Keith Downing

Keith Gordon Downing (born 23 July 1965) is an English former footballer and football manager. He made the vast majority of his appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Keith Downing
Personal information
Full name Keith Gordon Downing[1]
Date of birth (1965-07-23) 23 July 1965
Place of birth Oldbury, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Chelsea
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1984 Mile Oak Rovers
1984–1987 Notts County 23 (1)
1987–1993 Wolverhampton Wanderers 191 (8)
1993–1994 Birmingham City 1 (0)
1994–1995 Stoke City 16 (0)
1995 Cardiff City 4 (0)
1995–1999 Hereford United 45 (0)
Total 280 (9)
Managerial career
2007–2008 Cheltenham Town
2013–2014 West Bromwich Albion (caretaker)
2015–2016 England U20
2016–2020 England U19
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

A former Chelsea youth team player, he moved from Mile Oak Rovers into the English Football League with Notts County in 1984. Three years later he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers. He spent six years with Wolves, winning the Football League Trophy in 1988 and successive Fourth Division and Third Division titles in 1987–88 and 1988–89. He joined Birmingham City in 1993, before moving on to Stoke City the following year. In 1995, he joined Hereford United via Cardiff City, and retired in 1999.

Downing went on to become a coach, and also spent September 2007 to November 2008 as Cheltenham Town manager, and served West Bromwich Albion as caretaker manager for a brief spell in the 2013–14 Premier League season. He was appointed England U20 head coach in July 2015, and then took up the same role at the England U19's 13 months later, whom he led to the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship title.

Playing career

Early career

Downing was a junior player at Chelsea, but left Stamford Bridge at the end of the 1982–83 season. He went on to spend a season with Mile Oak Rovers. He began his professional career in 1984 at Richie Barker's Notts County, who went on to be relegated out of the Second Division at the end of the 1984–85 season. The "Magpies" finished eighth in the Third Division in the 1985–86 season and then seventh in 1986–87 under the stewardship of Jimmy Sirrel.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

He left Meadow Lane and moved on to Graham Turner's Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1987. Wolves won promotion as champions of the Fourth Division in 1987–88, and Downing also played in the 1988 Football League Trophy final victory over Burnley at Wembley Stadium.[3] Wolves won a second successive promotion in the 1988–89 season, winning the Third Division title by an eight-point margin.[3] The club made a push for promotion out of the Second Division in 1989–90, but ended up in tenth place, seven points outside of the play-off places. Downing appeared 35 times in both the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons, as Wolves finished in 12th and then 11th position. He played 37 times in the 1992–93 campaign before leaving Molineux in the summer.

Later career

In July 1993 Downing moved to Birmingham City. However, he featured only twice for Blues in the 1993–94 season, and left St Andrew's in the summer. He remained in the Midlands and the First Division for the 1994–95 season, playing 24 games for Stoke City. He began the 1995–96 season with Cardiff City, before being reunited with Graham Turner at Hereford United in September 1995. The "Bulls" finished sixth in the Third Division in the 1995–96 campaign, losing to Darlington in the play-offs. He made 13 appearances in the 1996–97 campaign as Hereford dropped out of the Football League with a last place finish. He became player-coach in 1998 and subsequently returned to Wolves as a youth team coach in March 1999.[4]

Managerial career

Cheltenham Town

Downing joined Cheltenham Town as assistant manager in July 2004, working alongside manager John Ward, who he had met through his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers where Ward had been assistant manager.[4] When Ward left the club to join Carlisle United in October 2007, Downing stepped in as caretaker manager, before being given the position on a full-time basis on 2 November. He endured a difficult start to his management career, but was aided by three loan signings from Bristol City in the January transfer window – Steve Brooker, Alex Russell and Richard Keogh, as well as free agent defender Alan Wright.[5] Cheltenham avoided relegation on the last day of the 2007–08 season with a 2–1 victory over Doncaster Rovers at Whaddon Road.[5] However they struggled after striker Steven Gillespie was sold to Colchester United for £400,000.[5] Downing left the club by mutual consent on 13 September 2008 with the "Robins" bottom of League One.[6]

Coaching spell

In February 2009, he was appointed assistant manager at League Two side Port Vale.[7] This was a temporary appointment to help manager Dean Glover, and both men left the club in May 2009.[8] In July 2009, Downing was appointed the academy coach at West Bromwich Albion.[9] He served as joint-assistant head coach for the "Baggies" under Steve Clarke and in December 2013 temporarily took over first team duties at the Premier League club after Clarke was sacked and before Pepe Mel was appointed as manager early the following month.[10] He was not a popular figure with fans at The Hawthorns due to his years of service at Black Country derby rivals Wolves.[11] However his UEFA Pro Licence and popularity with the players made him a serious candidate to replace Mel in the summer.[12] Alan Irvine got the job however, and Downing left the club in January 2015 following a backroom reshuffle by new boss Tony Pulis.[13]

England youth

Downing was appointed head coach of the England U20 team in July 2015, initially on an interim basis.[14] His appointed was made permanent in February 2016.[15] He changed roles to become head coach of the England U19 team in August 2016.[16] He led the under-19s to victory in the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with a 2–1 victory over Portugal.[17] He was a part of Gareth Southgate's scouting team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[5] Downing left his post in August 2020 to join Championship club Bristol City as an assistant head coach to Dean Holden.[18]

EFL coach

Downing left Bristol City in October 2021.[19] He was appointed as first team head coach at Plymouth Argyle in December 2021, working under manager Steven Schumacher, who clarified that "Keith has come in as my No 2, if you like".[20] Downing left the club at the end of the 2021–22 season, much to director of football Neil Dewsnip's disappointment.[21] In July 2022, Downing returned to Birmingham City as one of two assistants to newly appointed head coach John Eustace.[22] He left the club on 10 October 2023 after Eustace's dismissal.[23]

Personal life

Downing married in 1993, and has two sons from that marriage. He is a cousin of Judas Priest guitarist K. K. Downing.[24] He has an interest in criminology and history, specifically the history of World War II.[25]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[26]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Notts County 1984–85 Second Division 1200000—120
1985–86 Third Division 3000000030
1986–87 Third Division 8100000081
Total 231000000231
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1987–88 Fourth Division 34131306[lower-alpha 1]1463
1988–89 Third Division 32110006[lower-alpha 1]0391
1989–90 Second Division 31310301[lower-alpha 2]0363
1990–91 Second Division 31100202[lower-alpha 2]0351
1991–92 Second Division 32000201[lower-alpha 2]0350
1992–93 First Division 31221202[lower-alpha 3]0373
Total 19187212018122811
Birmingham City 1993–94 First Division 1000100020
Stoke City 1994–95 First Division 16010205[lower-alpha 3]1241
Cardiff City 1995–96 Third Division 400010—50
Hereford United 1995–96 Third Division 29030—4[lower-alpha 1]0360
1996–97 Third Division 160003000190
Total 450303040550
Career total 280911219027233713
  1. Appearances in Associate Members' Cup/Football League Trophy
  2. Appearance(s) in Full Members' Cup
  3. Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup

Managerial statistics
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
PWDLWin %
Cheltenham Town 26 September 2007 5 November 2008 50 14 12 24 028.0
West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) 14 December 2013 9 January 2014 6 1 2 3 016.7
Total[27] 56 15 14 27 026.8

Honours

as a Player

Wolverhampton Wanderers

as a Manager

England U19

References
  1. "Keith Downing". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. Rollin, Jack, ed. (1980). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 270. ISBN 0362020175.
  3. "Keith Downing is the latest Old Gold Club inductee". www.wolves.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  4. "Downing earns Robins post". BBC Sport. 3 July 2004. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  5. Palmer, Jon (29 May 2018). "Keith Downing on Cheltenham, West Brom and England". gloucestershirelive. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  6. "Manager Downing leaves Cheltenham". BBC Sport. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  7. "Downing will replace Brightwell". BBC Sport. 27 February 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  8. "Downing expecting to leave Vale". BBC Sport. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  9. "Downing handed Baggies youth role". BBC Sport. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  10. "Steve Clarke sacked as West Brom head coach". BBC Sport. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  11. Howell, Bill (30 December 2014). "West Bromwich Albion: Under fire coaching duo Rob Kelly and Keith Downing placed in caretaker charge". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  12. "Keith Downing backed for West Brom job". Express & Star. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  13. "West Brom: Rob Kelly, Keith Downing and Dean Kiely depart". BBC Sport. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  14. "Keith Downing appointed England under-20s boss". Express and Star. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  15. "Keith Downing named England U20 coach on permanent basis". Sky Sports. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  16. "Keith Downing: England U19s 'have a definite focus'". thefa.com. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  17. "Under-19 2017 - Portugal-England – UEFA.com". Uefa.com. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  18. Association, The Football (10 August 2020). "Young Lions coaches Paul Simpson and Keith Downing leave to join Bristol City". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  19. "Downing leaves City". Bristol City. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  20. Errington, Chris (23 December 2021). "Argyle appoint Keith Downing as first team head coach". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  21. "Downing departs". Plymouth Argyle. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  22. Dick, Brian (4 July 2022). "Confirmed: John Eustace names his Birmingham City back-room staff". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  23. "Matt Gardiner and Keith Downing leave Blues". Birmingham City F.C. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  24. "Keith Downing tipped to succeed at West Brom by music star cousin". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  25. "Keith Downing profile". BBC Stoke & Staffordshire. April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  26. "Player search: Downing, KG (Keith)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  27. Keith Downing management career statistics at Soccerbase
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