Dean Christopher Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968 in
WalthamstowWalthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
,
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional football player, now
managerIn association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
. As a striker he scored 193 goals in 610 league games over a 22 year career. Despite playing for 16 clubs in 19 spells the majority of his goals and appearances came at
BrentfordBrentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
,
WimbledonWimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, and
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. He is currently manager of
League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side
Aldershot TownAldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
.
As a player he started his career at
WatfordWatford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
in 1986, where he spent three years before signing with
BrentfordBrentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, following a short loan spell. A highly successful three years followed before he was signed by
WimbledonWimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in 1992. After another impressive three year spell he transferred to
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. He spent six years at Bolton, before in 2003 joining
Coventry CityCoventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
,
Rushden & DiamondsRushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
and then back to Wimbledon. In 2004 he signed with
Havant & WaterloovilleHavant & Waterlooville Football Club are an English football club based in Havant, Hampshire. The club formed in 1998 after a merger between Havant Town and Waterlooville, and are currently members of the Conference South. Nicknamed The Hawks, they play at West Leigh Park.-History:In 1998 Havant...
, where he spent one season before joining
Derby CountyDerby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. In 2006 he dropped out of
the Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for the final time, joining
WeymouthWeymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
. Short spells followed at
Heybridge SwiftsHeybridge Swifts are a non-league football club based in Heybridge, near Maldon, Essex. They were established in 1880 and were founding members of the Essex Senior League in 1971...
,
Cambridge UnitedCambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
, and
Newport CountyNewport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
.
His management career started at
RedbridgeRedbridge F.C. is an English Association football club based in the London Borough of Redbridge. Prior to July 2004 the club was known as Ford United F.C. The new name was chosen to help associate the club more within the local area and attract a larger support.They should not be confused with...
in 2007. After one season there he took the reins at
Newport CountyNewport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
. In his second season with the club he took them to the
Conference SouthConference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
title with 28 points to spare. In January 2011 he switched clubs to take charge at League Two side
Aldershot TownAldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
.
Playing career
Holdsworth primarily played as a striker, although in the latter part of his career he tended to play off the front man. He was a pacey striker with good shooting ability.
Holdsworth started his career at
WatfordWatford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and had several loan spells out of the club before joining
BrentfordBrentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
.
At
BrentfordBrentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
he was to prove himself as a prolific goalscorer, scoring 38 goals in the Third Division championship winning season of 1991–92, in a fruitful partnership with
Gary BlissettGary Blissett is a former English professional footballer.He played for Crewe Alexandra, Brentford and Wimbledon in a professional career spanning almost fifteen years...
. For this achievement he was named on the
PFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
. This proved to be his final season with the club, as his exploits led to much interest from higher level clubs.
He signed for
WimbledonWimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in the summer of 1992 for £650,000, making an immediate impact in his first season at the Dons with 16 goals, forming a solid partnership with
John FashanuJohn "Fash" Fashanu is a British television presenter and ex-footballer of Nigerian and Guyanese descent. In his former career, he was a centre-forward, who scored 134 league goals in a career lasting 17 years...
. He quickly established himself as one of the Premiership's top finishers in his first few seasons at the club. During his time at Wimbledon, club chairman
Sam HammamSamir "Sam" Hammam is a Lebanese business man, most notable for his high profile involvement in British football clubs.-Career:...
promised to buy Holdsworth a
FerrariFerrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
sports car and even a
camelA camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
if he managed to score 20 goals in a season. However, Holdsworth never quite managed to reach that target.
However in his last few seasons at
Selhurst ParkSelhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
he struggled to find his consistency and he signed for
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in October 1997 for £3.5million, which was a record signing for Bolton at that time. He made 97 league appearances and scored 39 times for the Trotters.
After Bolton he signed for
Coventry CityCoventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, having previously been on loan at the club. At Coventry he failed to score in the league, but scored once in the FA Cup against
Cardiff CityCardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
.
He also had a spell at
Derby CountyDerby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, where he was signed as assistant manager, but played as a striker during an injury crisis, leaving the club when manager Phil Brown was sacked in January 2006.
Holdsworth joined
Newport CountyNewport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
on a short term contract in February 2007 and was released by manager
Peter BeadlePeter Clifford William James Beadle is an English former football player and manager. A forward, he scored some 83 goals in 355 league games, mostly for the two Bristol clubs....
at the end of the
2006–07The 2006–07 season was Newport County's third consecutive season in the Conference South and they had been ever-present since the introduction of the Conference North & South in 2004....
season.
International career
Holdsworth earned an
England BEngland B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations...
cap in the 4–2 win against
Northern Ireland BNorthern Ireland B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the Northern Ireland national football team. Primarily seen as a stepping-stone between the Under-21 and Full international teams, the matches are also used to give a run-out for fringe players and to honour Irish...
on 10 May 1994 at
Hillsborough StadiumHillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
,
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, scoring the 1st goal for England's B team.
Managerial career
Holdsworth was appointed as player-manager of
Isthmian LeagueThe Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
club
RedbridgeRedbridge F.C. is an English Association football club based in the London Borough of Redbridge. Prior to July 2004 the club was known as Ford United F.C. The new name was chosen to help associate the club more within the local area and attract a larger support.They should not be confused with...
in July 2007.
He made a return to
Newport CountyNewport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
in May 2008 as their new manager in succession to
Peter BeadlePeter Clifford William James Beadle is an English former football player and manager. A forward, he scored some 83 goals in 355 league games, mostly for the two Bristol clubs....
, after handing in his resignation at Redbridge. He also relocated to
WorcesterThe City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
to accommodate his new role at Newport. After a poor start to the first season under Holdsworth, Newport improved in the second half of the season to finish tenth in the league. Holdsworth was awarded the
Conference SouthConference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
Manager of the Month award for April 2009.
In September 2009 Holdsworth was again awarded the Conference South Manager of the Month after Newport County started the 2008–09 season with a run of 13 league matches unbeaten. He also won the awards for November 2009 and February 2010. On 15 March 2010, Newport County achieved promotion to the
Conference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
as champions with seven matches remaining and completed the season with a record 103 points, 28 points ahead of second placed
Dover AthleticDover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
.
In June 2010, Holdsworth signed a new two year contract with Newport, and was also awarded the Conference South Manager of the Year Award. Holdsworth was selected as
Conference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
Manager of the Month for September 2010 after a run of five consecutive wins for Newport County. He left the club with Newport County lying in the play-off zone of the Conference National.
In January 2011 he was announced as the new manager of
League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side
Aldershot TownAldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
.
Football administration
Dean Holdsworth is a former chairman of the
Professional Footballers' AssociationThe Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
and founder of the Non League Footballers Association (NLFA).
Outside football
Holdsworth was involved in tabloid scandal in 1996 when he had a highly publicised extramarital affair with topless model
Linsey Dawn McKenzieLinsey Dawn McKenzie is an English glamour model, pornographic actress, and minor celebrity.McKenzie made her topless modelling debut in The Sunday Sport tabloid newspaper on her 16th birthday in 1994...
, who was then aged 17. In December 1999 he was sentenced to 18 months probation for punching his wife Samantha Holdsworth.
Holdsworth appeared in reality television series
Deadline where ten celebrities had to produce their own weekly celebrity magazine. He was the sixth celebrity to be sacked by
Janet Street-PorterJanet Street-Porter is a British media personality, journalist and television presenter. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday. She relinquished the job to become editor-at-large in 2002...
. He also participated in the second series of Sky1 reality TV series
Cirque de CelebritéCirque de Celebrité was a celebrity reality TV show broadcast on Sky One. The show features celebrities training for and then performing various circus acts. The winner of the 2006 series was Grace Adams-Short....
. He was voted out by the judges in the first episode on 7 October 2007. Tamara (another contestant) joined him in the bottom two, but was voted to stay in the competition by the three judges. However, because of a technical fault with the voting, Dean was asked to re-join the show.
Holdsworth remarried to Susanna Cobham and they live in Droitwich Spa,
WorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
David HoldsworthDavid Gary Holdsworth is an English former footballer who is the current manager of Lincoln City.-Playing career:He played as a centre back for Watford, Sheffield United, Birmingham City, Walsall, Bolton Wanderers, Scarborough and Gretna, and was capped once for England at Under-21 level...
, who was also a professional footballer and now manager of
Lincoln F.C.Lincoln Red Imps is an amateur football club from Gibraltar. They play in the Gibraltar Football League's First Division. They were previously known as Newcastle United F.C.-History:...
, is Dean's twin brother. On 18 September 2010, they became the first twins to manage against each other in the top five divisions of English football, when Dean was manager of
Newport CountyNewport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and David manager of
Mansfield TownMansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
.
as a Player
with Brentford
- Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
champion: 1991–92
as a Manager
with Newport County
- Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
Manager of the Month Award: April 2009, September 2009, November 2009 & February 2010
- Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
Manager of the Year Award: 2009–10
- Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
champion: 2009–10The 2009–10 Football Conference season was the sixth season with the Conference consisting of three divisions, and the thirty-first season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference National is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid,...
- Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
Manager of the Month Award: September 2010
with Aldershot Town
- Football League Two Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
Award: March 2011
External links