.jpg) Pennock with DPMM in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adrian Barry Pennock | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-03-27)27 March 1971 (age 54) | ||
| Place of birth | Ipswich, England | ||
| Position | Central defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Dartford (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1989 | Norwich City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1992 | Norwich City | 1 | (0) |
| 1991 | →Molde FK (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 1992–1996 | AFC Bournemouth | 131 | (9) |
| 1996–2003 | Gillingham | 168 | (2) |
| 2003–2005 | Gravesend & Northfleet | 14 | (0) |
| Total | 329 | (12) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2005–2007 | Welling United | ||
| 2013–2016 | Forest Green Rovers | ||
| 2017 | Gillingham | ||
| 2017–2018 | Barrow | ||
| 2019–2024 | DPMM | ||
| 2024– | Dartford | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Adrian Barry Pennock (born 27 March 1971) is an English formerfootballer who played forNorwich City,Molde FK,AFC Bournemouth,Gillingham andGravesend & Northfleet. He is the manager ofDartford.
He spent two years asWelling United manager before joiningStoke City to be first team coach. He left at the end of the 2012–13 season following the departure ofTony Pulis, and on 12 November 2013, he was appointed as a manager forForest Green Rovers where he twice led them to record highest league finishes.
He left his position as head coach ofLeague One sideGillingham in September 2017,[1] and was appointed as manager ofNational League clubBarrow the following month, a post he held until the end of the2017–18 season. In 2019 he was appointed manager ofDPMM ofBrunei, a team that plays in theSingapore Premier League.[2]
Although born inIpswich and having grown up supportingIpswich Town, Pennock began his career with their fiercest rivals,Norwich City, where he progressed through the ranks to turn professional in 1989. He was only to manage one appearance for the Canaries' first team
In 1992, Pennock was allowed to move toAFC Bournemouth for a fee of £30,000. He was a regular for the Cherries until he suffered a knee injury in December 1995 and was unable to regain his place in the team.
In October 1996 his former Bournemouth manager,Tony Pulis signed him forGillingham for £25,000. Pennock spent over six years atPriestfield Stadium where he was a regular in the first team atGillingham until a recurring knee injury took its toll. He developed a reputation as a practical joker whilst with Gillingham – during one pre-season friendly he switched on the pitch sprinkler system during the match. He also scored a memorable own goal againstWigan Athletic in 2000 which spawned a recurring terrace chant of "He only scores own goals". Such was his affinity with the fans that he even acquired his own fan club. On the pitch, he was named captain for the2000 Football League Second Division play-off final which saw the Gills promoted to theFootball League First Division for the first time in their history.[3]
Injuries forced Pennock to retire fromLeague football in 2003, after which he signed forFootball Conference sideGravesend & Northfleet, where he was also assistant manager.
In January 2006, he was involved in a dispute with Gillingham chairmanPaul Scally over a testimonial match which Pennock alleged he was promised as part of his final contract at Gillingham but which never materialised.[4]
In January 2005 Pennock was appointed manager ofWelling United of theConference South and by the end of the season had guided them to their best league position for six years.
He left Welling at the end of the2006–07 season to take up a coaching position atStoke City, under his former Gillingham manager,Tony Pulis.[5] He was initially appointed youth team boss at Stoke.[6] In January 2010, Pennock expressed an interest in one day returning to management.[7] In the summer of 2011 he made the step up to become first team coach at Stoke.[8] He left the club at the end of the2012–13 season.[9]
On 12 November 2013, Pennock was appointed as the new manager ofConference Premier sideForest Green Rovers.[10] He led the club to a 10th-place finish at the end of the2013–14 season.
In January 2015, he was linked with the vacant managerial role atGillingham, however he issued a statement declaring his aim to remain at Forest Green.[11]
At the end of the2014–15 season he led Forest Green to a record highest league finish of 5th in the Conference Premier, meaning that the club secured a place in the play-offs for the first time. Forest Green were knocked out in the semi-finals, losing 3–0 on aggregate againstBristol Rovers.[12]
On 4 September 2015, after leading Forest Green to seven straight wins in the renamedNational League at the start of the2015–16 season, he was named August Manager of the Month.[13] On 5 September 2015, he led the club to an eighth straight league win at the start of the season with victory atChester – a National League record.[14] On 5 February 2016, he was namedNational League January Manager of the Month having guided Forest Green to six straight wins.[15]
Despite taking Forest Green to 2nd in theNational League, which was another record highest finish, he was relieved of his duties on 27 April 2016, just one week before the play-offs, after a poor run of results that had failed to see his side win in seven games.[16]
In November 2016, he returned toWelling United after being appointed as a consultant to new managerJamie Day, who had been his assistant at Forest Green.[17]
On 4 January 2017, Pennock was appointed as the new head coach of his former club andLeague One sideGillingham.[18]Steve Lovell andJamie Day were announced as part of his team of coaching staff.[19] Pennock and Day left Gillingham by mutual consent on 25 September 2017, following a 3–0 defeat atRochdale.[20]
On 27 October 2017, Pennock was appointed as manager ofNational League sideBarrow.[21] Barrow parted company with Pennock on 18 May 2018, with the side having narrowly avoided relegation.[22]
At the conclusion of the2018 Singapore Premier League season,DPMM appointed Pennock as manager for the2019 season.[23] Pennock led the Brunei side to their secondSingapore Premier League title in his first season in charge.[24]
On 1 March 2024, Pennock returned home and was named the manager ofDartford of theNational League South, the sixth tier of theEnglish football league system.[25]
Source:[26]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[A] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Norwich City | 1989–90 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990–91 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Molde FK (loan) | 1991 | Tippeligaen | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
| AFC Bournemouth | 1992–93 | Second Division | 43 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 1 |
| 1993–94 | Second Division | 40 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 4 | |
| 1994–95 | Second Division | 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 5 | |
| 1995–96 | Second Division | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| Total | 131 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 160 | 10 | ||
| Gillingham | 1996–97 | Second Division | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| 1997–98 | Second Division | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 1998–99 | Second Division | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | Second Division | 34 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 1 | |
| 2000–01 | First Division | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | First Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 168 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 199 | 3 | ||
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 2002–03 | Conference National | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | Conference National | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 329 | 12 | 23 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 389 | 14 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Welling United | 14 January 2005[citation needed] | 27 April 2007[citation needed] | 103 | 44 | 26 | 33 | 042.72 | [27] |
| Forest Green Rovers | 12 November 2013[citation needed] | 27 April 2016[citation needed] | 140 | 64 | 37 | 39 | 045.71 | [28] |
| Gillingham | 4 January 2017[18] | 25 September 2017 | 32 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 018.75 | [29] |
| Barrow | 27 October 2017 | 18 May 2018 | 32 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 031.25 | |
| DPMM | 1 January 2019 | 31 December 2023 | 62 | 27 | 12 | 23 | 043.55 | |
| Dartford | 1 March 2024 | Present | 88 | 40 | 21 | 27 | 045.45 | |
| Total | 457 | 191 | 117 | 149 | 041.79 | |||
Gillingham
DPMM
In October 2023, Pennock, his wife Tania, and their son Ashley were among the winners of a £1 million prize in thePeople's Postcode Lottery paid out to residents ofHempstead nearGillingham.[32]
