Alan Buckley facts for kids

Alan Peter Buckley (born 20 April 1951) is a famous English former football player and manager. He now works as a sports commentator for BBC Humberside.

As a player, he was a forward from 1967 to 1987. He played for teams like Nottingham Forest, Walsall, and Birmingham City. After his playing days, he became a manager. He led teams such as Walsall, Kettering Town, and West Bromwich Albion.

Alan Buckley is especially known for his three times as manager of Grimsby Town. He managed them between 1988 and 2008. His success there made him the club's most successful manager ever. He is also one of only 14 managers to have managed a league club for 1,000 matches.

Playing Career Highlights

Alan Buckley started his football journey with Nottingham Forest. In 1973, he moved to Walsall. There, he became a top goal scorer. He briefly played for Birmingham City in 1978.

He returned to Walsall in 1979. He began his managing career there as a player-manager. He even shared the manager role with Neil Martin for a short time. During this period, Walsall played exciting football. They slowly became a team that could challenge for promotions.

Buckley was highly respected during his time in the Black Country. As a player, he scored against Manchester United in an FA Cup match in 1975. As a manager, he led Walsall to wins against big teams like Arsenal. They even drew at Anfield against Liverpool in a League Cup run. This run took them to the semi-finals, just one step away from playing in Europe.

He left Walsall in 1986. After that, he played a few games for Tamworth in 1986.

Alan Buckley's Management Journey

After playing, Alan Buckley became a manager. He had a short time with Kettering Town, a non-league team. Then, he joined Grimsby Town. He helped Grimsby get promoted from the Fourth Division in 1990. A year later, they reached the Second Division. They stayed in this division for most of the next 12 seasons.

His Grimsby teams were known for their attractive passing style. They often challenged for promotion play-offs. Buckley left Grimsby in 1994 to manage West Bromwich Albion. He stayed there for two and a half years.

A few months after leaving West Brom, Buckley returned to Grimsby in 1997. Grimsby had just been relegated. But he quickly led them back to Division One. They even made two trips to Wembley in 1998. He managed Grimsby for two more full seasons.

After Grimsby, he had short spells with other teams. He joined Lincoln City in 2001. He left in 2002 due to money reasons at the club. Then, he took charge of Rochdale in 2003. He left Rochdale later that year.

On 9 November 2006, Alan Buckley became Grimsby's manager for the third time. In his first season back, the team finished in the middle of the table. This was a good result as they had been close to relegation. In 2007–08, Grimsby had a good run in the Football League Trophy. This led them to the new Wembley in 2008. However, Grimsby lost the final 0–2 to MK Dons. Their league form suffered after this. Buckley was dismissed again in September 2008.

During his three times as Grimsby Town manager, which lasted over 10 years, the club was never relegated. He also guided them to three promotions. Alan Buckley is one of only 14 managers to have reached 1,000 matches in charge of a Football League team.

In 2012, Buckley returned to Grimsby for a fourth time. He joined the coaching staff as the manager for the U17s team.

Family and Football

Alan Buckley's younger brother, Steve, was also a footballer. Steve played over 300 games for Derby County. He also played more than 100 games for Luton Town.

Alan's oldest son, Simon, was part of West Bromwich Albion and Grimsby Town. He later played for non-league teams. His other son, Adam, played almost 50 games in the Football League. He played for both Grimsby Town and Lincoln City. After that, he played for several semi-professional clubs.

Buckley's grandson, Brandon, has also played for Grimsby Town. This shows a strong family connection to football!

Working in Media

Since leaving management at Grimsby in 2008, Alan Buckley has stayed in the area. He often works as a co-commentator and guest expert for BBC Radio Humberside. He talks about Grimsby Town games. He has continued this role while also managing the club's U17 side.

Awards and Achievements

As a player

Walsall

• Football League Fourth Division runner-up: 1979–80

As a manager

Kettering Town

• GMAC Cup: 1987

Grimsby Town

• Football League Third Division third-place promotion: 1990–91
• Football League Second Division play-offs: 1998
• Football League Fourth Division second-place promotion: 1989–90
• Football League Trophy: 1997–98; runner-up: 2007–08

Managerial Statistics

Here's a summary of Alan Buckley's managing record: