Neil Redfearn

Neil David Redfearn (born 20 June 1965) is an English former footballer and manager who is currently Under-18s Coach and Reserve Team Manager and former Caretaker Manager at Leeds United.

Redfearn played 790 matches in the Football League, the fifth highest total of all-time, and more than a thousand first team games overall in a career that has spanned 24 years. He has had spells as caretaker manager of Halifax Town and York City and as manager of Scarborough and Northwich Victoria.

Playing career

Born in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, Redfearn began his career at Bolton Wanderers in 1982, having previously been on the books of Nottingham Forest's youth team. He later made his name as goalscoring midfielder at lower-division sides Lincoln City and Doncaster Rovers. In May 1985 he was to witness a nightmare when 56 spectators were killed in a horrendous stand fire while playing for Lincoln against Bradford City. In 1987, he was signed by Crystal Palace for £100,000, and he later played for Watford, before moving again in 1989 to Oldham Athletic.

Redfearn's last season with Oldham constituted a career highlight as he was an ever-present in the team that won the Second Division title and returned the Latics to the top-flight of English football after a gap of 68 years. Redfearn converted the injury time penalty kick in the final game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday that completed a 3–2 victory (after Oldham had trailed 2–0), and snatched the championship from West Ham United, who had prematurely been handed the trophy some 15 minutes earlier. Despite his contribution to Oldham's promotion, he became surplus to requirements with the re-signing of former club captain Mike Milligan from Everton in the off-season and Redfearn was transferred without playing for Oldham in the top flight.

In September 1991, Redfearn joined Barnsley, and it was at this club he arguably spent his prime years. In his seven seasons at Oakwell, he hardly missed a single game, and was named club captain and penalty taker. In the 1996–97 season, Redfearn scored 17 goals as Barnsley won promotion to the FA Premier League for the first time in the club's history. Redfearn missed only one game, and was Barnsley's top scorer with ten league goals in the 1997–98 season. These included Barnsley's first ever top division goal on the opening day of the season, when he put them ahead in the ninth minute at home to West Ham United, although they ended up losing the game 2–1.^[2]

It was not enough to save them though, as Barnsley were relegated that season. However, despite being in his thirties, Redfearn's performances had made him a wanted man in the Premier League, and he was signed by Charlton Athletic for £1 million in the summer of 1998. He left Barnsley having played 338 first team games, scoring 84 goals.

In the 1998–99 season, his family did not settle in London, and at the end of the season, Redfearn jumped at the chance of returning to his native Yorkshire, when Bradford City paid £250,000 for his services. Redfearn did not make much impact at Bradford, scoring just once against Leicester City,^[3] and joined his 10th team, Wigan Athletic after just nine months in Bradford. Despite a very good goalscoring record, Redfearn never became first-choice at Wigan either, and he dropped down two divisions to join Halifax Town in 2001.

Late playing career and managerial career

At Halifax, he also got his first taste of management, being appointed caretaker manager alongside Tony Parks following the resignaton of Paul Bracewell on 30 August.^[4] His spell as caretaker manager came to an end on 12 October following the appointment of Alan Little.^[5] Redfearn started a second spell in caretaker charge on 4 March 2002 due to the enforced absence of Little.^[6] However, his contract with the club was terminated on 25 April and having been snubbed for the permanent manager's job he joined Boston United as player-coach.^[7][8]

Redfearn spent the better part of two years at Boston, before finishing his Football League career at Rochdale in the spring of 2004.^[9] Rochdale did not offer him a new contract at the end of the season,^[10] meaning he finished his Football League career with 790 appearances and so being fifth in the all-time list of most Football League appearances.^[11] His last league appearance for Rochdale took his total to . after which Redfearn dropped down to the Conference, where he became player-coach at Scarborough, managed at the time by his former Oldham teammate Nick Henry. He signed a new contract with Scarborough in April 2005.^[12] When Henry was sacked on 24 October Redfearn was named caretaker manager,^[13] before being appointed permanently on 1 November while remaining registered as a player.^[14][15] Redfearn resigned on 6 July 2006 after Mark Patterson was brought in as assistant manager.^[16] He subsequently signed with Northern Premier League First Division side Bradford Park Avenue later that month.^[17] He made his 1,000th competitive appearance on 4 November 2006, when Bradford Park Avenue faced Solihull Borough in the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy.^[18]

Redfearn quit Bradford Park Avenue in March 2007, joining Northern Premier League First Division rivals Stocksbridge Park Steels,^[19] but left on 19 June to become manager of Conference side Northwich Victoria.^[20] He resigned on 17 September 2007, after the club only managed one point from their first nine games, leaving them bottom of the Conference National.^[21]

He joined Northern Premier League Premier Division club Frickley Athletic as a player in September 2007.^[22] He left the club over a month later to join Bridlington Town on 5 November.^[23] He left them in January 2008 after the departure of manager Ash Berry.^[24] He was appointed as York City's youth team coach in February.^[25] He joined Emley in July, where he would play when his commitments with York's youth team allowed.^[26] Redfearn moved onto Salford City of the Northern Premier League Division One North in October 2008.^[27] He took over as caretaker manager at York on 21 November 2008, following Colin Walker's sacking and was in charge for the team's 2–2 draw against Crawley Town.^[28][29] Following Martin Foyle's appointment as manager on 24 November, Redfearn took up the position of assistant manager at the club.^[30]

Redfearn left York over a month later after being appointed coach of the under-18 academy team at Leeds United on 30 December and he assumed this role on 1 January 2009.^[31][32] He took over as manager of the Leeds reserve team in December 2010 following the sacking of Neil Thompson.^[33] He was appointed caretaker manager at Leeds following the sacking of manager Simon Grayson on 1 February 2012.^[34] On 4 February he won his first match in charge by beating Bristol City 3–0. It was later confirmed by club Chairman Ken Bates that Redfearn would retain the managerial post for the following three games.^[35] After two wins and two defeats in his four game spell as manager, Redfearn was replaced as manager by Neil Warnock as permanent manager on 18 February.^[36] In April 2012, Redfearn guided Leeds' Under 18's side to a 2nd place finish in the Under 18's League, narrowly missing out on top spot to Newcastle's Under 18's team. ^[37]

Personal life

Redfearn's father Brian is a former footballer.^[1] He was married in his hometown Dewsbury in June 1985.^[38]

Managerial statistics

As of 18 February 2012.

Team	Nation	From	To	Record					Ref
G	W	D	L	Win %
Halifax Town (caretaker)	England	30 August 2001	12 October 2001	8	2	3	3	25.0	[39]
Halifax Town (caretaker)	England	4 March 2002	25 April 2002	11	3	1	7	27.3	[39]
Scarborough	England	24 October 2005	6 July 2006	29	5	7	17	17.2	[40]
Northwich Victoria	England	19 June 2007	17 September 2007	9	0	1	8	0.0	[41]
York City (caretaker)	England	21 November 2008	24 November 2008	1	0	1	0	0.0	[39]
Leeds United (caretaker)	England	1 February 2012	20 February 2012	4	2	0	2	50.00	[39]
Total				62	12	13	37	19.35

References

External links

• Neil Redfearn career stats at Soccerbase