Ken McKenna

Kenneth McKenna (born 2 July 1960) is an English former professional footballer and manager who last worked as assistant manager of National League side AFC Fylde.[2]

For the attorney, see Better by You, Better than Me.

Ken McKenna
Personal information
Full name Kenneth McKenna
Date of birth (1960-07-02) 2 July 1960
Place of birth Birkenhead, England
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 AFC Fylde (assistant manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1983 Tranmere Rovers 4 (0)
1983–? Telford United
000?–1987 Runcorn
1987–1989 Tranmere Rovers 16 (3)
1989–1990 Telford United
1990–1992 Altrincham 74 (41)
1992–1994 Barrow
1994–1997 Conwy United 98 (89)
1997–1998 Bangor City 27 (18)
1998–2005 The New Saints[1] 63 (20)
Managerial career
2001–2008 The New Saints[1]
2008 Cammell Laird
2010–2011 Altrincham
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

McKenna started his senior playing career with Poulton Victoria and then signed for Tranmere Rovers in the Football League on a non-contract basis, making four league appearances.[3] He left the club in 1983, joining Telford United and later won a Cheshire Senior Cup winner's medal with Runcorn, returning to Tranmere Rovers for a second spell in 1987.

After a second spell at Telford United, McKenna joined Altrincham at the start of the 1990–91 season, scoring 33 goals in 56 appearances in all competitions, finishing the season with the Robins' Player of the Year award and was part of a side that went 28 games without defeat and scored in 10 consecutive games. He also managed hat tricks against Merthyr Tydfil, Boston United and Cheltenham Town.[4] He continued to score goals during his second season with the club, finishing the year with 23 goals in all competitions, despite the Moss Lane outfit barely surviving the drop before leaving to join Barrow in 1992.

In 1994, McKenna joined Welsh Premier League side Conwy United, setting a new club scoring record in the 1995–96 season with 38 goals in 35 league appearances, finishing as the league's top scorer.[5] After one year with Bangor City, during which he scoring a late equaliser in the Welsh Cup final against Connah's Quay Nomads to take the game to penalties which Bangor later won,[6] he joined Total Network Solutions and was later appointed manager during the 2000–01 season.

Managerial career

McKenna steered TNS to three runners-up spots in the Welsh Premier League before winning three successive titles in 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2006–07, as well as adding FAW Premier Cup, Welsh Cup and Welsh League Cup successes.[7] In March 2008, he left the club by mutual consent.[8]

McKenna returned to his home town of Birkenhead to become manager of Cammell Laird but left the club soon after, later becoming chief scout at Cambridge United before joining Altrincham as assistant manager. In September 2010, he was appointed caretaker-manager at the club following the sacking of Graham Heathcote.[9] Following an improvement in the team's results under McKenna, he was later handed the job on a permanent basis.[10]

On 16 May 2011, it was announced that McKenna would take a new role as assistant manager, to the new Morecambe manager, Jim Bentley. In 2019, he followed Bentley to new club AFC Fylde, again taking the role of assistant manager. He left the position in July 2020.[11]

Honours

Player
Telford United
Bangor City
Individual

Manager
The New Saints

Individual

References
  1. Prior to 2006, the club was known as Total Network Solutions
  2. "Morecambe | News | Latest from the Globe Arena | News | New boss announces backroom staff". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
  3. "Ken McKenna". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  4. "Alty legends section 13". Robins' review. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  5. "Top 25 individual goalscorers 1995/6". welsh-premier.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  6. "Bangor City 1–1 Connah's Quay Nomads". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  7. "Saints boss McKenna to step down". BBC Sport. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  8. "Manager McKenna leaves Saints". BBC Sport. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  9. "McKenna takes charge of Altrincham". welsh-premier.com. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  10. "Altrincham appoint Ken McKenna as manager". BBC Sport. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  11. "Fresh blow for AFC Fylde as number two Kenny McKenna stands down". 9 July 2020.
  12. "WPL Golden Boot winner". Welsh Premier League. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  13. "Manager of the Season". Welsh Premier League. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2018.


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