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Alun Armstrong (footballer)

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Alun Armstrong
Personal information
Full name Alun Armstrong[1]
Date of birth (1975-02-22) 22 February 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth Gateshead, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
0000–1993 Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1994 Newcastle United 0 (0)
1994–1998 Stockport County 160 (49)
1998–2000 Middlesbrough 29 (9)
2000 → Huddersfield Town (loan) 6 (0)
2000–2004 Ipswich Town 79 (14)
2003–2004 → Bradford City (loan) 6 (1)
2004–2005 Darlington 32 (9)
2005–2006 Rushden & Diamonds 9 (0)
2006 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 6 (0)
2006–2007 Darlington 29 (1)
2007 Newcastle Blue Star 1 (0)
Total 357 (83)
Managerial career
2016–2019 Blyth Spartans
2019–2023 Darlington
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alun Armstrong (born 22 February 1975) is an English former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career, Armstrong operated primarily as a forward.

His career as a player, which ran between 1993 and 2007, included spells at Newcastle United, Stockport County, Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town, two spells at Darlington, Rushden & Diamonds and concluding it with a brief spell at Newcastle Blue Star. He has also enjoyed loan spells at Huddersfield Town, Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers.

Armstrong entered into club management in 2016, joining Blyth Spartans, achieving promotion to the National League North in his first season in charge. He left the club in 2019, agreeing to join Darlington as their new manager.

Playing career

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Armstrong's first club was Newcastle United, where in October 1993 he came up from their youth team. He left in June 1994 having not played a competitive game for them, and signed with Stockport County for £50,000. In 200 games for them, he scored 62 goals. In February 1998 he joined Middlesbrough for £1.6m. He stayed until 2000, when in March he joined Huddersfield Town for three months on loan. In December 2000 he joined Ipswich Town for £500,000. In the three years he was at Ipswich he scored 19 goals in 94 appearances, including a header in Ipswich's 1–0 win over Inter Milan in the 2001–02 UEFA Cup.[2] Armstrong described the goal as "probably the most important of my career, as long as we get a result out there (In the return leg)". Despite Armstrong scoring another goal in the return leg from the penalty spot, Ipswich were knocked out with an aggregate score of 4–2.[3]

From December 2003 until March 2004 he was on loan to Bradford City, scoring once against Norwich City,[4] and in September 2004 he joined Darlington on a free transfer. He left Darlington in June 2005, to join Rushden & Diamonds. He scored once for Rushden, his goal coming against Halifax Town in the FA Cup.[5] After a spell on loan at Doncaster Rovers, he re-signed for Darlington in August 2006 to join the club on a second spell, before leaving them again at the end of the 2006–07 season. He scored once in his second spell at Darlington, against Hereford.[6] He signed for Newcastle Blue Star in the UniBond Division One North before quitting days after receiving a red card against Gateshead.

Managerial career

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Blyth Spartans

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On 22 September 2016, Armstrong was appointed as the new manager of Northern Premier League Premier Division side Blyth Spartans.[7] In his first season in charge of the Green Army, he guided them to win the league title at the first attempt, achieving National League North status for the first time since their relegation from the sixth tier at the end of the 2011–12 season.[8]

In their first season back in the National League divisions, Armstrong led Spartans to a tenth-placed finish, four points adrift from play-off qualification.[9] In their following league campaign, Armstrong's side saw a huge boost of form, eventually concluding the season in sixth place, qualifying for the divisional play-off quarter-finals,[9] his side failed to continue to the semi-finals after defeat to Altrincham on penalties,[10] having recorded a 2–2 draw prior though extra time could not see Spartans push for victory.[10]

Darlington

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On 21 May 2019, Armstrong was appointed as the new manager of fellow National League North club Darlington,[11] replacing Tommy Wright.[12][13]

An impressive start to the 2022–23 season saw Armstrong awarded the National League North Manager of the Month award for September 2022, winning all four of their matches across the month and climbing to 3rd position from 17th at the start of the month.[14]

On 6 September 2023, with Darlington languishing at the bottom of the National League North Table, Alun Armstrong and assistant Darren Holloway were sacked by the club.[15]

Personal life

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His son Luke is also a footballer with Carlisle United.[16]

He has another son Rhys, who is at Darlington with him.[17]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stockport County 1994–95 Second Division 45 14 1 0 3 1 0 0 49 15
1995–96 Second Division 46 13 4 3 5 2 0 0 55 18
1996–97[18] Second Division 39 9 2 1 11 3 0 0 52 13
1997–98[19] First Division 29 12 2 1 3 2 — 34 15
Total 159 48 9 5 22 8 0 0 190 61
Middlesbrough 1997–98[19] First Division 11 7 0 0 0 0 — 11 7
1998–99[20] Premier League 6 1 0 0 0 0 — 6 1
1999–00[21] Premier League 12 1 0 0 3 0 — 6 1
2000–01[22] Premier League 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 0
Total 29 9 0 0 4 0 0 0 33 9
Huddersfield Town (loan) 1999–00[21] First Division 6 0 0 0 0 0 — 6 0
Ipswich Town 2000–01[22] Premier League 21 7 2 1 0 0 — 23 8
2001–02[23] Premier League 32 4 1 0 2 1 3[a] 2 38 7
2002–03[24] First Division 19 1 0 0 1 0 4[a] 1 24 2
2003–04[25] First Division 7 2 0 0 1 0 1[b] 0 9 2
Total 79 14 3 1 4 1 8 3 94 19
Bradford City (loan) 2003–04[25] First Division 6 1 1 0 0 0 — 7 1
Darlington 2004–05[26] League Two 32 9 2 2 0 0 0 0 34 11
Rushden & Diamonds 2005–06[27] League Two 9 0 3 1 0 0 1[c] 0 13 1
Doncaster Rovers (loan) 2005–06[27] League One 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Darlington 2006–07[28] League Two 29 1 2 0 0 0 2[c] 0 33 1
Career total 355 82 20 9 30 9 11 3 416 103
  1. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in First Division play-offs
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy play-offs

Managerial statistics

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As of 19 August 2023:[29][30]

Team Duration Record Source
From To G W D L %
Blyth Spartans 22 September 2016 21 May 2019 134 71 21 42 052.99 [31]
Darlington 21 May 2019 6 September 2023 162 62 39 61 038.27 [31]
Total 296 133 60 103 044.93 —

Honours

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As a player

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Stockport County

Middlesbrough

As a manager

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Individual

References

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  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2003). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004. Queen Anne Press. p. 24. ISBN 1-85291-651-6.
  2. ^ "Ipswich stun Inter". BBC. 22 November 2001. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Vieri stuns Ipswich". BBC. 6 December 2001. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Norwich 0-1 Bradford". BBC. 10 January 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  5. ^ "Halifax 1-1 Rushden & Diamonds". BBC. 6 November 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Hereford 1-1 Darlington". BBC. 14 October 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  7. ^ http://www.blythspartans.com/alun-armstrong-takes-tom-wade-blyth-spartans-manager/}[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Home".
  9. ^ a b "National League North table". Pitchero. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Altrincham 2–2 Blyth Spartans". Pitchero. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Armstrong named Darlington manager". The Northern Echo. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  12. ^ Stoddart, Craig (26 April 2019). "Wright Leaves Darlington". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  13. ^ Simpson, Ray (26 April 2019). "Tommy Wright leaves as Darlington Manager". Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Alun wins the Manager of the Month award!". darlingtonfc.co.uk. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  15. ^ Simpson, Ray. "Club statement: Alun Armstrong and Darren Holloway". Darlington FC. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  16. ^ https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/player/18
  17. ^ "Rhys Armstrong".
  18. ^ "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  26. ^ "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Games played by Alun Armstrong in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  29. ^ "Home".
  30. ^ "1st Team Fixtures & Results".
  31. ^ a b "Alun Armstrong – Managers". Soccer Base. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
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