Mark Warburton facts for kids
Warburton in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 September 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1979 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1981–1985 | Enfield | 28 | (1) |
| 1985–1988 | Boreham Wood | 107 | (2) |
| Total | 135 | (3) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2011 | Brentford (assistant) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Brentford | ||
| 2015–2017 | Rangers | ||
| 2017 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| 2019–2022 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 2022–2023 | West Ham United (assistant) | ||
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Mark Warburton was born on September 6, 1962. He is an English football manager and a former player. Most recently, he was a first-team coach at Queens Park Rangers.
As a player, Mark Warburton was a right back. He played for non-League teams like Enfield and Boreham Wood. He started his coaching career at the academy of Watford. Later, he joined Brentford in 2011. There, he worked as a coach and a sporting director. In December 2013, he became their manager.
He led Brentford from League One to the Championship in the 2013–14 season. The next season, the club had its best finish in 80 years! From 2015 to 2017, he managed Rangers in Scotland. In his first season, he won the Scottish Championship title and the Scottish Challenge Cup. He then joined Nottingham Forest in March 2017 but left after nine months.
Contents
Mark Warburton's Playing Career
Mark Warburton grew up in London and went to The Latymer School. He played as a defender. He started his playing career as a young player at Leicester City. Later, he played for non-League teams like Enfield.
Warburton had a good four years at Enfield. He helped them win the 1981–82 FA Trophy and the 1982–83 Alliance Premier League title. He scored his only league goal for Enfield against Boston United in the 1982–83 season. After leaving Enfield in 1985, he played for Isthmian League team Boreham Wood. He also played in the United States. His playing career ended because of cruciate knee injuries.
Coaching Journey
Mark Warburton began coaching part-time at St. Clement Danes School. At the same time, he worked as a trader. He decided to leave his trading job in the early 2000s. He used his own money to travel around Europe. He watched coaching sessions at famous clubs like Sporting CP, Ajax, and Barcelona.
Coaching at Watford
Warburton was offered a full-time coaching job at Watford. He coached players from age 9 to 16. In 2006, he became the manager of the club's academy. He left Watford in February 2010. He later said he had some disagreements there.
Joining Brentford
In February 2011, Nicky Forster became the temporary manager of League One team Brentford. He asked Warburton to be his first-team coach. Warburton had worked with Brentford's owner, Matthew Benham, before. After a good start, Forster got the job permanently, and Warburton continued to help him.
Later, the manager Uwe Rösler left Brentford. On December 7, 2013, assistant manager Alan Kernaghan took charge for one game. Warburton was part of the coaching team for that match.
Coaching at West Ham United
On June 24, 2022, West Ham United hired Warburton as a first-team coach. He joined manager David Moyes' coaching staff. He left West Ham in June 2023. He wanted to find a more senior role in football.
Becoming a Manager
Leading Brentford
First Season: 2013–14
Mark Warburton became the new Brentford manager on December 10, 2013. He signed a deal until the end of the 2013–14 season. In his first official game on December 14, Brentford won 1–0 against Oldham Athletic.
Warburton wanted to make his own mark on the team. So, Alan Kernaghan and Peter Farrell left the club. David Weir was appointed as his assistant manager.
Brentford went to the top of League One after a 3–1 win on December 29. This meant Warburton was the first Brentford manager to win his first four games. This winning streak grew to six straight wins. Warburton won the League One Manager of the Month award for December 2013. He was nominated again for January 2014.
His first defeat as Brentford manager came on February 22. They lost 3–0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers. This ended a great run of 19 league games without a loss.
In March, Brentford won five games and drew two. This earned Warburton his third Manager of the Month nomination. On April 18, Brentford won 1–0 against Preston North End. This win meant Brentford was promoted to the Championship! They finished second behind Wolverhampton Wanderers. In his 27 games that season, Warburton won 17, drew 6, and lost 4. On June 26, he signed a new contract with Brentford.
The Championship Season: 2014–15
Warburton's first game as a Championship manager was on August 9, 2014. It was a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic. Brentford got their first league win of the season on August 19. They won 2–1 against Blackpool.
A 3–2 win on September 13 moved Brentford into the Championship playoff spots. This was the first time that season. In November, Warburton was named manager of the Football League Team of the Week. Brentford then had five straight wins. This was a club record for the second tier. They reached third place in the division by the end of November. This was the club's highest position since the 1952–53 season. Warburton won the Championship Manager of the Month award for November.
In February 2015, news came out that Warburton would leave Brentford. He, his assistant David Weir, and Sporting Director Frank McParland would leave at the end of the season. This was because of disagreements with the owner, Matthew Benham. The owner wanted to use more mathematical models for choosing players. Warburton believed the manager should have the final say.
Brentford's performance suffered after this news. But they managed to finish fifth in the table. This was their highest second-tier finish since the 1934–35 season. Brentford's season ended with a loss to Middlesbrough in the playoff semi-finals. Warburton used only 24 players that season, which was very few. He left Brentford on May 30. He had a winning percentage of 51.28%, which is the highest for any Brentford manager.
Managing Rangers
On June 15, 2015, Warburton became the manager of Scottish Championship club Rangers. He signed a three-year contract. David Weir joined him again as his assistant. Warburton said it was a "tremendous privilege" to manage Rangers.
In his first season, he led Rangers to win both the Scottish Championship and the Scottish Challenge Cup. This meant they were promoted to the Scottish Premiership. Mark Warburton's first win against Celtic (in the "Old Firm" derby) came on April 17, 2016. Rangers won 5–4 on penalties in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final. Rangers reached the 2016 Scottish Cup Final but lost 3–2 to Hibernian.
On July 12, 2016, Warburton and Weir extended their contracts with Rangers. However, Rangers fell far behind in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership title race. On February 10, 2017, the club announced that Warburton, Weir, and Frank McParland had resigned. But Warburton said he had not resigned and would seek legal advice.
Time at Nottingham Forest
On March 14, 2017, Warburton became the manager of Championship club Nottingham Forest. David Weir was again his assistant. His first game was a 2–2 draw against Derby County. Warburton was dismissed by Forest on New Year's Eve 2017. This happened after a 1–0 home loss to Sunderland. Forest was 14th in the league at that time.
Leading Queens Park Rangers
On May 8, 2019, Warburton was announced as the manager of Queens Park Rangers. He signed a two-year contract. He led QPR to a win against Stoke City in his first game. He was the first QPR manager since 2010 to win his debut match. On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Warburton would leave QPR when his contract ended. Michael Beale took over as his replacement.
Other Important Roles
Sporting Director
After not getting the Brentford manager job at first, Warburton became the club's Sporting director in 2011. This was a new role. His job included working with agents, managing club money, and finding young players. He used his connections from Watford to help Brentford sign many players.
Warburton believed that the Sporting Director role could work well in English football. He said that even though he often disagreed with manager Uwe Rösler, they never truly fell out. Rösler always had the final say on team selection and new players.
In December 2012, Warburton talked with Premier League team West Bromwich Albion about their Sporting Director job. But they chose someone else. In July 2013, Warburton helped Brentford get a higher academy status. He also helped open a new training facility. In December 2013, Frank McParland took over as Sporting Director.
NextGen Series
In 2010, Warburton and Justin Andrews created Cycad Sports Management. Through this company, they launched the NextGen Series. This was a cup competition for Under-19 club teams. Brentford owner Matthew Benham also supported the competition.
The first tournament started in August 2011. It had 16 teams, including big European clubs like Barcelona and Inter Milan. The tournament grew to 24 teams in 2012–13. Aston Villa won that year. The 2013–14 tournament was cancelled because of money issues and a new competition called the UEFA Youth League. While managing Brentford, Warburton signed several players who had played well in the NextGen Series.
Mark Warburton's Personal Life
While playing for Enfield, Mark Warburton also worked as a trader in London and the United States. He worked as a currency dealer for big banks. He said it was a high-pressure job with a lot of risk. He saw many similarities between trading and football management. These included teamwork, communication, and managing people.
His son, Jack, played football as a youth for Watford and Leicester City. He later played in Canada. In January 2015, he signed a six-month deal with Brentford's Development Squad. He also played for Northern Ireland at the Under-16 and Under-17 levels.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Brentford | 10 December 2013 | 30 May 2015 | 78 | 40 | 16 | 22 | 51.3 |
| Rangers | 15 June 2015 | 10 February 2017 | 82 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 65.9 |
| Nottingham Forest | 14 March 2017 | 31 December 2017 | 37 | 15 | 3 | 19 | 40.5 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 8 May 2019 | 7 May 2022 | 150 | 56 | 35 | 59 | 37.3 |
| Total | 347 | 165 | 69 | 113 | 47.6 | ||
Awards and Achievements
As a Manager
Brentford
- Football League One runner-up: 2013–14
Rangers
- Scottish Championship: 2015–16
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2015–16
Individual Awards
- Football League Championship Manager of the Month: November 2014
- Football League One Manager of the Month: December 2013
- PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2015–16
- SPFL Manager of the Month (Championship): August 2015, September 2015, January 2016
- EFL Championship Manager of the Month: November 2021
