Darron Gee
Darron Gee is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He was most recently the assistant manager of York City.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Place of birth | England | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Hucknall Town | |||
Managerial career | |||
1995–1996 | Dunkirk | ||
2002–2004 | Tamworth | ||
2007 | Alfreton Town | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Gee played in non-League football with Hucknall Town, before moving into management with Dunkirk, with whom he won promotion to the Central Midlands League Supreme Division in the 1995–96 season. He went on to have spells as Gary Mills' assistant manager at Grantham Town, King's Lynn and Tamworth. He took over as Tamworth manager in 2002, and in a two-year spell won the Southern League Premier Division title, reached an FA Trophy final and kept the club in the Football Conference. He worked with Mills again at Notts County and Alfreton Town, and after initially taking over as manager at Alfreton, followed Mills to Tamworth in 2007. Having won the Conference North title in 2009, the pair moved on to York City in 2010, winning the Conference Premier play-offs and FA Trophy in 2011–12. Both left the club in 2013.
Playing career
Gee spent 12 years as a reserve-team midfielder and committee member for Hucknall Town in non-League football, although his playing career was hampered by recurrent injuries to his right knee.[1][2] Having had seven operations on his knee, he was unable to pursue a playing career in professional football.[3]
Managerial and coaching career
Gee started his managerial career with Dunkirk, leading them to second place in the Central Midlands League Premier Division in the 1995–96 season, thus winning promotion to the Central Midlands League Supreme Division.[1][4] He left the club after one season to become Gary Mills' assistant manager at Grantham Town in July 1996.[1][5] Gee had become acquainted with Mills having lived with his Nottingham Forest teammate Colin Walsh.[1] The pair were in charge when Grantham won the Southern League Midland Division championship in 1997–98.[5] They went on to work together at King's Lynn and Tamworth.[6]
After Mills departed Tamworth to become first-team coach at Coventry City, Gee took over as manager in May 2002 on a three-year contract.[6] He took them into the Football Conference from the Southern League Premier Division, winning the title by a 13-point margin in 2002–03.[7] The same season saw Gee also take his team to the 2003 FA Trophy Final at Villa Park, where Tamworth were beaten 2–1 by Burscough on 18 May 2003.[8]
Gee considered leaving Tamworth during January 2004 after he and his players received verbal abuse from some fans, but decided to continue after talks with his family and the club's chairman.[9] Having led Tamworth to safety from relegation he announced in April 2004 that he would resign at the end of 2003–04, wanting to spend more time with his wife and young son, having been working continuously for four years.[10] His resignation came into effect after their final match of the season,[11] a 1–1 draw away to Aldershot Town on 24 April 2004.[12]
Gee was appointed assistant manager at recently relegated League Two club Notts County on 10 May 2004 to be reunited Mills,[13] thus fulfilling the promise Mills made to Gee when the pair started working together that they would go on to manage the Nottinghamshire club.[1] Mills was dismissed on 4 November 2004, with Gee's departure coming a week later after his contract with the club was terminated.[14] He commented in retrospect that "What happened at Notts County devastated us both. We had always been successful until then."[15]
He joined Conference North club Alfreton Town as assistant manager to Mills on 25 May 2005,[16] before being appointed as manager on 26 January 2007 following Mills' return to Conference club Tamworth.[17] Gee managed Alfreton in one match, a 1–0 win over Leigh RMI on 27 January 2007, before leaving to join Mills at Tamworth as his assistant on 30 January.[18][19] Tamworth were relegated at the end of 2006–07,[20] before Mills and Gee led the team to promotion back into the Conference by winning the Conference North title in 2008–09.[21]
Gee joined Tamworth's Conference Premier rivals York City as assistant manager on 13 October 2010 following Mills' appointment as manager.[22] Mills and Gee led York to promotion to League Two with a 2–1 victory over Luton Town in the 2012 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium, as well as a 2–0 win over Newport County at Wembley eight days earlier in the 2012 FA Trophy Final.[23] Following York's promotion, Gee switched from part-time to full-time status, having previously combined his position as assistant manager with his directorship of a Nottingham-based CCTV company.[24][25] Gee left York by mutual consent after two and a half years with the club on 4 March 2013,[26] two days after Mills was dismissed as manager.[27]
Managerial statistics
- As of 30 January 2007
Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Dunkirk | 1995 | July 1996 | 36 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 63.9 | [1][4][5] |
Tamworth | May 2002 | 24 April 2004 | 103 | 49 | 24 | 30 | 47.6 | [6][11][12][28] |
Alfreton Town | 26 January 2007 | 30 January 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 | [17][18][19] |
Total | 140 | 73 | 32 | 35 | 52.1 | — |
Honours
As a manager
Dunkirk
- Central Midlands League Premier Division runners-up: 1995–96[4]
Tamworth
- Southern League Premier Division: 2002–03[7]
References
- "Darron Gee interview". York City F.C. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- "We deserved to win, says ex-Yellow Gee". Hucknall Dispatch. 29 December 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- George, Ricky (28 January 2003). "Lambs are Tamworth lionhearts". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
- "Dunkirk". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Club information". Grantham Town F.C. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014.
- Pullen, Nick (27 May 2002). "Lambs have faith in Gee". Birmingham Evening Mail. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2017 – via HighBeam Research.
- "League tables: Dr. Martens League". SoccerFactsUK. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Burscough claim Trophy". BBC Sport. 18 May 2003. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- Oliver, Pete (19 January 2004). "Gee to stay at Tamworth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Gee to resign as Lambs boss". BBC Sport. 21 April 2004. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Tamworth appoint Cooper". BBC Sport. 28 April 2004. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Results from the 2003/04 season". Tamworth F.C. Supporters Club Heritage Project. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- "Gee is re-united with Mills". Non-League Daily. Baltic Publications. 10 May 2004. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
- Brown, Richard (11 November 2004). "Gee leaves". Notts County Mad. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- Flett, Dave (9 May 2012). "York City assistant manager Darron Gee's Wembley dream". The Press. York. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Mills named new Alfreton manager". BBC Sport. 25 May 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Gee in charge as Mills heads for Tamworth". Non-League Daily. Baltic Publications. 26 January 2007. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012.
- "League & cup results: Alfreton Town". SoccerFactsUK. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Gee rejoins Tamworth boss Mills". BBC Sport. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "League tables: Football Conference". SoccerFactsUK. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "We are the champions!!!! – Final game update". Tamworth F.C. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- "York City appoint Tamworth's Gary Mills as new manager". BBC Sport. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- Flett, Dave (22 May 2012). "Garry Mills' pride at managing York City double". The Press. York. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- Flett, Dave (20 June 2012). "Full time role for York City assistant manager Darron Gee". The Press. York. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Out of contract Darron in talks". Birmingham Evening Mail. 19 May 2003.
- "Darron Gee departs". York City F.C. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013.
- "Gary Mills: York City sack manager after loss to Bradford". BBC Sport. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Results from the 2002/03 season". Tamworth F.C. Supporters Club Heritage Project. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2013.