Mike Walsh (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Thomas Walsh, was a defender who played for many clubs. He was probably best known as a captain of Bolton Wanderers F.C.
and also for gaining honours representing the Republic of Ireland national football team
.
, Walsh was snapped up as a 17 year old by Bolton Wanderers F.C.
He made his debut as an 18 year old and quickly established a reputation as a no-nonsense defender with incredible bravery and attitude. This was rewarded by his manager Ian Greaves who made him captain. This was no mean feat in a team that included characters such as Peter Reid
, Sam Allardyce
and Frank Worthington
.
Walsh stayed with Bolton from 1974-1981. During this time he made 169 league appearances (+8 as sub), scored 4 goals, and in 1978 led the club to the top flight as champions of the old second division, after narrowly missing promotion the season before.
In 1981, Walsh was snapped up by Howard Kendall
at Everton
for £90,000 plus Jim McDonagh. Walsh was one of Howard Kendall's famous 'magnificent seven' signings. He later took up loan spells at Norwich City and Burnley.
In 1983 he was offered the opportunity to play in Florida for George Best's old team Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The club went bust within a season though and Walsh was quickly back home. Next stop was Manchester City but within four months he signed for Blackpool where he went on to give a further 144 league appearances.
manager Sam Ellis to Bury
as the first team coach. Upon Ellis' departure to Maine Road to join Peter Reid as his assistant, Walsh took up the reins as manager in September 1990.
His time as manager lasted five years, during which he took the club to the play-offs three times, including the club's first appearance at Wembley. All this was during a time where the club had a massive financial burden and many players had to be sold to keep the club afloat. Just five games after losing in the Wembley play-off final, Walsh was cruelly sacked as the Chairman became impatient despite the club having no finances to improve the team.
After a brief spell of taking Barrow
to the top of their division, Walsh's old Everton team mate Steve McMahon
asked Walsh to join him at Swindon Town
as his assistant in 1997. Walsh also stayed on to assist Jimmy Quinn
after McMahon's resignation late in 1998.
After being made redundant by Swindon Town, he became Peter Reid's Chief Scout at Sunderland
. In 2003 he had a brief spell as manager of Southport F.C.
where, despite being in the top half of the table upon his arrival, they suffered relegation out of the Conference
, only slipping in to the relegation places on the last day of the season after a defeat away at Stevenage Borough
. After a successful start to the season, Southport went on a long win less streak which saw them fall from top spot to the brink of not qualifying for the newly formed Conference North league, this was something deemed unthinkable for the Southport board who left with no decision but to sack Walsh and replace him with Liam Watson
in an attempt to secure qualification. In 2004, Walsh was then asked back to Swindon Town as Andy King's assistant, but and decided to retire from the game a year later, and is now running a restaurant in Javea, Spain.
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....
and also for gaining honours representing the Republic of Ireland national football team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
.
Playing career
Born and raised in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Walsh was snapped up as a 17 year old by Bolton Wanderers F.C.
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....
He made his debut as an 18 year old and quickly established a reputation as a no-nonsense defender with incredible bravery and attitude. This was rewarded by his manager Ian Greaves who made him captain. This was no mean feat in a team that included characters such as 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...
, Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
and Frank Worthington
Frank Worthington
Frank Stewart Worthington is a former English footballer. Frank was born into a footballing family in Shelf near Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. Both of his parents had played the game and his two older brothers, Dave and Bob, became professional footballers, both began their careers with...
.
Walsh stayed with Bolton from 1974-1981. During this time he made 169 league appearances (+8 as sub), scored 4 goals, and in 1978 led the club to the top flight as champions of the old second division, after narrowly missing promotion the season before.
In 1981, Walsh was snapped up by Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
for £90,000 plus Jim McDonagh. Walsh was one of Howard Kendall's famous 'magnificent seven' signings. He later took up loan spells at Norwich City and Burnley.
In 1983 he was offered the opportunity to play in Florida for George Best's old team Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The club went bust within a season though and Walsh was quickly back home. Next stop was Manchester City but within four months he signed for Blackpool where he went on to give a further 144 league appearances.
Post-playing career
Walsh followed his BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
manager Sam Ellis to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
as the first team coach. Upon Ellis' departure to Maine Road to join Peter Reid as his assistant, Walsh took up the reins as manager in September 1990.
His time as manager lasted five years, during which he took the club to the play-offs three times, including the club's first appearance at Wembley. All this was during a time where the club had a massive financial burden and many players had to be sold to keep the club afloat. Just five games after losing in the Wembley play-off final, Walsh was cruelly sacked as the Chairman became impatient despite the club having no finances to improve the team.
After a brief spell of taking Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
to the top of their division, Walsh's old Everton team mate Steve McMahon
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s...
asked Walsh to join him at Swindon Town
Swindon 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...
as his assistant in 1997. Walsh also stayed on to assist Jimmy Quinn
Jimmy Quinn (Northern Irish footballer)
James Martin "Jimmy" Quinn is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and was manager of Bournemouth.-Club:...
after McMahon's resignation late in 1998.
After being made redundant by Swindon Town, he became Peter Reid's Chief Scout at Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. In 2003 he had a brief spell as manager of Southport F.C.
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
where, despite being in the top half of the table upon his arrival, they suffered relegation out of the 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...
, only slipping in to the relegation places on the last day of the season after a defeat away at Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
. After a successful start to the season, Southport went on a long win less streak which saw them fall from top spot to the brink of not qualifying for the newly formed Conference North league, this was something deemed unthinkable for the Southport board who left with no decision but to sack Walsh and replace him with Liam Watson
Liam Watson (footballer)
Liam Watson is an English former professional footballer and currently manager of Conference National side Southport.-Professional career:...
in an attempt to secure qualification. In 2004, Walsh was then asked back to Swindon Town as Andy King's assistant, but and decided to retire from the game a year later, and is now running a restaurant in Javea, Spain.
External links
- Profile at PlayerHistory.com
- http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/walsh.htm