Recent from talks
David Flitcroft
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
David Flitcroft
David John Flitcroft (born 14 January 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player. His older brother is the former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City player Garry Flitcroft.
A midfielder, Flitcroft began his career at Preston North End, where he turned professional in May 1992. He enjoyed a brief loan spell at Lincoln City but failed to establish himself in the first-team at Preston and was allowed to join Chester City in December 1993. Chester would achieve promotion out of the Third Division at the end of the 1993–94 season, though were relegated out of the Second Division the following season. In all, he played 190 league and cup games before joining Rochdale on a free transfer in July 1999. He spent four seasons at Spotland, playing 188 league and cup matches and being named Player of the Year before joining Macclesfield Town in July 2003. He moved on to Bury in February 2004, where he featured in another 108 first-team games and was named Player of the Year for the 2005–06 season before signing with Hyde United of the Conference North in November 2006. He swiftly returned to the Football League, though, as he returned to former club Rochdale as assistant manager in January 2007. He featured in two competitive games for the club, bringing his playing career to 29 goals from 527 appearances in all competitions. Aside from one season in the Second Division with Chester, he primarily played in the Third Division / League Two.
Having spent over four years on the coaching staff at Rochdale, Flitcroft followed manager Keith Hill to Barnsley in June 2011 and was appointed caretaker manager following Hill's sacking in December 2012. He was given the job permanently and kept the club in the Championship at the end of the 2012–13 season, only to be sacked in November 2013. He was appointed Bury manager the following month and quickly found success, being named as Manager of the Month for February 2014. He led the club to promotion out of League Two at the end of the 2014–15 season and kept the club in League One the following season. Despite being named as Manager of the Month for September 2016, he was sacked two months later following a poor run of form. He took charge at Swindon Town in June 2017 before changing clubs to manage divisional rivals Mansfield Town in March 2018. He was sacked in May 2019 after the club were beaten in the League Two play-off semi-finals. Keith Hill named him his assistant at Bolton Wanderers in August 2019, though the pair were not retained beyond the 2019–20 season. He was appointed director of football at Port Vale in February 2021 and stayed in the role for over three years.
Born in Bolton, Lancashire, Flitcroft spent time as a child with Manchester City before he began an apprenticeship with Preston North End at the age of 14. He signed professional forms with the club in May 1992. He made his debut the following season at Deepdale under caretaker manager Sam Allardyce. He was to spend the season briefly involved in the first-team, but instead had a brief loan spell with Lincoln City and was then allowed to join Chester City in December 1993.
Flitcroft made eight appearances as Chester pipped Preston to promotion from the Third Division at the end of the 1993–94 season. He credited the competitive dressing room spirit put together by manager Graham Barrow with getting the club over the line. However, the "Seals" lasted just one season in the Second Division and were relegated at the end of the 1994–95 campaign. Flitcroft was a regular in the Chester midfield under manager Kevin Ratcliffe, who took the club to an eighth-place finish in 1995–96. He underwent operations on his knee in October and December 1995 and signed a 12-month contract extension in March 1996. Flitcroft scored six goals in 34 games during the 1996–97 season, as Chester reached play-offs, though lost out to Swansea City at the semi-final stage. He signed a new two-year contract in May 1997. He featured 49 times in the 1997–98 campaign, scoring five goals, though the club dropped down to 14th-place. He won the Away Travellers Player of the Year award after he scored six goals in 48 appearances during the 1998–99 season. He left the Deva Stadium when he rejected the club's offer of a new contract and instead joined Rochdale.
Flitcroft was sent off for a second yellow card in his home league debut at Spotland Stadium, a 2–0 victory over Southend United. He went on to start 40 league games in the 1999–2000 season, featuring 53 times in all competitions as Rochdale posted a tenth-place finish in the Third Division. He featured 44 times in the 2000–01 campaign, picking up 12 yellow cards and one red card, as "Dale" finished eighth in the league. He signed a two-year contract extension in the summer. He later described Steve Parkin as the best manager he had played under. He lost his first-team place at the start of the 2001–02 campaign, however, due to the central midfield partnership of Gary Jones and Michael Oliver and came close to a move to Shrewsbury Town, though ended up staying as Jones instead left the club. Flitcroft started 21 league games, making 43 appearances overall. Rochdale qualified for the play-offs under the stewardship of John Hollins, but were beaten by Rushden & Diamonds in the semi-finals. The 2002–03 season proved to be his best in Rochdale colours, and he was named as Player of the Year after scoring two goals in 48 appearances. Paul Simpson took the club to the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they lost 3–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, Flitcroft left Rochdale in the summer after the club's directors told him that he needed to impress during a pre-season trial to win a new contract and by the time new manager Alan Buckley was appointed Flitcroft had already decided to leave.
Flitcroft signed a two-year contract with Macclesfield Town on 9 July 2003 and was immediately installed as captain at Moss Rose. He played 15 Third Division games for the "Silkmen" before losing his first-team place when John Askey replaced David Moss as manager in October. His contract was cancelled by mutual consent in January 2004.
Flitcroft joined Bury on non-contract terms in February 2004. He played 17 games for the "Shakers" in the second half of the 2003–04 season and signed a 12-month contract in May. He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–0 win over Kidderminster Harriers at Gigg Lane on 30 August 2004, though was sent off later in the match after picking up a second yellow card. He was sent off again for two yellow card offences in a 2–0 defeat at Northampton Town on 28 December. He signed a one-year contract in July 2005 after making 40 appearances throughout the 2004–05 season. He played 46 games during the 2005–06 season and was sent off in the FA Cup against Scunthorpe United. He was named as the club's Player of the Year for what the Bury Times described "his wholehearted and consistent displays in the Shakers' engine room". He also won the club's Goal of the Season award for his long-range goal at Darlington on 22 April – his only goal of the campaign. He signed a new one-year contract in June 2006. He left Bury, his last professional club as a player, in November 2006 after falling out of favour with manager Chris Casper and admitted it was "a massive wrench" to leave, saying that he had been focusing too much on mentoring youngsters during the 2006–07 season and had neglected his own performances.
Hub AI
David Flitcroft AI simulator
(@David Flitcroft_simulator)
David Flitcroft
David John Flitcroft (born 14 January 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player. His older brother is the former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City player Garry Flitcroft.
A midfielder, Flitcroft began his career at Preston North End, where he turned professional in May 1992. He enjoyed a brief loan spell at Lincoln City but failed to establish himself in the first-team at Preston and was allowed to join Chester City in December 1993. Chester would achieve promotion out of the Third Division at the end of the 1993–94 season, though were relegated out of the Second Division the following season. In all, he played 190 league and cup games before joining Rochdale on a free transfer in July 1999. He spent four seasons at Spotland, playing 188 league and cup matches and being named Player of the Year before joining Macclesfield Town in July 2003. He moved on to Bury in February 2004, where he featured in another 108 first-team games and was named Player of the Year for the 2005–06 season before signing with Hyde United of the Conference North in November 2006. He swiftly returned to the Football League, though, as he returned to former club Rochdale as assistant manager in January 2007. He featured in two competitive games for the club, bringing his playing career to 29 goals from 527 appearances in all competitions. Aside from one season in the Second Division with Chester, he primarily played in the Third Division / League Two.
Having spent over four years on the coaching staff at Rochdale, Flitcroft followed manager Keith Hill to Barnsley in June 2011 and was appointed caretaker manager following Hill's sacking in December 2012. He was given the job permanently and kept the club in the Championship at the end of the 2012–13 season, only to be sacked in November 2013. He was appointed Bury manager the following month and quickly found success, being named as Manager of the Month for February 2014. He led the club to promotion out of League Two at the end of the 2014–15 season and kept the club in League One the following season. Despite being named as Manager of the Month for September 2016, he was sacked two months later following a poor run of form. He took charge at Swindon Town in June 2017 before changing clubs to manage divisional rivals Mansfield Town in March 2018. He was sacked in May 2019 after the club were beaten in the League Two play-off semi-finals. Keith Hill named him his assistant at Bolton Wanderers in August 2019, though the pair were not retained beyond the 2019–20 season. He was appointed director of football at Port Vale in February 2021 and stayed in the role for over three years.
Born in Bolton, Lancashire, Flitcroft spent time as a child with Manchester City before he began an apprenticeship with Preston North End at the age of 14. He signed professional forms with the club in May 1992. He made his debut the following season at Deepdale under caretaker manager Sam Allardyce. He was to spend the season briefly involved in the first-team, but instead had a brief loan spell with Lincoln City and was then allowed to join Chester City in December 1993.
Flitcroft made eight appearances as Chester pipped Preston to promotion from the Third Division at the end of the 1993–94 season. He credited the competitive dressing room spirit put together by manager Graham Barrow with getting the club over the line. However, the "Seals" lasted just one season in the Second Division and were relegated at the end of the 1994–95 campaign. Flitcroft was a regular in the Chester midfield under manager Kevin Ratcliffe, who took the club to an eighth-place finish in 1995–96. He underwent operations on his knee in October and December 1995 and signed a 12-month contract extension in March 1996. Flitcroft scored six goals in 34 games during the 1996–97 season, as Chester reached play-offs, though lost out to Swansea City at the semi-final stage. He signed a new two-year contract in May 1997. He featured 49 times in the 1997–98 campaign, scoring five goals, though the club dropped down to 14th-place. He won the Away Travellers Player of the Year award after he scored six goals in 48 appearances during the 1998–99 season. He left the Deva Stadium when he rejected the club's offer of a new contract and instead joined Rochdale.
Flitcroft was sent off for a second yellow card in his home league debut at Spotland Stadium, a 2–0 victory over Southend United. He went on to start 40 league games in the 1999–2000 season, featuring 53 times in all competitions as Rochdale posted a tenth-place finish in the Third Division. He featured 44 times in the 2000–01 campaign, picking up 12 yellow cards and one red card, as "Dale" finished eighth in the league. He signed a two-year contract extension in the summer. He later described Steve Parkin as the best manager he had played under. He lost his first-team place at the start of the 2001–02 campaign, however, due to the central midfield partnership of Gary Jones and Michael Oliver and came close to a move to Shrewsbury Town, though ended up staying as Jones instead left the club. Flitcroft started 21 league games, making 43 appearances overall. Rochdale qualified for the play-offs under the stewardship of John Hollins, but were beaten by Rushden & Diamonds in the semi-finals. The 2002–03 season proved to be his best in Rochdale colours, and he was named as Player of the Year after scoring two goals in 48 appearances. Paul Simpson took the club to the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they lost 3–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, Flitcroft left Rochdale in the summer after the club's directors told him that he needed to impress during a pre-season trial to win a new contract and by the time new manager Alan Buckley was appointed Flitcroft had already decided to leave.
Flitcroft signed a two-year contract with Macclesfield Town on 9 July 2003 and was immediately installed as captain at Moss Rose. He played 15 Third Division games for the "Silkmen" before losing his first-team place when John Askey replaced David Moss as manager in October. His contract was cancelled by mutual consent in January 2004.
Flitcroft joined Bury on non-contract terms in February 2004. He played 17 games for the "Shakers" in the second half of the 2003–04 season and signed a 12-month contract in May. He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–0 win over Kidderminster Harriers at Gigg Lane on 30 August 2004, though was sent off later in the match after picking up a second yellow card. He was sent off again for two yellow card offences in a 2–0 defeat at Northampton Town on 28 December. He signed a one-year contract in July 2005 after making 40 appearances throughout the 2004–05 season. He played 46 games during the 2005–06 season and was sent off in the FA Cup against Scunthorpe United. He was named as the club's Player of the Year for what the Bury Times described "his wholehearted and consistent displays in the Shakers' engine room". He also won the club's Goal of the Season award for his long-range goal at Darlington on 22 April – his only goal of the campaign. He signed a new one-year contract in June 2006. He left Bury, his last professional club as a player, in November 2006 after falling out of favour with manager Chris Casper and admitted it was "a massive wrench" to leave, saying that he had been focusing too much on mentoring youngsters during the 2006–07 season and had neglected his own performances.