Matt Ward (football coach)

Matt Ward
Personal information
Full name Matthew Stephen Ward
Date of birth (1982-07-21) 21 July 1982
Place of birth Boston, England
Club information
Current team
Loyola Meralco Sparks (Assistant Coach)
Youth career
Sleaford Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Ramsgate FC
Sleaford Town
Loughborough Athletic
Teams managed
2013–2014 Royal Celts Taipei FC (Head Coach)
2013–2015 Royal Blues Taipei FC (Head Coach)
2015– Loyola Meralco Sparks (Assistant Coach)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Matt Ward (born 21 July 1982) is an English football coach and current Assistant Coach of Loyola Meralco Sparks, a first division club in the Philippines who play in Division 1 of the United Football League. As well as being a licensed coach with the English FA and Australian FA (FFA), he also holds a Management Degree with Honours in Sports Development & Coaching, a Diploma in Fitness Coaching and is a qualified football scout.

Playing career

Ward represented the County of Lincolnshire at youth level and also reached a cup final with Sleaford Town's Youth team in 1999, where they were beaten narrowly in a 1-0 defeat to the youth team of the then professional club, Boston Utd. Unfortunately, his senior playing career never took off and he found himself hovering around club's reserve teams and finally finished playing at the now disbanded Loughborough Athletic, from Division 1 of the Leicester and District Football League.

Coaching career

Royal Blues Taipei FC

After joining the Royal Blues, Ward helped them win the Taiwan Businessman's League title in 2014 and led them through five play-off matches, finally winning promotion to Taiwan's top tier of football. On 19 September 2015, he became part of Royal Blues history when they won their first top flight league fixture and made it the club's first ever win in the top division. The rise of Royal Blues Taipei FC saw them rise from a team finishing 7th in the 2nd Division to Champions and onto a 3rd-place position in Division 1 on Ward's departure.

Loyola Meralco Sparks

In December 2015, Ward joined the coaching staff of Loyola Meralco Sparks as Assistant Coach, working under ex-Philippines' National team Manager Simon McMenemy. Along with first team duties, he is also responsible for heading up the Youth Academy.[1]

British Coaches Abroad Association

Ward is a member of the British Coaches Abroad Association [2]

References

  1. "Introducing: Matt Ward". One Meralco Sports. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  2. Owen Amos (21 August 2015). "British Coaches Abroad: Matt Ward Taiwan". Football365. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
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