Richard O'Kelly

Richard O'Kelly

Personal information
Full name	Richard Florence O'Kelly
Date of birth	8 January 1957 (1957-01-08)
Place of birth	West Bromwich, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Hereford United (manager)
Youth career
	Alvechurch
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1979–1986	Walsall	204	(56)
1986–1988	Port Vale	28	(4)
1988	Walsall	12	(1)
1988–1989	Grimsby Town	39	(10)
Total		283	(71)
Teams managed
2012–	Hereford United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Richard Florence O'Kelly (born 8 January 1957) is an English former footballer turned manager who is in charge at League Two side Hereford United.

He began his career at Walsall in 1979, as they won promotion into the Third Division in 1979–80, where they remained for his next six seasons at Fellows Park, during which time he scored 56 goals in 204 league games. He was sold on to Port Vale for a £6,000 fee in July 1986, before returning to Walsall on a free transfer January 1988. Helping the "Saddlers" to win promotion via the play-offs, he moved on to Grimsby Town, before retiring due to injury the following year.

After retiring due to injury in 1989 he took up coaching and has served as the assistant manager at Hereford United, Bournemouth, and Doncaster Rovers. He became a manager for the first time with Hereford United in March 2012.

Playing career

O'Kelly started his career with Alvechurch before moving into the Football League with Walsall in 1979 , after being signed by manager Alan Buckley. The "Saddlers" were promoted into the Third Division as Fourth Division as runners-up in 1979–80, two points behind champions Huddersfield Town. Walsall retained their third tier status in 1980–81 by finishing one place and one point above the drop zone. They came even closer to relegation in 1981–82, finishing ahead of relegated Wimbledon on goal difference. They then improved, finishing tenth in 1982–83, before finishing sixth in 1983–84, eight points behind promoted Sheffield United. However Walsall dropped to eleventh in 1984–85, and O'Kelly was the club's top scorer with eighteen goals. They finished sixth in 1985–86, nine points behind promoted Derby County. In his seven years at Fellows Park he racked up over 200 appearances, with a goal rate of one goal every four games.

In July 1986, the cultured striker joined fellow West Midlands and Third Division side Port Vale for a £6,000 fee. His Vale Park career started with a bang as he scored on his debut in a 2–2 draw at Middlesbrough on 23 August 1986. After playing the next three matches he was struck down with an injury to his knee ligaments, which required an operation the following January. Sidelined for the rest of the 1986–87 season, he returned to the first team at the beginning of the 1987–88 season, and scored three goals in 22 appearances.

In January 1988, John Rudge allowed him to return to Walsall on a free transfer. The club won promotion at the end of the season under Tommy Coakley's stewardship, beating Bristol City 4–0 in the play-off Final. He then joined former manager Alan Buckley at Fourth Division Grimsby Town, as the "Mariners" posted a ninth place finish in 1988–89; O'Kelly finished his playing career in 1989 following a bad injury sustained playing for Grimsby in an encounter with Doncaster Rovers.

Management career

Coaching

After finishing his playing career, O'Kelly worked as Port Vale's community officer from August 1990 to May 1991 before returning to Blundell Park as a youth team coach. He left Grimsby for the same position at West Bromwich Albion in 1994. He spent seven years at The Hawthorns as youth team coach, and then six months at Aston Villa, before joining Hereford United in 2002 as assistant manager to Graham Turner.

He was appointed assistant manager of Bournemouth in the summer of 2004 and two years later followed manager Sean O'Driscoll to Doncaster Rovers. Under the pair's first full season at Rovers the club gained promotion into the Championship after winning the League One play-off final in 2008 against Leeds United. The pair were placed on 'gardening leave' by the club in September 2011, with Rovers sitting bottom of the Championship.

In November 2011 he announced his return to Walsall, coaching for the club on a voluntary basis. On March 5th 2012 he was appointed manager of League 2 Hereford United.

Hereford United

On 5 March 2012, O'Kelly was appointed manager of Hereford United, replacing Jamie Pitman, who stayed on at Edgar Street as a coach. He took charge with the club two places and two points above the League Two relegation zone. He signed a contract until the end of the 2011–12 season. On taking charge he said "It's my first job as manager but what better team to start with. We've got 12 games to show and prove to people just what we can do."

Honours

with Walsall

• Football League Fourth Division runner-up: 1979–80
• Football League Third Division play-off winner: 1988

Managerial statistics

As of 6 March 2012.

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	Win %
Hereford United		5 March 2012	Present	&100000000000000010000001	&100000000000000000000000	&100000000000000010000001	&100000000000000000000000	&0&100000000000000000000000.00

External links

• Profile at the League Managers Association website