Alan Buckley facts for kids

Alan Peter Buckley was born on April 20, 1951. He is a former English professional football player and manager. Today, he works as a sports co-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 career, he became a manager.

He managed several clubs, including Walsall and West Bromwich Albion. He is most famous for his three times as manager of Grimsby Town. Many people consider him the most successful manager in Grimsby Town's history. Alan Buckley is one of only 14 managers to have managed a league club for 1,000 matches.

Playing Career Highlights

Buckley started his football journey with Nottingham Forest. In 1973, he moved to Walsall. There, he became a player who scored many goals.

In October 1978, he briefly played for Birmingham City. He then returned to Walsall in June 1979. He was Walsall's most expensive player at that time. He also began his managing career at Walsall, first as a player-manager.

Memorable Matches as a Player

Alan Buckley had some exciting moments while playing for Walsall. In January 1975, he scored a goal against Manchester United in an FA Cup match. This was a big upset for the famous Manchester United team.

Walsall's League Cup Journey

As a manager, Buckley led his Walsall team to some impressive wins. They beat teams like Arsenal. They also had a thrilling draw at Anfield against Liverpool in the League Cup. This amazing run took them all the way to the semi-finals. They were just "90 Minutes From Europe," meaning they were very close to playing in a European competition.

Walsall fans still think highly of Alan Buckley. He helped them get promoted in his first season as manager. In 1984, his team played against European champions Liverpool in a League Cup semi-final. They drew 2-2 at Anfield. Even though Liverpool won the second match, their manager said Walsall "outplayed us" at times.

Management Career Journey

After leaving Walsall in 1986, Buckley played a few games for Tamworth. He then moved into full-time management.

Success at Grimsby Town

After managing Kettering Town, Alan Buckley joined Grimsby Town. He led them to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1990. A year later, they reached the Second Division. His Grimsby teams were known for playing attractive football with lots of passing.

In 1994, he left Grimsby to manage West Bromwich Albion. He stayed there for two and a half years.

Return to Grimsby and Wembley Visits

Buckley returned to Grimsby in 1997 for his second time as manager. Grimsby had just been relegated, but he quickly led them back to Division One. This included two trips to Wembley in 1998 for cup finals.

He managed Grimsby for two more seasons. After a few short spells at other clubs like Lincoln City and Rochdale, he came back to Grimsby for a third time in November 2006.

Third Spell and Later Roles

In his third time at Grimsby, the team avoided relegation. In 2007–08, Grimsby reached the Football League Trophy final at the new Wembley. However, they lost 2–0 to MK Dons. He left Grimsby in September 2008.

Overall, in his three times as Grimsby Town manager, the club was never relegated. He also helped them get promoted three times. He is one of only 14 managers to have managed 1,000 Football League matches. In June 2012, Buckley returned to Grimsby again, this time to coach the U17 team.

Family in Football

Alan Buckley's family has a strong connection to football. His younger brother, Steve, played many games for Derby County and Luton Town.

His eldest son, Simon, was part of West Bromwich Albion and Grimsby Town teams. His other son, Adam, played nearly 50 Football League games for Grimsby Town and Lincoln City. Alan's grandson, Brandon, has also played for Grimsby Town.

Media Work

Since leaving his management role at Grimsby in 2008, Alan Buckley has become a familiar voice on the radio. 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 coaching the club's U17 team.

Achievements and Awards

Alan Buckley has won several awards and honours throughout his career as both a player and a manager.

As a Player

Walsall

• Football League Fourth Division runner-up: 1979–80 (This means his team finished second and got promoted.)

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 (His team won a special mini-tournament to get promoted.)
• Football League Fourth Division second-place promotion: 1989–90
• Football League Trophy: 1997–98 (His team won this cup competition); runner-up: 2007–08 (His team reached the final but lost.)

Managerial Statistics

Here are Alan Buckley's managing records for different teams.