Mike Walsh (footballer)
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Michael Thomas Walsh, (born June 20, 1956 in Manchester) was a defender who played for many clubs. He was probably best known as a captain of Bolton Wanderers F.C. and also for gaining honors representing the Republic of Ireland national football team.
[edit] Playing career
Born and raised in Manchester, Walsh was snapped up as a 17 year old by Bolton Wanderers F.C. He made his debut as an 18 year old and quickly established a reputation as a no-nonsense defender with incredible bravery and attitude. This was rewarded by his manager Ian Greaves who made him captain. This was no mean feat in a team that included characters such as Peter Reid, Sam Allardyce and Frank Worthington.
Walsh stayed with Bolton from 1974-1981. During this time he made 169 league appearances (+8 as sub), scored 4 goals, and in 1978 led the club to the top flight as champions of the old second division, after narrowly missing promotion the season before.
In 1981, Walsh was snapped up by Howard Kendall at Everton for £90,000 plus Seamus McDonagh. Walsh was one of Howard Kendall's famous 'magnificent seven' signings. He later took up loan spells at Norwich City and Burnley.
In 1983 he was offered the opportunity to play in Florida for George Best's old team Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The club went bust within a season though and Walsh was quickly back home. Next stop was Manchester City but within four months he signed for Blackpool where he went on to give a further 144 league appearances.
[edit] Post-playing career
Walsh followed his Blackpool manager Sam Ellis to Bury F.C as the first team coach. Upon Ellis' departure to Maine Road to join Peter Reid as his assistant, Walsh took up the reins as manager in September 1990.
His time as manager lasted five years, during which he took the club to the play-offs three times, including the club's first appearance at Wembley. All this was during a time where the club had a massive financial burden and many players had to be sold to keep the club afloat. Just five games after losing in the Wembley play-off final, Walsh was cruelly sacked as the Chairman became impatient despite the club having no finances to improve the team.
After a brief spell of taking Barrow to the top of their division, Walsh's old Everton team mate Steve McMahon asked Walsh to join him at Swindon Town F.C as his assistant in 1997. Walsh also stayed on to assist Jimmy Quinn after McMahon's resignation late in 1998.
After being made redundant by Swindon Town, he became Peter Reid's Chief Scout at Sunderland. In 2003 he had a brief spell as manager of Southport where he unfortunately couldn't save a sinking ship and the club suffered relegation out of the Conference. Walsh was then asked back to Swindon Town as Andy King's assistant in 2004, but and decided to retire from the game a year later, and is now running a restaurant in Javea, Spain.
[edit] References
- Profile at PlayerHistory.com
- http://www.buryfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0,,10422,00.html *http://www.buryfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0,,10422,00.html
- http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/walsh.htm http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/walsh.htm
- http://www.evertonfc.com/history/howard-kendall.htm
- http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,1004~535741,00.html *http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,1004~535741,00.html
- http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/a-foot-in-both-cands.html
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