View source for Steve Wigley

{{Short description|English football player and coach (born 1961)}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2010}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Steve Wigley
| image = 
| full_name = Steven Wigley<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|21047|accessdate=2 June 2018}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|10|15|df=y}}<ref name=Hugman/>
| birth_place = [[Ashton-under-Lyne]],<ref name=Hugman/> England
| death_date =
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/58 58] |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/58 }}</ref>
| position = [[Midfielder#Winger|Winger]]
| currentclub = [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham U23]] (manager)
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [[Curzon Ashton F.C.|Curzon Ashton]]
| years1 = 1981–1985 | clubs1 = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] | caps1 = 82  | goals1 = 2
| years2 = 1985–1987 | clubs2 = [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]   | caps2 = 28  | goals2 = 1
| years3 = 1987–1989 | clubs3 = [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]]     | caps3 = 87  | goals3 = 4
| years4 = 1989–1993 | clubs4 = [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]]               | caps4 = 120 | goals4 = 12
| years5 = 1993–1994 | clubs5 = [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]]             | caps5 = 23  | goals5 = 1
| years6 = 1994–1995 | clubs6 = [[Bognor Regis Town F.C.|Bognor Regis Town]] | caps6 =     | goals6 = 
| manageryears1 = 1995–1997 | managerclubs1 = [[Aldershot Town F.C.|Aldershot Town]] 
| manageryears2 = 2004      | managerclubs2 = [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] (caretaker) 
| manageryears3 = 2004      | managerclubs3 = [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] 
| manageryears4 = 2005–2007 | managerclubs4= [[Manchester City F.C. EDS and Academy|Manchester City Reservers]]
| manageryears5 = 2009–2010 | managerclubs5 = [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] (caretaker)
| manageryears6 = 2012–2014 | managerclubs6 = [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham U18]]
| manageryears7 = 2015–2021 | managerclubs7 = [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham U18]]
| manageryears8 = 2021–     | managerclubs8 = [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham U23]]
}}

'''Steven Wigley''' (born 15 October 1961) is an English [[association football|football]] [[coach (sports)|coach]] and former player for [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]], [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]], [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]], [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] and [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]]. He made 340 appearances in [[the Football League]]. He is the former manager of [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] and the former assistant manager of [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]. He is the manager of [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham U23s]].

==Playing career==
{{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
Born in [[Ashton-under-Lyne]], Wigley earned a reputation as a tricky winger for home-town club [[Curzon Ashton F.C.|Curzon Ashton]], jinking his way through defences and dazzling crowds with his skilful ball displays. It was this that attracted [[Brian Clough]] who promptly signed him for [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]. After making his debut as a 21-year-old, Wigley played 82 times for Forest before moving to [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] in 1985. Unfortunately, he never found success in [[Sheffield]] and moved to [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] soon after, when a spectacular display against [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] persuaded that club's manager, [[Alan Ball (footballer)|Alan Ball]], to sign him. After spending four years of mixed fortunes on the South Coast, helping Portsmouth to the 1992 FA Cup semi final where they lost on a penalty shootout to Liverpool, Wigley moved to Exeter to finish his Football League playing career and then having a brief spell with non-league [[Bognor Regis Town]] before taking on his first managerial job at [[Aldershot Town F.C.|Aldershot Town]].

==Coaching and managerial career==

===Aldershot Town===
Wigley was appointed as manager of [[Aldershot Town F.C.|Aldershot Town]] after the departure of [[Steve Wignall]]. The Shots were by this time in the [[Isthmian League]] first division but failed to achieve promotion under Wigley's leadership, finishing 4th, 5th and finally 7th in his three-year period with the club. Wigley is one of only two Aldershot Town managers not to have achieved promotion during his spell in charge of the Club.

===Nottingham Forest===
After three years at Aldershot, Academy Director [[Paul Hart]] persuaded him to return to Nottingham Forest as assistant academy director. In his time at Forest, Wigley moved up the ranks to become first team coach before short-lived Saints boss [[Stuart Gray (footballer, born 1960)|Stuart Gray]] lured him to [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] as [[Southampton F.C. Academy|academy]] director in the summer of 2001. At the same time, [[David Platt (footballer)|David Platt]], [[England under 21 football team|England Under 21]] manager, asked Wigley to help out with coaching the young internationals.

===Southampton===
During [[Gordon Strachan]]'s reign at Southampton, Wigley moved to focus more on the first team than the academy players. When Strachan left the club in 2004, Wigley was asked to step in as caretaker. Wigley clearly felt ill at ease in charge of the Saints so after two games in charge, [[Paul Sturrock]] was brought in from [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]. During the rumoured player disputes with Sturrock, Wigley stepped in as an intermediary and helped solve differences at the club.

When Sturrock left the club in August 2004 only two games into the new season, chairman [[Rupert Lowe]] confirmed that Wigley had been appointed full-time manager and not just caretaker. Opponents of Wigley claimed that, with only three years in charge of Aldershot, a non-league club, he was not yet ready for [[Premier League]] management. However, some fans were happy with the appointment as it meant that [[Glenn Hoddle]], widely reviled by many Saints fans could not return.

Wigley's first tenure in the Premiership ended prematurely: he was dismissed by Southampton on 8 December after just 14 matches, the only win coming in the local derby against arch-rivals and former club Portsmouth. Wigley resumed duties with the club's young players but finally left the club later in the season.

===Manchester City===
After leaving Southampton, Wigley joined up with former Nottingham Forest teammate [[Stuart Pearce]] at [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] as assistant manager/first team coach. During his first season at City, he guided City's reserve team to third place in the Premiership North Reserve League. Wigley left City after Pearce was sacked in May 2007.

===England Under-21===
Wigley teamed up with Pearce again, this time as [[England under-21 national football team|England Under-21]] coach, after Pearce was appointed to this role in 2007. In August 2007 [[the Football Association]] appointed Wigley as a national coach, assuming responsibility for the 17–21 age groups to help develop young players.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/NewsFromTheFA/Postings/2007/08/WigleyAppointed.htm |title=Wigley appointed |publisher=The Football Association |date=31 August 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220220145/http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/NewsFromTheFA/Postings/2007/08/WigleyAppointed.htm |archivedate=20 February 2008}}</ref> When Pearce was made caretaker manager of the [[England national football team|full England team]] in February 2012, Wigley accompanied him as his assistant.

===Bolton Wanderers===
On 8 July 2008, Wigley joined the [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] backroom staff as head coach following a decision by [[Gary Megson]] to restructure the club's coaching staff.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://world.bwfc.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~1340803,00.html |title=Wanderers appoint Wigley |publisher=Bolton Wanderers F.C. |date=8 July 2008 |accessdate=2 June 2018}}</ref> On 30 December 2009, he and [[Chris Evans (footballer)|Chris Evans]] were appointed joint caretaker managers of Bolton following Megson's sacking,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/8434719.stm |title=Bolton Wanderers sack manager Gary Megson |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 December 2009 |access-date=30 December 2009}}</ref> but he left the club a few days later after [[Owen Coyle]]'s appointment.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/bolton_wanderers/s/1188657_coyle_ready_to_spring |title=Coyle ready to spring |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=11 January 2010 |accessdate=12 January 2010}}</ref>

===Hull City===
On 17 March 2010, he was appointed as coach at [[Premier League]] club, [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]], under new manager, [[Iain Dowie]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/8571513.stm |title=Iain Dowie confirmed as new Hull City manager |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 March 2010 |access-date=18 March 2010}}</ref>

===Bristol City===
On 18 August 2010, Wigley became assistant manager to [[Keith Millen]] at [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]] on a one-year rolling contract. Millen stated: "Steve was the man I wanted. He was always the name at the front of the list."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://world.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~2125765,00.html |title=Steve Wigley appointed assistant |publisher=Bristol City F.C. |access-date=2 June 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821090710/http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~2125765,00.html |archive-date=21 August 2010}}</ref> Millen left the club in October 2011, and Wigley left a few weeks later by mutual consent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/15556908 |title=Coach Steve Wigley leaves Bristol City |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2 November 2011 |accessdate=2 June 2018}}</ref>

===Hull City===
On 18 November, Wigley rejoined Hull City as first-team coach.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/15795809 |title=Steve Wigley rejoins Hull City backroom staff |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 November 2011 |access-date=18 November 2011}}</ref> After [[Steve Bruce]] was appointed team manager on 8 June 2012, Wigley and fellow first team coach [[Stuart Watkiss]] left the club.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18426427 |title=Former first-team coach Steve Wigley leaves Hull City |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 June 2012 |access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref>

===Fulham===
Shortly afterwards, Wigley was appointed head of coaching and under-18 manager at the [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] Academy.<ref name=Fulham2018>{{cite web |url=http://www.fulhamfc.com/staff/steve-wigley |title=Steve Wigley: Head of Academy Coaching |publisher=Fulham F.C. |accessdate=2 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fulhamfc.com/the-teams/academy/academy-staff/steve-wigley |title=Steve Wigley: Head of Coaching & Under-18 Manager |publisher=Fulham F.C. |accessdate=16 November 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110174052/http://www.fulhamfc.com/the-teams/academy/academy-staff/steve-wigley |archivedate=10 November 2012}}</ref>

===Nottingham Forest===
Wigley left Fulham in May 2014 to again team up with Stuart Pearce as his assistant manager at Nottingham Forest.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27391419 |title=Steve Wigley set for Nottingham Forest move from Fulham |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 May 2014 |accessdate=2 June 2018}}</ref> After [[Dougie Freedman]] replaced Pearce as manager on 1 February 2015, Wigley and the remainder of the backroom staff left the following day.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31102706 |title=Tim Flowers, Steve Wigley & Brian Eastick depart Nottingham Forest |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2 February 2015 |access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref>

===Return to Fulham===
On 30 June 2015, Wigley rejoined Fulham as U18s manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/june/30/wigley-returns |title=Wigley returns |publisher=Fulham F.C. |date=30 June 2015 |accessdate=30 June 2015}}</ref> In 2021, he was promoted to manager of the U23s.<ref>[https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/why-steve-wigleys-promotion-is-a-serious-step-forward/ Why Steve Wigley's promotion is a serious step forward]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Soccerbase manager|1892}}
*{{NeilBrownPlayers|player1/stevewigley}}

{{Aldershot Town F.C. managers}}
{{Southampton F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wigley, Steve}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Ashton-under-Lyne]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Curzon Ashton F.C. players]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players]]
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Birmingham City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Portsmouth F.C. players]]
[[Category:Exeter City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bognor Regis Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Premier League managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Isthmian League managers]]
[[Category:Aldershot Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Southampton F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Southampton F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Manchester City F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Hull City A.F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Bristol City F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Fulham F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:England national football team non-playing staff]]