Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Paul Andrew Carden | ||
Date of birth | 29 March 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Warrington Town (manager) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1996–1998 | Blackpool | 1 | (0) |
1998–2000 | Rochdale | 46 | (0) |
2000 | → Chester City (loan) | 11 | (0) |
2000–2001 | Chester City | 35 | (0) |
2001 | Doncaster Rovers | 16 | (1) |
2001–2005 | Chester City | 120 | (3) |
2005–2006 | Peterborough United | 44 | (0) |
2006 | Burscough | 0 | (0) |
2006–2007 | Burton Albion | 27 | (1) |
2007–2008 | Accrington Stanley | 4 | (0) |
2007 | → Cambridge United (loan) | 2 | (0) |
2008 | → Cambridge United (loan) | 17 | (0) |
2008 | Wrexham | 0 | (0) |
2008–2011 | Cambridge United | 102 | (3) |
2011 | → Luton Town (loan) | 10 | (0) |
2011–2012 | Luton Town | 1 | (0) |
Total | 436 | (8) | |
Managerial career | |||
2009 | Cambridge United (caretaker) | ||
2009 | Cambridge United (caretaker) | ||
2015 | Southport | ||
2016 | Tranmere Rovers (caretaker) | ||
2016–2021 | Warrington Town | ||
2021–2022 | AFC Telford United | ||
2023–2024 | Nantwich Town | ||
2024– | Warrington Town | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Paul Andrew Carden (born 29 March 1979) is an English former professional footballer and coach, who manages Warrington Town.
While playing at Cambridge United, Carden was also the club's assistant manager. He previously played for Blackpool, Rochdale, Chester City, Doncaster Rovers, Peterborough United, Accrington Stanley, and Burton Albion. He was a player and coach at Luton Town before leaving in January 2013, and was manager of Southport between January and November 2015. [1]
Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Carden made his Football League debut as a 17-year-old apprentice for Blackpool in December 1996 in a local derby defeat by Preston North End. That was to be his only first-team action for Blackpool but he enjoyed regular football with Rochdale, who he joined in March 1998. However, after falling out of favour he joined Chester City in March 2000, shortly before they were relegated out of the Football League. It was to be the start of a long association with the Cheshire club.
Carden had two spells with Chester (a brief stint at Doncaster Rovers in 2001 falling in between) and was a regular for most of his time there, chalking up more than 200 first-team appearances for the Blues. He captained the side to the Football Conference title in 2003–04 and a return to the Football League for both Carden and the club. The following season saw him named as the club's player of the season, but he was then released by new manager Keith Curle.
Carden teamed up with his former boss Mark Wright at Peterborough. His debut ironically came against Chester on the opening day of 2005–06. Later in the season, after Wright had departed, Carden became one of the central characters of the Big Ron Manager documentary series on Sky, with Ron Atkinson drafted in to help new boss Steve Bleasdale.
On 18 October 2006 it was announced that Carden had his contract with Peterborough terminated by mutual consent. He promptly registered with Burscough, who his brother Adam plays for, but immediately joined Burton Albion on a three-month loan, with a view to a permanent deal when the January transfer window opened. Carden, however, initially failed to complete the move following interest from Bury – a move failed to materialise and he signed a deal with Burton on 31 January 2007 until the end of the season. Four months later, he returned to Football League circles with Accrington Stanley but was allowed to join Cambridge United on loan in November 2007. After briefly returning to Stanley, Carden was allowed to join Cambridge for the remainder of the season on 3 January 2008. [2] Carden was influential as Cambridge reached the Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley in May 2008. [3]
Although initially leaving Cambridge after their defeat in the play-off final to join Wrexham, [4] Carden returned to Cambridge on 23 June 2008 as a player and assistant manager to Gary Brabin, his first management role. [5] He was appointed as caretaker manager at Cambridge on 13 July 2009 after Brabin left the club following a second successive play-off final defeat in May. [6] On 22 July Carden signed a three-year deal as player and assistant manager at Cambridge, despite there being no full-time manager in place at the time. [7] Following Martin Ling's appointment as manager, Carden returned to assistant manager duties on 27 July 2009, but was forced to regain control after Ling's unexpected departure after only nine days at the club. [8] [9] After managing Cambridge to a win and a loss in their first two games of the season in August 2009, Ling was reappointed as manager on 12 August, leaving Carden once again as assistant manager. [10]
On 18 February 2011, Carden signed on loan for Luton Town until the end of the 2010–11 season, linking back up with Luton assistant manager Gary Brabin, who he had previously worked with at Cambridge. [11] During that loan spell, Carden played against Cambridge despite being the club's assistant manager. On 16 June 2011, Carden had his contract at Cambridge United terminated. [12] On 27 August 2011, Carden was appointed first-team coach at Luton, joining up once again with Gary Brabin, who was now the club's manager. Carden was registered as a player, and made his first appearance of the season in a 2–2 draw against Ebbsfleet United. [13] He remained with Luton as a coach until January 2013, when his contract was terminated. [14]
Carden was appointed Southport manager in January 2015 following the departure of Gary Brabin to Everton. [15] Carden successfully kept Southport in the Conference Premier with some crucial wins against Halifax, Aldershot and Torquay United. However, he left the club in November 2015. [1] He was appointed interim manager of Tranmere Rovers in September 2016 after a spell as assistant manager. [16] On 26 October 2016, Paul Carden was named manager of Warrington Town F.C. [17]
On 21 November 2021, National League North side AFC Telford United appointed Carden as their First Team Manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract. The club was rooted to the bottom of the league at Christmas, but their form improved following Carden's appointment and they eventually finished the 2021/22 season in 20th place, above the relegation zone. Carden was sacked on 9 October 2022 with the club rooted to the bottom of the league table. [18]
Carden was appointed manager of Nantwich Town in February 2023. [19] Nantwich were relegated from the Northern Premier League on 23 April 2023.
On 21 September 2024, Carden returned to former club Warrington Town, now of the National League North. [20]
Chester City
Warrington Town Northern Premier League Play off winners 2017/2018
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Southport Football Club is an association football club based in Southport, Merseyside. The club compete in the National League North, the sixth level of the English football league system. They play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008. They are known by their nickname "the Sandgrounders".
Mark Anthony Beesley is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of F.C. United of Manchester.
Martin Ling is an English football manager and former player currently director of football for Leyton Orient. He played in over 100 Football League matches for each of Exeter City, Southend United, Swindon Town and Leyton Orient, before moving into management. He led Orient for more than five years from 2003 until 2009, and went on to manage Cambridge United, Torquay United and Swindon Town.
Gary Brabin is an English former professional footballer, coach and manager who is the assistant manager at National League club Oldham Athletic and the sporting director at Cymru Premier club The New Saints.
Paul John Buckle is an English football manager and former player. He has previously been the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the manager of Torquay United, Bristol Rovers, Luton Town, Cheltenham Town and Sacramento Republic.
Scott Brown is an English former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He has played in the English Football League for Bristol City, Cheltenham Town, Port Vale, Morecambe and Accrington Stanley.
Jamie Hand is an English former professional footballer and scout. A "tough-tackling, no-nonsense" midfielder, he made around 400 appearances in a 14-year football career and played in the English Football League, Scottish Premier League, Isthmian League, Conference, Southern League and Northern Premier League.
Philip Christopher Bolland is an English former footballer, who played as a centre back. He currently works as a physiotherapist for Liverpool.
Christopher Holroyd is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker. Holroyd started his football career at Crewe Alexandra, progressing through the club's youth system. He subsequently joined Chester City for the third year of his scholarship, and signed professional terms in 2006. In July 2008, Holroyd left Chester by mutual agreement with a year remaining on his contract.
Alan Neilson is a Welsh former professional footballer who currently works as a Professional Development Coach for Norwich City.
Shaun James Whalley is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League Two club Accrington Stanley. Born in Prescot, Merseyside, Whalley played for Norwich City and Southport as a youth before making his Football League debut with Chester City in 2004.
Matthew Brian Barnes-Homer is an English professional footballer who plays for Hednesford Town.
Mark Alan Roberts is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender.
John Paul Kissock is an English association footballer who last appeared as player-assistant manager at Whitehawk. He plays as a midfielder.
Liam Watson is an English former professional footballer and current club director of Southport Football Club.
The 2010–11 season was the 125th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club.
The 2011–12 season was the 126th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club. Their third-place finish and subsequent penalty shoot-out loss to AFC Wimbledon in the Conference Premier play-off final in 2010–11 meant they competed in non-League football for the third consecutive year.
Godfrey Akwasi Poku is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Isthmian League South East Division club Margate. He has also previously played for St Albans City, Luton Town, Mansfield Town, AFC Telford United, Woking, Oxford City, Wealdstone and Havant & Waterlooville.
The 2013–14 season was the 128th in the history of Luton Town Football Club and the club's fifth consecutive season in non-League football following a mid-table finish in the 2012–13 campaign. In manager John Still's first full season in charge, Luton won promotion to the Football League and were crowned Conference Premier champions.