Andy Preece

Born in Evesham, Worcestershire, Preece began his career as a junior with Worcester City, making his debut as a substitute against Runcorn in the Conference aged 16.[5] "It went backwards from there," he said in 2020. "I got glandular fever; they released me, and I had to work my way back. I'd half given up on football. I played a lot of cricket, including going out to play in Australia for six months."[5]

He subsequently played briefly for Evesham United, then planned to return to Australia; however, someone at the club knew Graham Carr, manager at Northampton Town. The wheels were put in motion, and Preece joined the Cobblers in August 1988 on a non-contract basis.[5] He made one appearance, as a substitute, before being released at the end of the following season.[4]

In July 1989, he rejoined Worcester City briefly, and in March 1990 signed for Wrexham, for whom he scored his first known goals. In 51 league appearances, he scored seven times.[4]

In December 1991, Preece joined Stockport County for a fee of £10,000, with Preece later saying he was unsure what County manager Danny Bergara had seen in him at Wrexham.[5] At Edgeley Park, however, Preece enjoyed the most prolific period of his career, scoring 42 league goals in 97 league games, and forming a partnership with Kevin Francis. He impressed enough (including scoring the winning goal in a giant-killing feat against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup) that he signed for Crystal Palace in June 1994, as strike partner to Chris Armstrong, for a fee of £350,000.[4] Preece credits Ray Wilkins, who joined QPR just prior to Preece's arrival, with Alan Smith's signing of the striker. Of his spell in the capital, Preece said: "It was the high point of my career. I scored four [goals] in a week. I scored the winner against Everton, two against Coventry City and the winner against Leicester, but ultimately I don't think I was good enough for that level."[5]

Preece struggled to establish himself at Selhurst Park, in what was a struggling team (they were relegated at the end of the season),[5] and returned to the North West to join Sam Allardyce's Blackpool, for a fee of £200,000, in July 1995. He turned down Burnley — having been sold on Owen Oyston's ambitious plans for Blackpool which ultimately did not materialise — and also missed a call from Barry Fry at Birmingham City while he was doing the paperwork on the Fylde coast.[5]

Preece played in the forward line with the likes of Andy Watson, briefly, then Tony Ellis and James Quinn,[4] and under Nigel Worthington in 1997–98 he was made captain for a period.[5]

In July 1998, Preece joined Bury on a free transfer and went on to become player-manager.[6]

After leaving Bury in December 2003,[7] Preece returned to playing with Carlisle United.[8] Although Carlisle were eventually relegated to the Conference, Preece chose to remain with the Cumbrians for the following season.[9][10][4]

He returned to Worcester City, as player-manager, in 2005, where he remained for five years, before finishing his playing career with Northwich Victoria in 2012. He became the club's manager in 2009, remaining in the role for three years.[4]

In 1999, Preece was appointed join player-manager (with Steve Redmond)[4] of Bury.[11] David Nugent was signed by Preece after unsuccessful trials with Crewe Alexandra and Northampton Town, and went on to net Bury close to £1 million.[12] Preece kept the team in League 1 for two seasons until the collapse of ITV Digital[13] forced the sale of several players and administration for the club in 2001,[14][15] resulting in their relegation to League Two. Preece's Bury reached the League Two play-offs in the 2002–03 season.[16] Preece was released in December 2003 as Bury again tried to cut costs.[17] Bury director Roger Barlow said that Preece's departure was for financial reasons and nothing to do with results on the pitch.[7]

In February 2005, Preece joined Worcester City as player-manager[18] and led the side to three consecutive top ten finishes in the Conference North then, in 2006, to the second round of the FA Cup.[19] He left the club in October 2007.[20]

Preece became caretaker manager of Northwich Victoria on 25 February 2009.[21]

In the 2009–10 season, he led Northwich to the second round of the FA Cup, a considerable achievement, and saw his side defeat former Premier League side Charlton Athletic in the process.[22] Preece won manager of the month for April for his achievement of six successive wins.[23] In the same season, he saw his side finish 12th in the Conference North in his first season in charge; however, financial issues saw his side relegated to the Northern Premier League Premier Division. In spite of relegation and financial uncertainty, he stayed at the club along with his assistant Andy Morrison.[24]

On 21 August 2010, at the age of 43, he returned to football action for the first time in three years by coming off the substitutes' bench in the 90th minute, in a game which Northwich won 1–0 against Retford United on the opening day of the 2010–11 Northern Premier League Premier Division season.[25] On 17 February 2011, he scored a seven-minute hat-trick as Northwich defeated Barnton in the Mid-Cheshire Senior Cup.[26]

He resigned from the club on 16 January 2012, along with the rest of his management team, with the club reporting that he was expected to be appointed Director of Football at Welsh Premier League side Airbus UK Broughton the next day.[27]

As expected, on 17 January 2012, Preece was appointed to the Airbus UK role.[28] He led the part-time side to runners-up in the Welsh Premier League in his first full season qualifying for the Europa League . This was the first time Airbus had finished in the top half of the table and the first time that a black English manager had led a team into Europe.[29] In Europe, Airbus were only eliminated on away goals by Latvian side Venspils.[30] The following season Airbus finished runners up again to full timers TNS. They qualified for the Europa league losing 3–2 on aggregate to Norwegian side FK Haugesund.[31] Preece became the first Black English coach to lead a team into Europe in two successive seasons.[29]

Preece left Airbus in August 2016 by mutual consent.[32]

On 8 February 2017, he returned to the North West to become the new manager of National League side Southport, replacing Steve Burr,[33] until the end of the season.[34]

After a spell coaching in Vietnam, Preece moved into his current role of Director of Football at Chorley, combining first-team coaching with leading the club's education programme.[1][4] Preece was appointed manager of Chorley on 28 May 2022 following the departure of Jamie Vermiglio.[35] In April 2023 he took charge of his 750th match as a manager.[36]