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David Kemp (footballer)
Encyclopedia
David Michael Kemp is a former English
professional footballer and manager. He is currently Assistant Manager at Stoke City
.
, subsequently playing for Maidenhead United
and Slough Town
before joining Crystal Palace
in April 1975. He moved to Portsmouth
in November 1976 and was their leading goalscorer in both the 1976–77 and 1977–78 seasons, despite not playing a full season for the club. A hugely popular player whilst at the club he even featured in Roy of the Rovers
magazine photographed alongside his fictional golascoring counterpart
During the time he played for Pompey, a song was sung in his honour, to the tune of Lily The Pink. It is a song that is still sung today (2010)
He moved to Carlisle United
in March 1978, moving to Plymouth Argyle
in September 1979 for a then club record fee of £75,000. He had loan spells with Gillingham
(December 1981) and Brentford
(March 1982) before joining NASL
side Edmonton Drillers in June 1982. He spent the 1983 NASL season with Seattle Sounders
and also played for San José Earthquakes before leaving the sinking ship of the NASL in 1984 for the Oklahoma City Stampede of the short-lived United Soccer League
(he accrued the 2nd-highest points total in the league).
side Norrköping. He returned to England in 1986, joining the coaching staff at Wimbledon
. He later took over as manager at Plymouth Argyle
in March 1990.
In July 1992 he took over as manager of Conference
side Slough Town
. He guided Slough to 5th place in the Conference, their highest-ever finish, but left at the end of his first season to become assistant manager at Crystal Palace
under new manager Alan Smith
where they won the 1993/94 League Championship (and with it promotion to the Premier League), and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
He was appointed as assistant manager of Wycombe Wanderers
, again under Alan Smith, at the start of the 1995–96 season, leaving along with Smith after a poor start to the 1996-97 season.
He then became Assistant Manager under John Docherty
at Millwall
and was later first-team coach at Wimbledon
under Joe Kinnear
until the summer of 1999 when he returned to Millwall as first-team coach. In December 1999, Kemp was appointed first-team coach at Portsmouth
under new manager Tony Pulis
.
In October 2000, he was appointed as manager of Oxford United
, with Joe Kinnear
as Director of Football. Kinnear left to manage Luton Town
in February 2001 and Kemp was dismissed two months later following protests by the Oxford fans. In December 2001 he was appointed as Chief Scout for Leicester City
. Later that month he was named as one of the best 101 players to have played for Plymouth Argyle before joining Stoke City
as first-team coach in August 2004, again working under Tony Pulis. Kemp left Stoke in June 2005 when Pulis was dismissed.
In September 2005, Pulis took over as manager of Plymouth Argyle
and again appointed Kemp as his assistant. Kemp remained in this post under new manager Ian Holloway
until August 2006. In October 2006 he rejoined Stoke City as Assistant Manager, but became a Chief Scout when Peter Reid
was appointed as Assistant Manager. In July 2010 Reid left Stoke to become manager at Plymouth and Pulis again appointed Kemp as his assistant.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer and manager. He is currently Assistant Manager at Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
.
Playing career
Kemp began his career with Harrow BoroughHarrow Borough F.C.
Harrow Borough Football Club is a semi-professional English association football club based in Harrow, in Greater London. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Earlsmead Stadium....
, subsequently playing for Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
and Slough Town
Slough Town F.C.
Slough Town F.C. is an English semi-professional football club. The club was officially founded in 1890 after the amalgamation of three local clubs, Swifts, Slough Albion and Young Men's Friendly Society, who between them forged a new club, Slough F.C....
before joining Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in April 1975. He moved to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in November 1976 and was their leading goalscorer in both the 1976–77 and 1977–78 seasons, despite not playing a full season for the club. A hugely popular player whilst at the club he even featured in Roy of the Rovers
Roy of the Rovers
Roy of the Rovers is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional footballer named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers...
magazine photographed alongside his fictional golascoring counterpart
During the time he played for Pompey, a song was sung in his honour, to the tune of Lily The Pink. It is a song that is still sung today (2010)
He moved to Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
in March 1978, moving to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in September 1979 for a then club record fee of £75,000. He had loan spells with Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
(December 1981) and Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
(March 1982) before joining NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
side Edmonton Drillers in June 1982. He spent the 1983 NASL season with Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
and also played for San José Earthquakes before leaving the sinking ship of the NASL in 1984 for the Oklahoma City Stampede of the short-lived United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
(he accrued the 2nd-highest points total in the league).
Management career
He then managed SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
side Norrköping. He returned to England in 1986, joining the coaching staff at Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
. He later took over as manager at Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in March 1990.
In July 1992 he took over as manager of Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
side Slough Town
Slough Town F.C.
Slough Town F.C. is an English semi-professional football club. The club was officially founded in 1890 after the amalgamation of three local clubs, Swifts, Slough Albion and Young Men's Friendly Society, who between them forged a new club, Slough F.C....
. He guided Slough to 5th place in the Conference, their highest-ever finish, but left at the end of his first season to become assistant manager at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
under new manager Alan Smith
Alan Smith (manager)
Alan Smith is an English former football manager who began his coaching career as Steve Coppell's assistant at Crystal Palace. When Palace suffered relegation from the Premiership in 1993, Coppell resigned and Smith moved up to the manager's seat...
where they won the 1993/94 League Championship (and with it promotion to the Premier League), and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
He was appointed as assistant manager of Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
, again under Alan Smith, at the start of the 1995–96 season, leaving along with Smith after a poor start to the 1996-97 season.
He then became Assistant Manager under John Docherty
John Docherty
John Docherty is a Scottish former football player and manager.Having previously been manager of Cambridge United between January 1978 and December 13, 1983, and Brentford. His spell at Cambridge United saw the club in the Second Division where they managed respectable finishes, with eighth in...
at 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...
and was later first-team coach at Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
under Joe Kinnear
Joe Kinnear
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....
until the summer of 1999 when he returned to Millwall as first-team coach. In December 1999, Kemp was appointed first-team coach at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
under new manager Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
.
In October 2000, he was appointed as manager of Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
, with Joe Kinnear
Joe Kinnear
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....
as Director of Football. Kinnear left to manage Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
in February 2001 and Kemp was dismissed two months later following protests by the Oxford fans. In December 2001 he was appointed as Chief Scout for Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. Later that month he was named as one of the best 101 players to have played for Plymouth Argyle before joining Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
as first-team coach in August 2004, again working under Tony Pulis. Kemp left Stoke in June 2005 when Pulis was dismissed.
In September 2005, Pulis took over as manager of Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
and again appointed Kemp as his assistant. Kemp remained in this post under new manager Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...
until August 2006. In October 2006 he rejoined Stoke City as Assistant Manager, but became a Chief Scout when 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...
was appointed as Assistant Manager. In July 2010 Reid left Stoke to become manager at Plymouth and Pulis again appointed Kemp as his assistant.