David Jeffrey

David Jeffrey MBE (born 28 October 1962) is a Northern Irish former football player and manager. He managed Linfield between 1997 and 2014 and Ballymena United from 2016–2023. Jeffrey began his professional playing career with Linfield, following a spell in the Manchester United youth team, and also played for Ards and Larne.

For the religion scholar, see David Lyle Jeffrey.
David Jeffrey
MBE
Jeffrey in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth (1962-10-28) 28 October 1962
Place of birth Newtownards, Northern Ireland
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1979–1982 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1992 Linfield 369 (69)
1992–1995 Ards 65 (2)
1995–1996 Larne 22 (1)
International career
1977–1978 Northern Ireland U15 8
1981 Northern Ireland U18 2
1984–1989 Irish Football League XI 9 (0)
Managerial career
1995–1996 Larne
1997–2014 Linfield
2016–2023 Ballymena United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Personal life

Born in Newtownards, Jeffrey attended Dundonald High School and Sullivan Upper School.[1] He lives in Glengormley, and has a career in social work alongside his management career.[2] He has two sons, Gareth and Thomas, and is a member of both the Orange Order and a flute band. He cites his parents as the biggest inspiration in his life.[3] [4]

Jeffrey is a Christian. In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph in 2020, he described himself as having "an unapologetic and unashamed very strong faith in God".[5]

Playing career

Jeffrey began his football career as a schoolboy with Manchester United, but never played in the first team. He joined Linfield in the summer of 1982. He played for Linfield for ten years and was club captain for much of that time. Jeffrey scored the crucial away goal against Shamrock Rovers in the 1984–85 European Cup.[6] He left Windsor Park for his hometown club, Ards, in the summer of 1992, reuniting him with former boss Roy Coyle, and in February 1995 joined Larne as player-coach.

Managerial career

Linfield

In April 1996, Jeffrey returned to Linfield as assistant manager to Trevor Anderson. Jeffrey was appointed as Linfield manager on 4 January 1997 after Anderson resigned.

In the 2005–06 season, Jeffrey guided Linfield to a clean sweep of domestic trophies, missing out only on the cross-border All-Ireland Cup. On 6 June 2006, Jeffrey signed a new four-year contract, the longest contract in Linfield history. His previous deal had one season left to run.

In June 2008, Jeffrey won his 23rd manager of the month award, breaking the record for monthly awards. By January 2014, he had extended this record to 32 awards.[7]

Alongside Roy Coyle, Jeffrey is Linfield's most successful manager in history, having won 31 trophies during his 17-year tenure.[8] Roy Coyle also won 31 trophies with the Blues during his managerial career from 1975 to 1990.

On 15 February 2014, Jeffrey announced that he was to step down as manager of Linfield at the end of the 2013–14 season.[9] He was replaced by former Northern Ireland international, Warren Feeney.[10]

Ballymena United

On 7 March 2016, it was announced that Jeffrey had been appointed the new manager of Ballymena United, following the sacking of Glenn Ferguson.

Jeffrey guided Ballymena to winning the Northern Irish League cup in 2016–17 season and took them to the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup and a 4th place finish in the league.

Jeffrey was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to association football and community relations in Northern Ireland.[11]

Managerial statistics
Team Nation From To Record
G W D L F A GD Win %
Linfield  Northern Ireland 4 January 1997[12] 27 April 2014 9445791971681,958845+1,01361.33
Ballymena United  Northern Ireland 7 March 2016[13] 10 May 2023 34616348136559502+5747.11
Total 1,2907422453042,5171,347+1,07057.52
As of 8 May 2023

Managerial honours

Linfield

Ballymena United

References
  1. "Super Assembly: David Jeffrey, Make It – BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  2. UUP and DUP in race to sign quitting Linfield legend David Jeffrey
  3. "David Jeffrey: 'I am 54, but my parents remain my inspiration; I still get a feeling of pride when dad encourages me'"Belfast Telegraph
  4. "'Heroes' exhibition launched by Order" The Newsletter
  5. Luney, Graham (7 May 2020). "Keeping the faith: How Christians in the Irish League are finding strength in God during coronavirus pandemic". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  6. "European Champions' Cup 1984-85 - Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  7. "linfieldfc.com DJ – December Manager of the Month". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  8. "Welcome to Linfield Football Club". Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  9. "linfieldfc.com An era will come to an end – Linfield FC Statement". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  10. "Warren Feeney is appointed new Linfield manager". BBC Sport. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  11. "No. 63377". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 2021. p. B19.
  12. Sport|date=27 April 2014}}
  13. Sport|date=TBD}}
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