Keith Alexander (footballer) facts for kids
Alexander in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Keith Alexander | ||
| Date of birth | 14 November 1956 | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Date of death | 3 March 2010 (aged 53) | ||
| Place of death | Lincoln, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1974 | Notts County | 0 | (0) |
| 1975 | Wisbech Town | ||
| 1975–1976 | Arnold | ||
| 1976–1977 | Worksop Town | ||
| 1977 | Clifton All Whites | ||
| 1977 | Attenborough | ||
| 1977–1978 | Ilkeston Town | 17 | (1) |
| 1978 | Kimberley Town | ||
| 1978–1979 | Alfreton Town | 7 | (0) |
| 1979–1980 | Stamford | 51 | (13) |
| 1980–1981 | Boston United | 7 | (0) |
| 1981 | King's Lynn | 12 | (3) |
| 1981–1982 | Stamford | 43 | (11) |
| 1982 | Corby Town | 2 | (1) |
| 1982–1983 | Spalding United | 37 | (18) |
| 1983 | Boston Town | 0 | (0) |
| 1983 | Grantham Town | 2 | (0) |
| 1983–1984 | King's Lynn | 12 | (1) |
| 1984–1986 | Kettering Town | 74 | (11) |
| 1986 | → Wisbech Town (loan) | 6 | (4) |
| 1986–1988 | Barnet | 72 | (22) |
| 1988–1990 | Grimsby Town | 83 | (26) |
| 1990 | Stockport County | 11 | (0) |
| 1990–1994 | Lincoln City | 45 | (4) |
| 1994–1996 | Mansfield Town | 3 | (0) |
| 1995 | → Cliftonville (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 1996 | Ilkeston Town | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 415 | (115) | |
| National team | |||
| 1990 | Saint Lucia | 3 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1993–1994 | Lincoln City | ||
| 1996–2000 | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 2000–2001 | Northwich Victoria | ||
| 2002–2006 | Lincoln City | ||
| 2006–2007 | Peterborough United | ||
| 2008–2010 | Macclesfield Town | ||
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Keith Alexander (born 14 November 1956 – died 3 March 2010) was a famous football player and manager. He was born in Nottingham, England. At the time of his death, he was managing Macclesfield Town.
Keith played for many lower league football teams. He also played internationally for Saint Lucia. His biggest successes came from managing football teams. He led Lincoln City to the play-offs four times in a row. He even took them to two finals at the Millennium Stadium. Keith Alexander was a pioneer in English football. He was the first black qualified referee in England.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Non-League Football
Keith Alexander started his football journey in non-league teams. He joined Arnold when he was 19 years old. In 1977, he played for Ilkeston Town. He played 17 games and scored one goal for them.
In 1979, Keith joined Stamford. He scored the first goal in their 2–0 win in the FA Vase final in 1980. This helped Stamford win three trophies that season. After leaving Stamford, he played for Boston United and King's Lynn. He then returned to Stamford for another successful season. In total, he played 94 games for Stamford and scored 24 goals.
He had short spells at Corby Town and Spalding United. At Spalding, he scored 18 goals in one season. Keith also played briefly for Boston Town, Grantham Town, and King's Lynn in 1983.
Moving to Kettering and Barnet
Just before the 1983–84 season, Keith joined Kettering Town. He played 74 games and scored 11 goals over two seasons. During this time, he had a successful loan spell at Wisbech Town. He even scored three goals in his first game for Wisbech.
In 1986, Keith signed with Barnet. They were playing in the Football Conference at the time. He scored 22 goals in 72 games for Barnet. The team came very close to getting promoted during his time there.
Playing in the Football League
After many years in non-league football, Keith Alexander moved to the Football League. He joined Grimsby Town in 1988 for £11,500. He scored 14 league goals in his first season. This included a goal against FA Cup holders Wimbledon.
The next season, Keith scored 12 more goals. He scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Southend United. This win helped Grimsby get promoted. After Grimsby, he played for Stockport County. Then he joined Lincoln City in 1992.
After a short time as Lincoln City manager, he played for Mansfield Town. He also went on loan to Cliftonville in Northern Ireland. He scored on his debut for Cliftonville. He also scored twice against Linfield in a cup game.
Keith returned to Mansfield and played one more game in 1996. He broke his leg during that game, which ended his playing career.
Playing Achievements
Keith Alexander won the FA Vase in 1980 with Stamford. He scored one of the goals in their 2–0 win at Wembley. While playing for Grimsby Town, he also played international football. He earned three caps for St. Lucia in 1990. Keith also became Mansfield Town's oldest goal scorer. He scored twice at age 37.
Management Career
First Time at Lincoln City
As his playing career was ending, Keith Alexander became a youth team coach for Lincoln City. He helped develop young talents like Darren Huckerby. In 1993, he became the caretaker manager for Lincoln City. He then officially became the manager in the summer of 1993. This made him the first black manager to be permanently appointed in the Football League. He managed for one season before leaving.
Managing Lower League Teams
For almost ten years, Keith managed two semi-professional teams. He managed Ilkeston Town from 1996 to 2000. During his time there, Ilkeston reached their highest league position ever. They also had good runs in the FA Cup, beating league teams like Boston United. Many believe he was Ilkeston Town's most successful manager.
He then took charge of Northwich Victoria in 2000. The team was in the relegation zone, but Keith helped them avoid relegation. He kept them in the top non-league division. They also had a good FA Cup run that season.
Return to Lincoln City
In 2001, Keith Alexander returned to Sincil Bank, Lincoln City's stadium. He became the Director of Coaching. He was also the Assistant Manager to Alan Buckley. When Lincoln faced financial problems in 2002, Keith was put in charge of the team.
The 2002–03 Season
In May 2002, Lincoln City had serious financial issues. Many senior players left the club. Keith Alexander became the official team manager. He had to build a new team with a very small budget. He brought in new players from outside the Football League.
Keith led the team to a great season. They finished in the play-off spots. This gave them a chance to be promoted to the Second Division. However, Lincoln lost to AFC Bournemouth in the play-off final. The score was 5–2. Keith was highly praised for his work. He took a struggling club and led them to the play-offs. Fans nicknamed him 'Alexander The Great'.
Later Seasons at Lincoln City
The 2003–04 season started slowly. In November 2003, Keith suffered a serious health issue. He had a brain aneurysm. He was rushed to the hospital for life-saving surgery. His assistant, Gary Simpson, took over as caretaker manager. Keith slowly recovered and returned to work in February 2004.
Despite the difficult start, Lincoln's season improved. They again finished in the play-off places. But they lost to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals.
In the next season, Lincoln again reached the play-offs. They played Southend United in the final at the Millennium Stadium. The game was 0–0 after normal time. Southend scored twice in extra time to win.
Keith signed a new three-year contract in May 2005. However, Lincoln lost in the play-offs again at the end of the 2005–06 season. This time they lost to local rivals Grimsby Town. This made Keith the only manager to lead a team to four play-off defeats in a row. Soon after this loss, Keith left Lincoln City.
Peterborough United Manager
On 30 May 2006, Keith Alexander became the new manager of Peterborough United. He signed a four-year contract. His time at Peterborough started well. They won their first game 4–1. They also knocked out a higher-division team, Ipswich Town, in the League Cup.
However, after six straight league defeats, his contract was ended in January 2007. During his time at Peterborough, Keith signed several talented players from non-league football. These players, like George Boyd, became very successful.
Director of Football at Bury
Keith Alexander was appointed as Bury's new director of football on 9 May 2007. He left the club in January 2008.
Managing Macclesfield Town
Keith Alexander became the manager of Macclesfield Town on 27 February 2008. He joined when the team was close to the relegation zone. His first game was a 1–1 draw. He soon got his first win, a 1–0 victory. A good run of four wins and three draws helped the club move away from the relegation zone. In April 2008, he signed a new two-year contract. He signed another two-year contract extension in January 2010.
Charitable Work
Keith Alexander was involved in helping many charities. In Saint Lucia, the country he played for, he started the Sacred Sports Foundation. This foundation helps create more sports opportunities for children in St Lucia.
Death and Tributes
Keith Alexander had suffered a brain aneurysm in 2003. In March 2009, he felt unwell before a match and went to the hospital. He was later given a clean bill of health.
On 2 March 2010, Keith felt unwell after a game. He collapsed and was taken to Lincoln Hospital. He sadly died shortly after, at the age of 53. He was due to manage his 100th game for Macclesfield Town the following weekend.
Many people from all over the country paid tribute to Keith after his death. The chairman of Macclesfield Town spoke emotionally about him. Lincoln City opened their stadium for fans to pay their respects. Grimsby Town also opened their stadium for fans to leave flowers.
Burnley manager Brian Laws said Keith "broke the mould" for black managers. Paul Ince, a friend of Keith, said he was "a figure that all managers should aspire to". Cliftonville in Northern Ireland also paid their respects.
Macclesfield Town's first game after Keith's death was against Hereford United. The Macclesfield players wore special shirts with "Rest in Peace Gaffer" on the back. Macclesfield won the game 2–0. After scoring, the players pointed to the sky to remember Keith. Fans chanted "Keith Alexander, his spirit lives on".
Macclesfield held a 'Keith Alexander Day' on 13 March. This was their first home game since his death. Tributes were made by representatives from the six clubs Keith had managed. Fifty-three doves were released. Macclesfield won that game 2–0 as well.
The England national team and the England under-21s wore black armbands. Many clubs across the country also held a minute's applause or silence.
On 15 March 2010, Keith Alexander's funeral took place at Lincoln Cathedral. Thousands of people attended. A benefit match for Keith Alexander was held on 3 May 2010. Famous players like Paul Merson took part. In October 2010, Keith received a lifetime achievement award at Wembley. This award recognized his influence in British football. His son, Matt, said Keith would have been proud to see how much people valued his hard work.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Country | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Lincoln City |  England |
1 August 1993 | 16 May 1994 | 48 | 13 | 22 | 13 | 27.08 |
| Lincoln City | England |
5 May 2002 | 24 May 2006 | 213 | 81 | 63 | 69 | 38.03 |
| Peterborough United | England |
30 May 2006 | 15 January 2007 | 34 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 41.18 |
| Macclesfield Town | England |
27 February 2008 | 3 March 2010 | 99 | 27 | 46 | 26 | 27.27 |
| Total | 394 | 135 | 144 | 115 | 34.26 | |||
Honours
Individual
- League Two Manager of the Month: February 2006
