decades as a professional player, from 1985 up until 2001 he was playing in the English Football League, where he made 382 appearances.

Jon Steven Shaw is an English football manager and former player who was appointed manager of National League North club Blyth Spartans in December 2023. He played as a striker and more recently as a central defender, appearing in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday, York City and Rochdale and pursuing a lengthy career in non-league football.

Nathan Daniel Fisher is a footballer

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Henderson (English footballer)</span> English footballer (born 1989)

Liam Marc Henderson is an English semi-professional footballer who plays for Bishop Auckland as a striker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Bartlett</span> English footballer (born 1986)

Adam James Bartlett is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Bartlett has played for Blyth Spartans, Kidderminster Harriers, Cambridge United, Hereford United, Gateshead, Hartlepool United, Darlington, York City and Whickham. Bartlett is currently the Head of Goalkeeping at Newcastle United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Liddle</span> English footballer (born 1989)

Michael William Liddle is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for National League North club Blyth Spartans. He began his club career with Sunderland, though appeared only once for the first team, and spent time on loan at Carlisle United, Leyton Orient, Gateshead and Accrington Stanley, before joining the latter club on a permanent basis in 2012. He then moved into non-league football with Dunston UTS, Blyth Spartans and Darlington, before returning to Blyth Spartans in 2021.

Michael Joseph Kay is an English former footballer. He usually played in the right back position, but could also play as a central defender and has been known to fill in as a left back on occasion. He is a former England Under-17 international. He is no relation to former Sunderland defender John Kay. He is now an engineer at openreach working as a cabler on fnd fibre build.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Chandler</span> English footballer

Jamie Chandler is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was most recently manager of Spennymoor Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Novak</span> English footballer

Lee Paul Novak is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker.

Paul Derek Zetland Thompson is an English retired footballer who played as a striker.

Jake Cooper, also known as Jake Southern-Cooper, is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for National League club Altrincham.

References

  1. "Preston All Time Appearances 100–199". Preston North End Mad. Footymad. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Jeff Wrightson". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Big Interview: Jeff Wrightson". Lancashire Evening Post. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  4. "Preston North End". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  5. "Players A to Z 90–91 to 99–00". Unofficial Gateshead Football Club Statistics Database. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  6. Bowron, Jeff (8 May 2007). "Bogie's delight". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  7. "Gateshead 2 – 0 Buxton". Gateshead F.C. 4 May 2008. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  8. Bowron, Jeff (10 May 2009). "Gateshead 1 – 0 AFC Telford United". Gateshead F.C. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  9. Bowron, Jeff (28 April 2010). "End of an era for Wrightson and Thompson". Gateshead F.C. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  10. Bowron, Jeff (14 July 2009). "Kieran Wrightson, the son of Gateshead assistant manager Jeff Wrightson". Gateshead F.C. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.