Adrian Williams
Encyclopedia
Adrian "Ady" Williams is a Wales
international footballer and is the former manager of Didcot Town
, making his first appearance in the 1991–92
season. This first spell at Reading saw him established as a firm fans favourite. His talent and youth saw him play in every position for The Royals, from centre-forward to emergency goalkeeper, wearing every shirt number from 1-11, plus both substitute numbers 12 and 14, in the process. He was a regular in the side that missed out on promotion to the Premier League, eventually losing to Bolton Wanderers
in the 1994–95
First Division
Play-off Final at Wembley. Williams had scored the second goal in that game, giving them a 2-0 lead in the first half, before two late goals saw Bolton draw level and force extra time, going on to win the game 4-3 and seal a place in the FA Premier League
- a level at which Williams would ultimately never play.
, where he remained until the 1999–2000
season. His time at Molineux
was largely interrupted by injury; he made just 36 appearances in over three seasons.
and their promotion to back to the First Division in 2001–02
. In a vote to compile the Royals'
best-ever eleven, Williams was voted the best centre back with 59.9% of the vote.
he chose to move to Championship
rivals Coventry City
on a free transfer in Autumn 2004, having been refused the contract he wanted with Reading. Signed by Peter Reid
to replace Calum Davenport
and Muhamed Konjić
, Williams went on to make 23 appearances in League and Cup, scoring goals in a 2-1 win at Millmoor
against Rotherham United
, and in a 2-1 home defeat by Queens Park Rangers
.
He started the 2005–06
season out of the Sky Blues side and joined struggling Millwall
on loan for three months. Following the end of this loan spell, Williams returned to the Coventry side for the home game against his old club Wolves on 2 January 2006, playing a key defensive role in a 2-0 home win. This performance, and other similar performances put him right back in the first team picture at the Ricoh Arena
.
in the summer of 2006, and following the resignation of Dave Tuttle
as caretaker manager, Williams briefly held that position himself until the appointment of Paul Sturrock
on 7 November 2006.
On 3 May 2008 he decided that the Swindon Town vs Millwall
game would be his last, ending his 19-year career span, although ultimately he was not selected on the day.
in 1995 alongside fellow Reading player Lee Nogan
. Five more caps followed whilst at Wolverhampton Wanderers
, including scoring his first international goal during a 2–1 win over Denmark
, and in November 2002 he received his first international call-up for three years when he was selected for a squad to take on Azerbaijan
. On 26 May 2003 Williams played the full 90 minutes as Wales lost 2-0 against the USA
in an international friendly at the Spartan Stadium
in San Jose
, California
, his first international start for four years. He was an unused substitute for a number of matches including an away defeat to Italy
in the San Siro
, while he missed the play-off with Russia
through injury.
. Williams was replaced however in the summer of 2011 by Francis Vines.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international footballer and is the former manager of Didcot Town
Didcot Town F.C.
Didcot Town F.C. are a football club based in Didcot in Oxfordshire, England. They won the FA Vase in 2005 and are currently members of Division One South & West of the Southern League, having been relegated from the Premier Division in 2010–11....
Reading
Williams started his career with ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, making his first appearance in the 1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
season. This first spell at Reading saw him established as a firm fans favourite. His talent and youth saw him play in every position for The Royals, from centre-forward to emergency goalkeeper, wearing every shirt number from 1-11, plus both substitute numbers 12 and 14, in the process. He was a regular in the side that missed out on promotion to the Premier League, eventually losing to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the 1994–95
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Play-off Final at Wembley. Williams had scored the second goal in that game, giving them a 2-0 lead in the first half, before two late goals saw Bolton draw level and force extra time, going on to win the game 4-3 and seal a place in the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
- a level at which Williams would ultimately never play.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In 1996 he was signed by Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, where he remained until the 1999–2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
season. His time at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
was largely interrupted by injury; he made just 36 appearances in over three seasons.
Return to Reading
He returned to Reading during the 1999–2000 season and played a crucial part in their rejuvenation under Alan PardewAlan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
and their promotion to back to the First Division in 2001–02
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
. In a vote to compile the Royals'
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
best-ever eleven, Williams was voted the best centre back with 59.9% of the vote.
Coventry City
Despite being a firm favourite at the Madejski StadiumMadejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
he chose to move to Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
rivals Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on a free transfer in Autumn 2004, having been refused the contract he wanted with Reading. Signed by Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
to replace Calum Davenport
Calum Davenport
Calum Ray Paul Davenport is an English footballer, who is currently playing for Wootton Blue Cross after being released by West Ham United. He plays as a centre back.-Coventry City:...
and Muhamed Konjić
Muhamed Konjic
Muhamed Konjić is a Bosnian former football player.-International:Konjić was an influential player in the Bosnian squad, for which he has been capped 38 times. He was the captain in the first match played by Bosnia-Herzegovina on the 30 November 1995...
, Williams went on to make 23 appearances in League and Cup, scoring goals in a 2-1 win at Millmoor
Millmoor
Millmoor is a stadium in Rotherham, England. It was built and was used for football matches, and until the end of the 2007–08 season was the home ground of Rotherham United F.C., until a dispute over ownership forced them to move to the Don Valley Stadium in nearby Sheffield.The stadium was...
against Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
, and in a 2-1 home defeat by Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
He started the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season out of the Sky Blues side and joined struggling Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
on loan for three months. Following the end of this loan spell, Williams returned to the Coventry side for the home game against his old club Wolves on 2 January 2006, playing a key defensive role in a 2-0 home win. This performance, and other similar performances put him right back in the first team picture at the Ricoh Arena
Ricoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...
.
Swindon Town
Williams joined Swindon TownSwindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
in the summer of 2006, and following the resignation of Dave Tuttle
Dave Tuttle
David Philip "Dave" Tuttle is a former English footballer and is currently chief scout of and manager of Hellenic League side Henley Town.As a player, Tuttle was a central defender...
as caretaker manager, Williams briefly held that position himself until the appointment of Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
on 7 November 2006.
On 3 May 2008 he decided that the Swindon Town vs Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
game would be his last, ending his 19-year career span, although ultimately he was not selected on the day.
Weston-super-Mare
Williams joined Weston-super-Mare in June 2009,.International career
Williams was born in Reading but qualified to play for Wales through his father. He made seven international appearances during his first spell with Reading, including one at home to MoldovaMoldova national football team
The Moldova national football team represents Moldova in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Moldova, the governing body for football in Moldova. Moldova's home ground is Zimbru Stadium in Chişinău and their head coach is Gavril Balint...
in 1995 alongside fellow Reading player Lee Nogan
Lee Nogan
Lee Martin Nogan is a Welsh footballer and football manager who plays as a forward for Conference North side F.C. Halifax Town, where he is also the clubs assistant manager....
. Five more caps followed whilst at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, including scoring his first international goal during a 2–1 win over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, and in November 2002 he received his first international call-up for three years when he was selected for a squad to take on Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
. On 26 May 2003 Williams played the full 90 minutes as Wales lost 2-0 against the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in an international friendly at the Spartan Stadium
Spartan Stadium (San Jose)
Spartan Stadium, located in San Jose, California, is the official stadium of the San José State University Spartans athletics teams. It is currently the home of the Spartan football and soccer teams....
in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, his first international start for four years. He was an unused substitute for a number of matches including an away defeat to Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
, while he missed the play-off with Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
through injury.
Bedford Town
On 23 March 2010, Williams accepted his first managerial post as boss of Southern League Premier strugglers Bedford Town F.C. Whilst Ady initially improved their form enabling them to stave off relegation, they made a poor start to the 2010/11 season struggling in the relegation places and making early exits from the FA Cup and FA Trophy. Following the away FA Trophy defeat to Harlow on the 16th October 2010 Ady resigned his position.Didcot Town
On 29 January 2011, he took charge of Southern League Premier Division side Didcot TownDidcot Town F.C.
Didcot Town F.C. are a football club based in Didcot in Oxfordshire, England. They won the FA Vase in 2005 and are currently members of Division One South & West of the Southern League, having been relegated from the Premier Division in 2010–11....
. Williams was replaced however in the summer of 2011 by Francis Vines.
External links
- Adrian Williams profile at swindontownfc.co.uk