Wally Downes

Infobox Football biography
playername = Wally Downes


fullname = Walter John Downes
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1961|6|9
cityofbirth = Hammersmith, London
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname =
position =
currentclub = Reading (coach)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1979-1988
1987
1988
1988
clubs = Wimbledon
Newport County (loan)
Sheffield United
Hayes
caps(goals) = 207 (15)
4 (2)
9 (1)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 1988-2000
2000-2002
2002-2004
2004-
managerclubs = Crystal Palace (coach)
Brentford (coach)
Brentford
Reading (coach)

Walter John "Wally" Downes (born 9 June 1961) is an English former football player and manager. He is currently a first team coach at Reading. He is related to the boxer Terry Downes.

Playing career

Downes started out as an apprentice with Wimbledon and was one of the instigators of the "Crazy Gang" spirit at the club as it rose from the Fourth to the First Division inside a decade. He made almost 200 league appearances for Wimbledon.

Managerial career

Forced to retire through injury, Downes took a coaching position at Crystal Palace, and spent 12 years at Selhurst Park, most of these under Steve Coppell. Downes left in 2000, following Coppell (who had left Palace following a takeover) to Brentford, where he became assistant manager. When Coppell left Brentford in June 2002, Downes was appointed manager. He led the club to a mid-table finish in the Second Division in 2002-03, but was sacked in March 2004 with the club near the bottom of the table and facing relegation.

Downes then once again rejoined Coppell, this time at Reading F.C., initially on a casual basis, but quickly proved himself invaluable, and took on the job of coaching Reading's defence. As a result, Downes was a major reason for Reading's impressive defensive display in the 2005-06 Championship season, where Reading had the best defensive statistics in the entire English football pyramid, and were promoted to the Premier League with a record 106 points.

In January 2007, Downes was involved in a touchline scuffle with Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock after he accused Warnock of telling his players to 'break legs'. However Warnock said: "I made the kicking gesture to tell the referee that Steve Sidwell's tackle on Chris Armstrong had been the worst of the game. Fortunately for me, the referee heard exactly what was said and confirmed that." Downes has been charged with improper conduct for his role in the affray. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6283363.stm]

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|1810|Wally Downes
* [http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/profile.html?managerid=347 Wally Downes profile] at the League Managers Association web site