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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Patrick Blackwell[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1958-12-21)21 December 1958 (age 67)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Luton, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lechia Gdańsk (technical director) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cambridge United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Bedford Town | |||
| Barton Rovers | |||
| Middlesex Wanderers | |||
| 1979–1980 | Barnet | 25 | (0) |
| 1980–1986 | Boston United | 227 | (0) |
| 1986 | Barnet | 5 | (0) |
| 1986–1989 | Scarborough | 69 | (0) |
| 1989–1993 | Notts County | 0 | (0) |
| 1993 | Torquay United | 18 | (0) |
| 1993–1995 | Huddersfield Town | 5 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Plymouth Argyle | 24 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Sheffield United | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 373 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2004–2006 | Leeds United | ||
| 2007–2008 | Luton Town | ||
| 2008–2010 | Sheffield United | ||
| 2012–2013 | Bury | ||
| 2014–2015 | Crystal Palace (technical director) | ||
| 2015 | Queens Park Rangers (caretaker assistant) | ||
| 2016 | Rotherham United (assistant) | ||
| 2016–2019 | Cardiff City (assistant) | ||
| 2020–2021 | Middlesbrough (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Nakhon Ratchasima | ||
| 2023– | Lechia Gdańsk (technical director) | ||
| 2024 | Lechia Gdańsk (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kevin Patrick Blackwell (born 21 December 1958) is an English professionalfootball manager, executive and formerplayer who is the technical director ofEkstraklasa clubLechia Gdańsk.
Blackwell was born inLuton and began his footballcareer as an apprentice atCambridge United, withRon Atkinson as his manager. After failing to make the grade at theAbbey Stadium, he moved intoNon-League football, playing forBedford Town while working as a bricklayer. He later played in the 1978FA Vase final forBarton Rovers and forMiddlesex Wanderers before being signed byBarnet.
In 1980, he moved toBoston United for a fee of £5,000, saving a penalty atWembley in the 1985FA Trophy final. He returned toBarnet in 1986 beforeNeil Warnock signed him forScarborough in November the same year.
That season saw Scarborough promoted to theFootball League and Blackwell remained at the club for their first two league seasons, making 44 league appearances in addition to those made in theConference. Warnock moved toNotts County in January 1989, and in November of that year he returned to Scarborough to sign Blackwell for £15,000. In just over 3 years at Meadow Lane, Blackwell never made a league appearance, and in January 1993, when Warnock took over atTorquay United, Blackwell followed him, playing 18 league games in a successful battle to stay in the Football League.
At the end of the season, Warnock moved toHuddersfield Town and in August 1993, Blackwell once again joined him, this time taking on coaching duties in addition to his playing role. His playing opportunities were limited to three full league appearances, plus another two as a substitute.
In August 1995, Blackwell followed Warnock toPlymouth Argyle on a free transfer and was appointed player-youth coach. Warnock left in February 1997, but Blackwell remained at Argyle, working as assistant manager toMick Jones. He remained registered as a player, solely as a precautionary measure, but in March 1998 returned to full-time training as emergency cover for Argyle's only keeperJon Sheffield. He was never called upon and ended his career after 24 league appearances for Argyle.
In June 1998, Jones was dismissed after Plymouth's relegation, and a month later Blackwell also left the club due to new managerKevin Hodges wanting to appoint his own management team.
By now Neil Warnock was manager ofBury, and Blackwell was soon appointed goalkeeping coach at Bury, eventually becoming assistant manager. In December 1999, Warnock was appointed manager ofSheffield United and took Blackwell with him as his assistant.
Blackwell left Sheffield United forLeeds United to joinPeter Reid as his Assistant Manager in 2003. He remained in this role underEddie Gray following Reid's dismissal before taking over as manager of Leeds in the summer 2004 following the club's relegation from the Premiership. Handed the task of rebuilding Leeds' team after huge debts forced the jettisoning of its highly paid stars, Blackwell made a record number of signings for the club in2004–05. He focused on value for money, buying players that, while talented, had not made the highest grade.[citation needed] Blackwell led the side to challenge for the playoffs, before a run of draws slowed progress, leaving Leeds in mid-table.
In the summer of 2005 Blackwell was given financial backing and bought some high-profile players for the new season. StrikersRichard Cresswell,Rob Hulse andRobbie Blake arrived, whileUSA wingerEddie Lewis also joined. Blackwell's shrewd tactics away fromElland Road and attacking style at home (where 9 out of 10 matches were won) proved very effective and, by the end of February, Blackwell had guided Leeds to 3rd spot, with automatic promotion remaining a possibility. The Leeds team, however, then produced some distinctly average performances[according to whom?] and settled for their play-off place.
Blackwell took his Leeds team into theChampionship play-off final, after beatingPreston North End 3–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. However, Leeds lost the final 3–0 toWatford on 21 May 2006. A string of bad results followed in both pre-season and the start of the2006–07 and on 20 September his contract was terminated. As Blackwell left the club, Leeds were lying 23rd in the table, with seven points from eight games. After leaving Leeds, Blackwell travelled around Europe going to big-name clubs such asReal Madrid andInternazionale acquiring knowledge of further training techniques to help him with his management career.[3] On 20 November, he announced he was suing Leeds for wrongful dismissal after it was confirmed he was sacked forgross misconduct on the grounds of "negative comments made in the press about the club's finances".[4]
On 27 March 2007, Blackwell was announced as the new manager ofLuton Town and began his tenure with a draw againstBurnley.[5] Luton were already in the bottom three when Blackwell took over and were 9 points from safety with 3 games to go. Blackwell set about rebuilding the side, his priority to get in some experience. To achieve this he sold centre backLeon Barnett toWest Bromwich Albion, and defenderKevin Foley toWolves, as well as releasing centre-backRuss Perrett and £500,000 signingAdam Boyd, who went on to score 14 goals that season forLeyton Orient. He also lostMarkus Heikkinen on afree transfer. In replacement he brought in high-profile players such asPaul Peschisolido,Chris Perry,Don Hutchison,Paul McVeigh andPaul Furlong. He also signed some younger players inAlan Goodall,Richard Jackson andDave Edwards.
The club enteredadministration in late 2007, and in January 2008 Blackwell announced he would leave Luton after working a month's notice. However, he was sacked a week after making this statement.[6][7]
Blackwell, took the position ofSheffield United manager, replacingBryan Robson on 14 February 2008 until the end of the season. He was assisted by his formerLuton Town assistantSam Ellis.[8] After Sheffield United's 2–0 defeat at home toCharlton Athletic on 1 March, Blackwell was critical of his team's performance, describing it as "insipid" and "embarrassing" in an interview onBBC Radio Sheffield.[9][10] The team later went on a five-game unbeaten run drawing atIpswich Town and winning four in a row againstPlymouth Argyle,Coventry City,Norwich City andBarnsley to improve his chances of landing the job permanently. The streak ended with a 3–1 defeat againstPreston North End. In his firstSheffield derby as manager,the Blades came from 2–0 down againstSheffield Wednesday to draw 2–2 and rescue a point. In the penultimate game of the season, the Blades won 2–1 against Bristol City. With one game remaining in the season, United remained in with a chance of making the play offs. Sheffield United lost 3–2 on the last day of the season against Southampton and finished ninth, four points off the final playoff place.
In the 2008–09 season, Blackwell took Sheffield United toThe Championship play off final after defeatingPreston North End 2–1 over two legs. Sheffield United lost the final 1–0 against Burnley.
On 14 August 2010, after losing 3–0 toQueens Park Rangers, the club website confirmed that Blackwell had left the club by mutual consent.[11]
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It was announced on 26 September 2012 that Blackwell had been appointed as manager ofLeague One clubBury.[12] Blackwell began his tenure with a 2–2 draw at Stevenage followed by a 1–0 home loss to Swindon Town, prompting him to criticise some of his players as "garbage". After being winless in his first five games in charge of Bury, they defeatedHartlepool United 2–1 to earn their first win of the season. The result sparked a run of form which saw Blackwell's side lose only once in eight games in all competitions, including five victories. In December the club was placed under a transfer embargo due to falling into financial difficulty. Numerous players were released and loaned out to keep the club solvent, with subsequent shortages in playing staff. Bury were officially relegated from League One on 13 April 2013 after losing 1–0 at home to Oldham Athletic.
On 14 October 2013, Blackwell was dismissed as Bury manager, with the club 21st in League Two.[13]
In August 2014 Blackwell was reunited with Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace. Working together for the first time in eleven years, Blackwell being appointed a Technical Director. Blackwell was asked to continue his role after Warnock had departed until the appointment of Alan Pardew.[14] In February 2015 Blackwell started coaching atBarnet, helpingMartin Allen with the Bees' title push in theConference Premier until the end of the season.
In November 2015 Blackwell was brought in by Warnock, theninterim manager atQueens Park Rangers, to assist him at the club.[15] In February 2016, Blackwell was appointed assistant manager to Warnock atRotherham United along withRonnie Jepson.[16] The management team left Rotherham in May of the same year, having guided the club to safety in theChampionship.[17] In October 2016, Blackwell again teamed up with Warnock and Jepson, as assistant manager atCardiff City and also worked alongside the duo atMiddlesbrough between June 2020 and November 2021.[18][19]
In March 2022, Blackwell was appointed head coach of Thai clubNakhon Ratchasima.[20]
In October 2023, Blackwell joined Polishsecond division sideLechia Gdańsk as a technical director,[21] and oversaw Lechia's I liga championship and promotion in his first season.[22][23]
On 25 November 2024, following the suspension of managerSzymon Grabowski, Blackwell was named Lechia's caretaker head coach alongsideRadosław Bella.[24] In their only game in charge, Lechia lost 0–2 atGKS Katowice on 30 November.[25]
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Leeds United | 1 June 2004 | 20 September 2006 | 114 | 44 | 37 | 33 | 038.6 | [26] |
| Luton Town | 27 March 2007 | 16 January 2008 | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 038.1 | [26] |
| Sheffield United | 14 February 2008 | 14 August 2010 | 125 | 53 | 36 | 36 | 042.4 | [27] |
| Bury | 26 September 2012 | 14 October 2013 | 57 | 13 | 18 | 26 | 022.8 | [27] |
| Nakhon Ratchasima | 9 March 2022 | 5 February 2023 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 035.7 | |
| Lechia Gdańsk (caretaker) | 25 November 2024 | 30 November 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.0 | |
| Total | 367 | 136 | 104 | 127 | 037.1 | |||
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