Ashley Westwood (footballer, born 1976)

This article is about the footballer born 1976. For the footballer born 1990, see Ashley Westwood (footballer, born 1990).
Ashley Westwood
Personal information
Full nameAshley Michael Westwood
Date of birth31 August 1976
Place of birthBridgnorth, England
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Bengaluru FC (Head Coach)
Youth career
Manchester United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1994–1995Manchester United0(0)
1995–1998Crewe Alexandra96(9)
1998–2000Bradford City24(2)
2000→ Sheffield Wednesday (loan)5(1)
2000–2003Sheffield Wednesday77(4)
2003–2006Northampton Town31(2)
2006–2008Chester City21(3)
2007→ Swindon Town (loan)9(0)
2007→ Port Vale (loan)12(0)
2008Stevenage Borough20(2)
2008–2010Wrexham61(3)
2010–2011Kettering Town12(0)
2011Crewe Alexandra6(0)
2011Northampton Town17(1)
2012Kettering Town9(1)
2012Lincoln City0(0)
2012Portsmouth0(0)
Total403(28)
Teams managed
2012Kettering Town (player-manager)
2013–Bengaluru FC
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Ashley Michael Westwood (born 31 August 1976) is an English former footballer who is currently the head coach of Bengaluru FC of the Indian I-League.

A graduate of the Manchester United Academy, the defender signed with Crewe Alexandra in 1995. Three years later he moved on to Bradford City. Winning promotion to the Premier League with the "Bantams", he transferred to Sheffield Wednesday in 2000. He moved on to Northampton Town in 2003, where he stayed for three years. Signing with Chester City in 2006, he was loaned out to Swindon Town and Port Vale in 2007, before joining Wrexham via Stevenage Borough the following year.

He spent the 2010–11 season with Kettering Town, before returning to Crewe Alexandra for a brief spell in 2011. Later in the year he re-joined another former club, Northampton Town. In December 2011 he was released from the "Cobblers" after his contract was not renewed. He was appointed player-caretaker manager at Kettering Town the following month, before returning just to playing duties with Lincoln City in May 2012. Two months later he became player-coach at Portsmouth, before becoming a full-time coach at Blackpool in November 2012. In his 18-year playing career he scored 34 goals in 468 competitive appearances in the Football League and Conference. He was promoted four times with four different clubs.

Playing career

Born in Bridgnorth, Westwood started his career as a trainee at Manchester United, and was part of the FA Youth Cup winning side of 1995. He never made a first team appearance for the "Red Devils", but Dario Gradi spotted the youngster's potential, and secured Westwood's services for Crewe Alexandra for a £40,000 fee.[1]

Westwood slotted in well to the Second Division side. He played fifty games in the 1996–97 season, including the 1–0 win play-off final over Brentford that took the "Railwaymen" into the First Division. However he was to only play 22 games in the 1997–98 season. His swansong for the Cheshire club came on 13 April 1998, he scored the opener of a 2–0 win over near rivals Stoke City at Gresty Road. Later that summer he signed with Bradford City, a tribunal later awarded Crewe a £150,000 payment from Bradford.[1]

His first season with the club saw the "Bantams" promoted to the Premier League as First Division runners-up. Westwood played only nineteen games in their league campaign though. His last game of the season was eventful, as he was sent off in stoppage time after scoring on 62 minutes at Loftus Road against Queens Park Rangers.

He played just five Premier League games in 1999–2000, though Bradford picked up 13 out of 15 points in those games, a sizeable chunk of their final tally of 36 points. The final of these games was a 3–0 win over Wimbledon at Valley Parade on 30 April 2000. This was a vital result because had the "Dons" won then they would have survived relegation at Bradford's expense. Westwood replaced Robbie Blake as a 67th minute substitute.

He went into Europe in July 2000, making two appearances in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, victories over FK Atlantas and RKC Waalwijk. However new manager Chris Hutchings told him to improve or leave.[2] Westwood joined Sheffield Wednesday on a one-month loan in August;[3] Paul Jewell had switched to the "Owls" and took Westwood with him permanently for £150,000 in September,[4] £100,000 less than Bradford had originally wanted.[5] He played 38 games that season, scoring five goals and picking up ten yellow cards. The next season Wednesday were fighting for First Division survival and Jewell had already left for Wigan Athletic. Westwood played 33 games, helping the club to the League Cup semi-finals. He began to suffer from a groin injury in October 2002,[6] and played just 25 games in Wednesday's 2002–03 relegation season.

In July 2003, he signed with Northampton Town.[7] His time at Northampton was one ravaged by injury. He played just nine Third Division games in 2003–04, being out from September to January with a shoulder injury.[8] He was sent off in the play-off semi-final first leg defeat to Mansfield Town. In July 2004, Westwood was appointed club captain.[9] The 2004–05 season was the first season of League Two, and Westwood could only muster nineteen league appearances following his return to action in October.[10] He signed a new contract at the end of the year, despite still suffering from damaged knee ligaments,[11] an injury he picked up in April.[12] Once again Northampton reached the play-offs, only to exit at the semi-final stage, this time to Southend United. The "Cobblers" finally achieved promotion in 2005–06 as runners-up, Westwood played just three games all season, all as a substitute. He left Sixfields at the end of the campaign after not being offered a new contract,[13] and instead signed for Mark Wright's Chester City.[14]

He continued to struggle with his hamstring. Though he played 25 games, he had played his last in Chester colours after going off injured against Wycombe Wanderers on 13 January 2007. In March, he joined Swindon Town on loan from the remainder of the season to provide much needed cover for the Wiltshire outfit.[15][16] The season ended with Westwood helping Swindon win promotion from League Two with a third-place finish. Westwood was placed on the transfer-list at Chester by mutual consent in August 2007.[17] He left the club on 30 August, to join League One side Port Vale on a temporary short-term deal.[18] He made his Vale debut two days later in a 1–0 win at Bournemouth. He returned to Chester in December 2007,[19] before joining Stevenage Borough on a free transfer at the start of the 2008 January transfer window.[20][21] He was released in July 2008, after making twenty appearances, scoring twice for the Conference side.[22]

After a trial with Lincoln City he joined Conference side Wrexham, becoming one of the first signings of new manager Dean Saunders, with whom Westwood played at Bradford City.[23] He scored his first goal for the "Dragons" with a header in an FA Trophy game with Mansfield Town, to put them through to the second round.[24] In July 2009 he signed a contract extension, keeping him at the Welsh club for the 2009–10 season.[25] At the end of the season, Westwood moved to Kettering Town in order to be closer to his family.[26]

Whilst at Kettering he was sent off twice in two games, against Cambridge United and then Southport. Westwood left Kettering by mutual consent in January 2011, and was granted permission to train at his former club Crewe Alexandra. The managing staff were impressed with his fitness levels and rewarded him with a short-term contract, keeping him at the club until the end of the season.[27] He became the second Ashley Westwood in the squad, joining Ashley R. Westwood, thirteen years his junior. He made six appearances, but was not retained beyond the end of the campaign.[28]

In August 2011 he agreed to spend a month on trial at former club Northampton Town,[29] and quickly joined the club on non-contract terms.[30] He scored the only goal for Northampton to secure three points at Aldershot Town on 13 August, his first start in his second spell at the club.[31] Having made five appearances, he was given a contract lasting until the end of the year.[32] He was released by new manager Aidy Boothroyd in December, having played 20 games for the struggling Northamptonshire club.[33]

Conference National side Kettering Town underwent a financial crisis in 2011–12, and caretaker manager Mark Cooper walked out on the club on 18 January after his players went unpaid.[34] Three days later, Westwood was announced as the club's temporary manager; he was also registered with the club as a player.[35] Later that day, his new team lost 4–1 to Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground, having only been able to name two substitutes.[36] The "Poppies" then won their next two games at Nene Park to move out of the relegation zone.[37] After being told his job was secure until the end of the season,[38] he picked himself to play for the first time in the 1–0 defeat at Hayes & Yeading on 10 March; also in March he signed Ben Joyce and Max York.[39] Kettering failed to turn things around, and were relegated in last place having conceded 100 goals in 46 league games.[40] In May 2012, he signed a one-year playing contract with Lincoln City, also in the Conference.[41] Lincoln manager David Holdsworth reluctantly allowed Westwood to leave the club on 6 July 2012, having failing to kick a ball for the "Imps".[42]

On 6 July 2012, just over a month after signing for Lincoln, he accepted an offer by Michael Appleton to join the coaching staff at League One side Portsmouth.[42] The club's financial situation meant that he was obliged to return to playing duties in the 2012–13 campaign. However his only appearance was in a 3–0 League Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on the opening day of the season; he was 12 years older than the team's second oldest player Simon Eastwood.[43]

Coaching career

On 7 November 2012, Westwood followed manager Michael Appleton to Championship side Blackpool to work as first team coach.[44] On 11 January 2013, Westwood followed Appleton to become a coach at fellow Championship club Blackburn Rovers.[45] He was sacked on 19 March 2013, at the end of Appleton's 67 day reign.[46]

Bengaluru FC

On 2 July 2013 it was announced that Westwood had signed on as the very first head coach of newly founded Bengaluru FC in the Indian I-League.[47] He made his debut as the head coach of the team on 25 August against the India national football team in a pre-season friendly in which Bengaluru managed a 1–1 draw against the national side.[48]

Westwood then made his official coaching debut with Bengaluru on 22 September in his side's opening I-League game against Mohun Bagan A.C. at the Bangalore Football Stadium. His side drew the match 1–1 with Sean Rooney scoring the first ever official goal in Westwood's reign.[49] Westwood then coached Bengaluru to their first ever victory in their next match against Rangdajied United at the Bangalore Football Stadium in which goals from Sean Rooney, John Johnson, and Sunil Chhetri saw Bengaluru won the match 3–0.[50]

His first loss as head coach of Bengaluru then occurred in the club's very first away game of the season against East Bengal F.C. on 26 October 2013 at the Kalyani Stadium in which an own goal from Robin Singh and a stoppage-time goal from James Moga led to the 2–0 defeat.[51]

On 21 April 2014, Westwood lead Bengaluru FC to the I-League title in their very first season by beating Dempo 4–2 at the Fatorda Stadium with one game to go.[52] In doing so Westwood became the third foreign coach to win the I-League and the youngest one as well.[52] However, on 24 April 2014, it was announced that Westwood would be suspended for four games after his unsporting behaviour during the match away to Mohun Bagan on 6 April.[52]

Personal life

In October 2010, Westwood was prosecuted for assaulting a police officer (Westwood elbowed a police officer in the face, though the officer accepted that this was not intentional) and found guilty of jumping a red light in Northampton on 25 April 2010.[53] He was given 80 hours of unpaid work, banned from driving for one year, had three points put on his driving licence, and was ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £700.[53]

Statistics

Playing statistics

Season Club Division League FA Cup League Cup Other[54] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1994–95Manchester UnitedPremier League0000000000
Total 0000000000
1995–96Crewe AlexandraSecond Division334714090535
1996–97[55]442212020503
1997–98[56]First Division203002000223
Total 979928011012511
1998–99[57]Bradford CityFirst Division192200000212
1999–2000[58]Premier League5010100070
2000–01[59]0000002020
Total 242301020302
2000–01[59]Sheffield WednesdayFirst Division332005300385
2001–02[60]261106100332
2002–03[61]232101000252
Total 8252012400969
2003–04[62]Northampton TownThird Division100100000110
2004–05[63]League Two192200000212
2005–06[64]3000000030
Total 322300000352
2006–07[65]Chester CityLeague Two213201010253
2006–07[65]Swindon Town (loan)9000000090
2007–08[66]Chester City0000000000
2007–08[66]Port Vale (loan)League One120100010140
Total 213201010253
2007–08[66]Stevenage BoroughConference National202100000212
Total 202100000212
2008–09[67]WrexhamConference National311000010321
2009–10[68]312200000332
Total 623200010653
2010–11[69]Kettering TownConference National120000000120
Total 120000000120
2010–11[69]Crewe AlexandraLeague Two6000000060
Total 6000000060
2011–12[70]Northampton TownLeague Two171101010201
Total 171101010201
2011–12[70]Kettering TownConference National9100000091
Total 9100000091
2012–13[71]Lincoln CityConference National0000000000
Total 0000000000
2012–13[71]PortsmouthLeague One0000100010
Total 0000100010
Career total 4032824224417046834

Managerial statistics

As of 12 December 2014
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
England Kettering Town 21 January 2012 28 April 2012 19 3 2 14 15.79
India Bengaluru FC 2 July 2013 Present 30 16 8 6 53.33
Total 49 19 10 20 38.78

Honours

As a player

with Crewe Alexandra
with Bradford City
with Northampton Town
with Swindon Town

As a head coach

with Bengaluru FC

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Ashley Westwood". crewealex.net. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Hutchings has "no complaints"". BBC Sport. 15 July 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  3. ↑ "Sinton eyes old club Owl". BBC Sport. 12 August 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  4. ↑ "Owls sign Westwood". BBC Sport. 12 September 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Bradford set Westwood fee". BBC Sport. 31 August 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  6. ↑ "Injury knocks out Westwood". BBC Sport. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  7. ↑ "Cobblers sign Westwood". BBC Sport. 14 July 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  8. ↑ "Westwood relishes return". BBC Sport. 5 January 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  9. ↑ "Westwood lands skipper role". BBC Sport. 30 July 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  10. ↑ "Westwood set for Cobblers return". BBC Sport. 3 October 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  11. ↑ "Cobblers near new Westwood deal". BBC Sport. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  12. ↑ "Knee injury ends Westwood season". BBC Sport. 19 April 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  13. ↑ "Quintet released by Northampton". BBC Sport. 10 May 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  14. ↑ "Chester sign defender Westwood". BBC Sport. 3 July 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  15. ↑ "Swindon capture Westwood on loan". BBC Sport. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  16. ↑ "Town Sign Westwood". Sky Sports. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  17. ↑ "Chester put Westwood up for sale". BBC Sport. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  18. ↑ "Westwood in, Cardle out at Vale". BBC Sport. 30 August 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  19. ↑ "Player Released by Sinnott". Staffordshire Sentinel. 20 December 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  20. ↑ "Welsh in, Westwood out at Chester". BBC Sport. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  21. ↑ "Westwood Waves Goodbye". Chester City Official Website. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  22. ↑ "Player Departs". Stevenage Borough Official Website. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  23. ↑ "Wrexham to sign defender Westwood". BBC Sport. 14 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
  24. ↑ Blanche, Phil (15 December 2008). "Westwood proves the perfect ally for Dragons boss Saunders". Western Mail. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  25. ↑ "Westwood stays as Kempson leaves". BBC Sport. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  26. ↑ "Kettering Town complete Ashley Westwood deal". BBC Sport. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  27. ↑ "Ashley Westwood Signs For The Railwaymen". 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  28. ↑ "Crewe Alexandra Announce Retain List". crewealex.net. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  29. ↑ "Ashley Westwood rejoins Northampton Town for a month". BBC Sport. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  30. ↑ "Ashley Westwood agrees Northampton Town terms". BBC Sport. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  31. ↑ "Aldershot 0 - 1 Northampton". BBC Sport. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  32. ↑ "Ashley Westwood signs new Northampton Town deal". BBC Sport. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  33. ↑ "Arthur, Westwood and Savage depart Northampton Town". BBC Sport. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  34. ↑ "Mark Cooper puts Kettering Town role on hold". BBC Sport. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  35. ↑ "Kettering Town name Ashley Westwood as new caretaker boss". BBC Sport. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  36. ↑ "Wrexham 4 - 1 Kettering". BBC Sport. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  37. ↑ "Kettering 1 - 0 Lincoln City". BBC Sport. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  38. ↑ "Kettering Town boss Ashley Westwood to stay in role". BBC Sport. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  39. ↑ "Kettering Town add Ben Joyce and Max York to squad". BBC Sport. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  40. ↑ "Ryan Bowman hit a brace to give Darlington victory over relegated Kettering on the final day of the Blue Square Bet Premier season.". BBC Sport. 28 April 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  41. ↑ "Lincoln City sign Kettering defender Ashley Westwood". BBC Sport. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 "Lincoln's Ashley Westwood set for Portsmouth coaching job". BBC Sport. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  43. ↑ Al-samarrai, Riath (14 August 2012). "Plymouth 3 Portsmouth 0: Pompey wait for aid but there's no Cup cash boost". Daily Mail. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  44. ↑ "Michael Appleton: Blackpool name Portsmouth manager as new boss". BBC Sport. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  45. ↑ "Michael Appleton: Blackpool grant Blackburn permission for talks". BBC Sport. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  46. ↑ "Michael Appleton: Blackburn Rovers sack manager". BBC Sport. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  47. ↑ "Ashley Westwood appointed JSW coach for upcoming I-League season". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  48. ↑ "Bengaluru 1-1 India". Bengaluru Facebook. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  49. ↑ "Bengaluru FC hold Mohun Bagan to 1-1 draw". IBN Live. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  50. ↑ "Bengaluru FC eases past Rangdajied United". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  51. ↑ "EAST BENGAL VS. BENGALURU 2 - 0". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 "AIFF suspends Ashley Bengaluru FC coach banned for 4 matches and fined Rs 50,000". Telegraph India. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 "Kettering Town player Ashley Westwood assaulted police". BBC News. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  54. ↑ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Football League Trophy.
  55. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  56. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  57. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  58. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  60. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  61. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  62. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  63. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  64. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  67. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  68. ↑ "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 "Games played by Ashley Michael Westwood in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 September 2012.

External links