Jim Gannon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jim Gannon

Gannon celebrating winning the National League North as Stockport County manager in (April 2019)
Personal information
Full name	James Paul Gannon
Date of birth	(1968-09-07) 7 September 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth	Southwark, London, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Centre-half; various
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1987–1989	Dundalk	17	(1)
1989–1990	Sheffield United	0	(0)
1990	→ Halifax Town (loan)	2	(0)
1990–2000	Stockport County	383	(52)
1994	→ Notts County (loan)	2	(0)
2000–2001	Crewe Alexandra	7	(0)
2001–2004	Shelbourne	48	(3)
Total		459	(56)
Teams managed
2004–2005	Dundalk
2005–2009	Stockport County
–	Motherwell
2010	Peterborough United
2011	Port Vale
2011–2013	Stockport County
2013–2016	Northwich Victoria
2016–2021	Stockport County
2021–2022	Hyde United
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

James Paul Gannon (born 7 September 1968) is a football manager and former player from England. He started and ended his playing career in Ireland. However, he played most of his professional games for Stockport County in the English Football League. Fans of Stockport County even voted him into their Hall of Fame!

Gannon began playing for Dundalk in Ireland. In 1989, he moved to the English club Sheffield United. The next year, he joined Stockport County after a short loan at Halifax Town. He stayed at Stockport for ten years, becoming a very important player. He helped the club finish second in two different leagues and reach two Football League Trophy finals. After leaving Stockport in 2000, he played for Crewe Alexandra. Then he went back to Ireland to play for Shelbourne, where he won two League of Ireland Premier Division titles.

After his playing days, Gannon became a manager. His first managing job was at Dundalk in 2004. A year later, he returned to Stockport County as their manager. He led Stockport to get promoted from League Two in 2008. Even when the club faced money problems and lost points, he kept them safe in League One. He then managed Motherwell in Scotland and even led them in the Europa League. After that, he had short spells managing Peterborough United and Port Vale. He returned to Stockport County for a second time in 2011, but his time there ended in 2013. He then managed Northwich Victoria for over two years. In 2016, he came back to Stockport County for a third time. He helped them win the National League North title in 2019, getting them promoted again. He left Stockport in 2021 and later had a brief time managing Hyde United.

Early Life and Football Start

Gannon was born in Southwark, South London. When he was young, his family moved to Ireland. He sees himself as a 'working class Irish Catholic'.

Playing Career Highlights

In 1987, Jim Gannon started his higher-level football career with the Irish club Dundalk. While playing there, he got to play in big European competitions like the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. It was a very successful time for Dundalk. During his time, the club won the "Irish double" in 1987–88, which means they won both the FAI Cup and the League of Ireland Premier Division.

His great performances for Dundalk led to him moving to Sheffield United in England in 1989. However, he didn't play much for their main team. In 1989–90, he had a short loan spell at Halifax Town, where he played two games.

Time at Stockport County

In 1990, Gannon joined Stockport County. He stayed there for ten years. During this time, the club got promoted twice and played at Wembley four times in cup finals.

In 1993, Gannon had a disagreement with Stoke City player Mark Stein. This led to a physical reaction from Stein. Gannon made a complaint to the police, and Stein later had to appear in court.

When Gannon first joined Stockport, some fans didn't like his performances. But he soon won them over. He moved from playing as a defender to a goal-scoring midfielder. Stockport fans called him 'The Ghost' because he was good at appearing in the penalty box to score goals. They also nicknamed him 'Big Jimbo'.

In the 1990–91 season, Stockport County got promoted from the Fourth Division. In 1992, Gannon played at Wembley for the first time in the Football League Trophy final, but Stockport lost. In the same season, they also reached the Third Division play-off final at Wembley but were defeated. The next year, County reached the Football League Trophy final again but lost.

In 1994, Gannon had a short loan spell at Notts County. He then returned to Stockport and made his fourth trip to Wembley in two years. Stockport lost a play-off final, missing out on promotion from the Second Division. The team finally got promoted from that division in 1996–97. This promotion was thanks to a strong defence, with Gannon being a key part of it. The next season, County finished eighth in the First Division.

In March 2000, Gannon got a serious knee injury during a game. He left Stockport County in November 2000.

Later Playing Career

After leaving Stockport, Gannon joined Crewe Alexandra for a short time. He then took a break from football to study accounting.

In August 2001, Gannon signed with Shelbourne in Ireland. He was made captain when he arrived. He helped Shelbourne win the League Championship in 2001–02 and again in 2003. He also played in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, scoring a goal in a game.

Jim Gannon has a special record: he has scored goals in all four English football divisions, plus various cup competitions like the FA Cup and League Cup, and also in Irish leagues and the UEFA Champions League. Stockport fans have given him two big honors: he was voted into the Stockport Hall of Fame and made an Honorary Vice President of their Supporters Club. He played 479 games for Stockport, which is the third most in the club's history. He also scored 65 goals for them, putting him ninth on their all-time scoring list.

Managerial Career

Dundalk Management

In June 2004, Gannon became a manager for the first time, taking charge of Dundalk. This was the first club he played for professionally. The team finished sixth in the League of Ireland First Division in 2004. In November 2005, Gannon left Dundalk.

Stockport County Management: First Spell

Starting as Manager

In November 2005, Gannon started working for Stockport County's youth academy. After the manager resigned in December 2005, Gannon became the temporary manager. The team was at the very bottom of League Two and might have been relegated from the Football League.

Stockport didn't lose any of Gannon's first four league games. Because of these good results, Gannon was offered the manager job full-time. He helped County avoid relegation on the very last day of the season. Fans loved him because he was a loyal Stockport fan and a club legend from his playing days. He signed a one-year contract.

Building the Team

In the 2006–07 season, Gannon and Stockport announced a five-year plan to help the club reach the Championship. The team played well, winning nine games in a row without letting in any goals. Gannon sometimes had disagreements with football officials about how games were handled. He also felt that bigger clubs were unfairly trying to sign young players from Stockport's development teams.

Gannon started working closely with Alan Lord, who ran a football development school. A player named Anthony Pilkington came from Lord's school and started playing for Stockport's first team. Later, Lord joined County as a scout and coach.

County just missed out on the League Two play-offs at the end of the season, even though they won their last game 5–0.

Promotion Success

Gannon as Stockport County manager in April 2008.

The 2007–08 season started with a friendly game to remember Danny Bergara, the manager who brought Gannon to County as a player.

In February, Gannon had to leave his sick father in Ireland to lead his team to a 4–1 victory. Later that year, Gannon publicly criticized another team for what he felt was poor sportsmanship.

County finished fourth in the league in 2007–08. They then won their play-off semi-final. Gannon had played at Wembley four times as a player, but never won there. As a manager, he finally led Stockport to victory at Wembley! They won 3–2 against Rochdale, which meant Stockport was promoted to League One. Gannon quickly took Stockport from the bottom of League Two to League One with a small budget. This made him one of the most respected young managers in the lower leagues.

Challenges and Departure

After their promotion, Gannon led County to a strong start in the 2008–09 season. They were in the play-off spots by Christmas. However, the new year brought challenges. There were rumors that Gannon might leave, and the club announced they were having money problems. Gannon stayed with the club.

He had a public disagreement with the team captain, Gareth Owen, who later left the club. Gannon also faced other issues, including a strong tackle that injured a Stockport player.

In February 2009, Stockport allowed Gannon to talk to Brighton & Hove Albion about their manager job. Gannon decided not to take the job and chose to stay at Stockport.

In the final weeks of the season, County faced serious financial problems and lost 10 points. This put them very close to the relegation zone. In May 2009, Gannon's time as manager at Stockport ended as part of the club's efforts to save money.

Motherwell Management

In June 2009, Gannon became the manager of Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League. He took over just two days before the club's Europa League qualifying game. He had a small team and had to use young players. He also brought in his assistant manager, Peter Ward.

Motherwell's chairman, John Boyle, said Gannon had "a very very good tactical sense" and was "a great motivator of players." Gannon hoped to bring in new players to strengthen the team.

In his first Europa League game, Motherwell lost 1–0. But in the second game, they won 3–0 to move to the next round. They then won another game 8–2 on total score. Motherwell was eventually knocked out by a Romanian team. Gannon was even sent off during one of the Europa League matches. His first league win was a 3–1 victory.

Gannon was named Manager of the Month for October 2009. His young team played well but were sometimes inconsistent. He had disagreements with Scottish football officials about refereeing standards. He also had a public disagreement with his team captain.

In December 2009, Gannon left Motherwell. The club said he was "not fully committed." He had been working under a temporary contract and hadn't signed a longer deal. Even though the team's results were good, the relationship between Gannon and the club's directors had broken down.

Peterborough United Management

In February 2010, Gannon became the manager of Peterborough United. The team was at the bottom of the Championship league. He wanted to bring back pride to the club and give players a fresh start. He won his first game in charge 1–0.

Gannon used unique team formations, which some people compared to other famous managers. He was good at using loan players to bring in new talent. In March, it was announced that Gannon would leave Peterborough at the end of the season. He couldn't save the team from relegation, but he said he needed to leave due to family reasons.

Port Vale Management

In January 2011, Gannon became the manager of Port Vale. He signed a contract until summer 2012. He said that not finishing in the top seven would be a failure. He brought in several players on loan.

Gannon lost four of his first five games. He faced criticism for his team choices. He also had disagreements with his assistant manager. These issues were reported in the media.

Results continued to be difficult for Port Vale. In March, they lost 3–0 and dropped out of the play-off zone. A player even said he didn't like the manager. Two days later, Gannon's time as manager ended. He was not popular with fans and had the shortest time as manager in the club's history. However, he was given credit for seeing the talent in a young player named Sam Morsy and for bringing Tom Pope to the club.

Return to Stockport County: Second Spell

In November 2011, Gannon returned to Stockport County as the club's director of football and manager. Since Gannon had left in 2009, the club had gone through five managers and been relegated to the Conference National. They hadn't won two games in a row since 2009. When he took over, Stockport was close to the relegation zone. His goal was to stop the club from being relegated for a third time in a row.

Gannon lost his first five games, including a big 7–0 defeat. He said that the club's money problems made it hard to change players. He released some players and signed others on loan. His first win in his second spell came on New Year's Day 2012. Stockport managed to stay in the Conference league with two games left in the season. They finished 16th, safe from relegation.

For the 2012–13 season, Gannon signed new defenders and brought back some former players on loan. However, he was disappointed to lose a striker who left for another club. He also appointed Alan Lord as his assistant. But County struggled in the league, and Gannon blamed the club's board for cutting the team's budget. In January 2013, Gannon's time as Stockport manager ended again.

Northwich Victoria Management

In December 2013, Gannon became the new manager of Northwich Victoria. The team finished ninth in the 2013–14 season. They reached the play-offs in 2014–15 but lost in the semi-final. He led the club on a good run in the FA Cup in 2015–16. They were the lowest-ranked team left in the competition when they were knocked out by a League Two side.

Third Spell at Stockport County

Gannon became manager of Stockport County for the third time in January 2016. The club was now in the National League North. Gannon started well, leading the team to the Cheshire Senior Cup final and up to ninth place in the league. In December, he signed a new contract. County finished eighth in the 2016–17 season, just missing the play-offs. Gannon was praised for helping a player named Danny Lloyd improve his career.

Stockport reached the second round of the FA Cup in 2018–19. Gannon was named Manager of the Month in the National League North for December 2018. His team moved from the bottom half of the table to the top three. They went on to win the league championship, ending their six-year stay in the sixth-tier of English football. He was named National League North Manager of the Year for 2018–19.

The 2019–20 season was stopped early due to a global event. Stockport was in seventh place but missed out on a play-off spot based on points per game. In January 2021, Gannon left Stockport County. The club said the decision was "not results based but is centred around culture." In July 2021, he started working for Oldham Athletic as a Football Education Programme Manager.

Hyde United Management

In August 2021, Gannon was announced as the new manager of Hyde United. He said he wanted to "embrace the philosophy that is already here and the way they play and develop it." In February 2022, Gannon left Hyde United.

Managerial Style

Jim Gannon is one of the few managers in the lower football leagues who holds a full UEFA Pro Licence.

He believes in playing attractive, passing football. He has often spoken out against teams that play too physically and referees who he feels don't protect his players enough. His teams have won fair play awards. He believes that good principles lead to good football.

"My philosophy is good passing football, it is how I believe the game should be played and it brings out the best in players. It inspires them and motivates them to play football in the right manner."

Gannon has also been called a 'tactical maverick' because he uses unusual team formations. These formations include 3–4–1–2, 4–3–2–1, 4–1–2–3, and his favorite 4–2–3–1. He likes formations with four lines of players because they offer more depth in defence and presence in midfield. He was inspired by other famous managers. He is known for being very thorough and careful when preparing his players for games.

Gannon is known for speaking his mind. He has had public disagreements with players, referees, club chairmen, opposing players and managers, and football authorities. Some people have said that with Gannon, "it is His Way or the Highway."

Career Statistics

Playing Statistics

Source:

A.  The "Other" column includes games and goals in the Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs and Full Members Cup.

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Dundalk

• League of Ireland Premier Division: 1987–88
• FAI Cup: 1987–88

Stockport County

• Football League Second Division second place (promoted): 1996–97
• Football League Fourth Division second place (promoted): 1990–91
• Football League Trophy runner-up: 1991–92, 1992–93

Shelbourne

• League of Ireland Premier Division: 2001–02, 2003

As a Manager

Stockport County

• League Two play-offs: 2008
• National League North: 2018–19
• Cheshire Senior Cup: 2015–16

Northwich Victoria

• Cheshire Senior Cup: 2013–14

Individual Awards

• Scottish Premier League Manager of the Month: October 2009
• National League North Manager of the Year: 2018–19
• National League North Manager of the Month: December 2016, December 2018

Images for kids

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  Gannon celebrating winning the National League North as Stockport County manager in (April 2019)

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  Gannon as Stockport County manager in April 2008.

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  Gannon as Stockport County manager in 2012