Andy Awford

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Andy Awford (born July 14, 1972 in Worcester, England a former football player and chief scout at Portsmouth F.C., is currently the first team coach at Oxford United under Jim Smith.

Awford began his career at his home-town club Worcester City F.C., where he became the youngest player ever to appear in the FA Cup, aged just 15 years 88 days, when he came on as substitute in a tie at Boreham Wood.

Impressive displays at left-back meant he signed professional terms with Portsmouth, for whom he went on to make almost 400 first-team appearances, and helped them reach the FA Cup semi-finals in 1992. In this time he also played nine times for England under 21s.

But his career is a prime case of what might have been. He missed out on the Cup final when they lost a penalty shootout to Liverpool, the following season Pompey missed promotion to the Premiership by one goal, and hopes of a big-money move were wrecked by a broken leg which kept him out of the game for 14 months.

His subsequent knee problems never completely healed, and he retired following the 2000/01 season, taking up the position of chief scout at Portsmouth. In April 2006, he was appointed the first team coach at Oxford United.