.jpg) Simpson withNewcastle United in 2015 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul David Simpson[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1966-07-26)26 July 1966 (age 59)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Carlisle, England[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1982–1988 | Manchester City | 121 | (18) | ||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | →Finn Harps (loan) | 6 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 1988–1992 | Oxford United | 144 | (43) | ||||||||||||||
| 1992–1997 | Derby County | 186 | (48) | ||||||||||||||
| 1996 | →Sheffield United (loan) | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 52 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 1998 | →Walsall (loan) | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Blackpool | 76 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Rochdale | 42 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Carlisle United | 36 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 679 | (150) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1983 | England U18 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | England U21 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Rochdale | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Carlisle United | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Preston North End | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Shrewsbury Town | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Stockport County | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Northwich Victoria | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | England U20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Carlisle United | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Paul David Simpson (born 26 July 1966) is an English football manager and former professional player. He has been a coach and manager at several English clubs and was manager of the England team that won the FIFA Under-20s World Cup in South Korea in 2017.
At the age of 15, Simpson moved from Carlisle to Manchester in order to begin his playing career as a schoolboy atManchester City.
He made his senior debut aged 16, on 2 October 1982 in a 3–2 win againstCoventry City, making three senior appearance in total in the 1982/83 season.[2] After the club were relegated and new managerBilly McNeill arrived, Simpson, along withJohn Beresford, was briefly loaned out to Irish clubFinn Harps to gain more experience.[3] He scored 3 goals in 9 total appearances atFinn Park.[citation needed]
He returned during the final stages of1984–85 campaign and enjoyed a run of games as he scored 6 times in just 10 appearances as City won promotion from the Second Division.[citation needed][4] He was a regular member of the first team in the1985–86 season and scored nine First Division goals as City survived their first season back in the top flight, although they were relegated a year later.[citation needed]
He won five caps for theEngland under-21 team during his spell atMaine Road, adding to three caps at under-18 level.[citation needed] His U21 debut came on 26 March 1986 as a substitute against Denmark on his home ground.[citation needed] He also played in the 1987Toulon Tournament, during which he scored.[citation needed]
He left City, now back in theSecond Division, forOxford United in October 1988 in a £200,000 deal, after making 155 appearances for them in total.[citation needed] He remained at Oxford for over four years – all spent in the second tier – before signing forDerby County in February 1992 for £500,000.[citation needed]
The winger joined Derby in the midst of a promotion challenge but, despite finishing third, they lost in the play-offs to sixth-placedBlackburn Rovers.[citation needed] The club had three more successive failed promotion attempts (including losing the1994 play-off final to rivalsLeicester City) before they won automatic promotion in1995–96.[citation needed] He was a first choice player throughout this period, and twice reached double figures in his goal return.[citation needed]
The influx of new players that followed the Rams' promotion to thePremier League saw his place under fire for the first time since he had joined.[citation needed] He managed 19 appearances (scoring twice, including Derby's first game back at the top level) during their return to the top flight, but also found himself out on loan at second-tier clubSheffield United to gain more playing time.[citation needed]
After failing to feature in the opening months of the Rams'1997–98 season, he dropped down a division to joinWolverhampton Wanderers initially on a month's loan in October 1997.[citation needed] After impressing with 2 goals in 8 starts, he signed a permanent deal for £75,000.[citation needed] His first season with the club also saw him almost appear in anFA Cup Final, but they lost to eventual winnersArsenal in thesemi-final.
His second season atMolineux was less successful as he found himself out of the starting line-up in the opening games.[citation needed] He went on loan to nearbyWalsall of theSecond Division for four months, but returned to Wolves first team when this loan expired.[citation needed] He scored Wolves' final goal of the season in a 3–2 defeat toBradford City that meant they missed out on the play-offs.[citation needed]
After a second successive seventh-place finish in a season that saw Simpson feature only sparingly, he signed forBlackpool on a free transfer in August 2000.[5] Here, he helped the club win promotion from theThird Division via the play-offs in his first season but he left during his second, to joinRochdale in March 2002.[6] Just before leaving the club he helped them win the2001–02 Football League Trophy, playing as a substitute in thefinal.[7]
He made nine appearances in the final games of the2001–02 season for Dale, scoring 6 times.[citation needed] This goal rush helped push the club into theplay-offs, where they lost toRushden & Diamonds (despite another goal from Simpson).
After managerJohn Hollins departed from Rochdale in 2002, Simpson stepped in as player-manager.[citation needed] He began the season in equally bright goal-scoring form, but as the pressure of management took its toll and he enjoyed a largely unsuccessful season.[citation needed] Simpson left Rochdale after only season in charge where they reached the FA Cup fifth round, an equal club record, but finished 19th after a late turnaround by Macclesfield saw them drop from 13th in the final 10minutes of the season.[citation needed]
Following his departure from Rochdale, Simpson moved back to his home town, where he signed as a player forCarlisle United.[citation needed] Four games into the season manager Roddy Collins was sacked with the club bottom of the table. Simpson was asked to take over as manager.[8] Carlisle were relegated to the Conference in his first year atBrunton Park, at a time when the club was struggling financially.[citation needed] A transfer embargo prevented new players being brought in and by December 2003 Carlisle were 15 points adrift, and despite an improved latter half of the season, the club were eventually relegated.[citation needed] However, he immediately led Carlisle back toLeague Two in 2004–05 asConference National play-off winners.[9] Following this, Simpson enjoyed perhaps his best season as a manager, leading Carlisle to double – promotion, winning promotion toLeague One asLeague Two champions.[10] He was also named as the League Two Manager of the Year and in theLeague Managers Association statistics was the best manager in the country on points per game aboveRafael Benítez.[citation needed]
Simpson played his final game as a professional player on 6 May 2006 atEdgeley Park againstStockport County, the club he later managed, on a day where the two teams drew 0–0, meaning that Carlisle were promoted as champions. This marked the end of his playing career aged 39, after 24 years.[citation needed]
In June 2006, following his success at Carlisle, Simpson left the club to replaceBilly Davies as manager ofPreston North End, where he led the Lancashire side to the top of theChampionship by December, their highest league placing for 55 years.[citation needed] However, after only being able to bring 3 free transfers in January they were unable to maintain this position and missed out on the play-offs by goal difference despite beating already promoted Birmingham on the last day.[citation needed] After losing key playerDavid Nugent, the team made a bad start to the 2007–08 season (including just three victories) resulting in Simpson being sacked on 13 November 2007.[citation needed]
On 12 March 2008, he was appointed manager ofLeague Two clubShrewsbury Town, replacingGary Peters who had left the club by mutual consent after a poor run of results.[11] After helping them avoid relegation in his first season, Simpson then took them to the Play-off Final where they lost to a last minuteGillingham goal.[12] In the following campaign after an overall decent first half of the season, Shrewsbury were dealt six straight defeats in March and April, ultimately costing them a place in the play-offs.[citation needed] He was dismissed as manager on 30 April 2010.[13]
Simpson was confirmed as the new manager ofStockport County on 12 July 2010 following a takeover by The 2015 Group.[14] He replaced former managerGary Ablett, who was sacked by the club's new owners after the club spent the entire season in administration – with County gaining just 25 points from 46 games.[15][16]
Simpson was charged with the task of staying in the division and rebuilding a squad which has been ravaged by administration, and ensuring the survival of the club inLeague Two in the coming season. He was instructed to work withPeter Ward as his assistant manager, and former youth team managerAlan Lord was put in charge of Youth Development.[17] Both Ward and Lord were returning to County having previously worked there under former managerJim Gannon between 2005 and 2009. Ward was also a former Stockport captain, playing for the club in the 1990s.[citation needed] Simpson also employed former coach Stuart Delaney as Youth Team Manager.[18]
Simpson was sacked on 4 January 2011 after a run of just three wins in 19 games.[19]
Simpson was appointed manager ofNorthern Premier League Premier Division sideNorthwich Victoria on 1 February 2012, withAlan Wright as his assistant.[20] However, he departed after only a month[21] as he had been due to take up a role in Portugal at the end of the season.[citation needed] This was, however, brought forward to March, meaning Simpson left following the club's FA Trophy quarter-final match on 25 February.[citation needed] His assistant, Alan Wright, oversaw a match withRushall Olympic during Simpson's absence.[citation needed]
In October 2013 Simpson joined Steve McClaren, as assistant manager. The team hit the ground running and went on an amazing run of results. In their first season they took the team to the Championship Play off final, losing to a late goal versus QPR. In the second season they again had a great start, in terms of results, and continued to enjoy success. In the December 2014 rumours started to circulate that McClaren was being headhunted by Newcastle United, in the Premier League. Many blamed these rumours on the team's results taking a dive, but there were other mitigating circumstances. The team missed out on the playoffs and McClaren was sacked at the end of the season. Simpson was sacked at the start of July, on the eve of pre season training under the newly appointed head coach, Paul Clement.
On 3 July 2015, Simpson was appointed as one of Steve McClaren's assistant coaches along withIan Cathro, after leaving Derby County.[22]
Simpson took charge of theEngland Under 20 Squad in 2017 and won theU20 World Cup inSuwon, South Korea on 11 June 2017, beating Venezuela by the only goal of the game.[23][24] Simpson left his post on 10 August 2020, to become assistant head coach toDean Holden at Bristol City.
On 23 February 2022, Simpson returned to former club Carlisle United as manager until the end of the2021–22 season. In similar circumstances to his first spell with the club, the Cumbrian side found themselves in the League Two relegation zone in 23rd position at the time of his appointment.[25] Simpson turned the club's form around and after five wins from seven matches across the month of March, Simpson was nominated for the league'sManager of the Month award, losing out toBristol Rovers'Joey Barton, a team that Simpson's side had beaten at the end of the month.[26] On 27 April 2022, having confirmed Carlisle's League Two status for the following season, Simpson signed a permanent three-year contract with the club.[27] In the following season, Simpson led Carlisle to a 5th place finish, qualifying for the play-offs.[28] After a win againstBradford City in the semi-final, Carlisle won the2023 play-off final at Wembley, defeatingStockport County on penalties.[29][30] This was the first win for Simpson at Wembley in six attempts.[30]
Following a disastrous2023–24 season that saw Carlisle immediately relegated back to League Two, Simpson was sacked by Carlisle on 31 August 2024 following three defeats in their first four league matches.[31]
In March 2025, Simpson was named as an assistant with theJamaica senior national team.[32] Simpson left Jamaica in June 2025 and joined Atlanta academy in August 2025.[33]
He completed at degree in Sport Science atManchester Metropolitan University.
Simpson temporarily stepped down from his coaching role at Bristol City in July 2021 while receiving treatment for kidney cancer.[34]
Paul's son,Dom Simpson, is a professional actor who plays the role of Christian in Moulin Rouge at The Piccadilly Theatre, and has previously played Elder Price in the Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre (London's West End). His sonJake Simpson is also a former professional, formerly head of performance atCarlisle United until 31 August 2024.
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Rochdale | 1 July 2002 | 30 June 2003 | 54 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 029.6 |
| Carlisle United | 29 August 2003 | 30 June 2006 | 157 | 70 | 36 | 51 | 044.6 |
| Preston North End | 1 July 2006 | 13 November 2007 | 67 | 27 | 14 | 26 | 040.3 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 12 March 2008 | 30 April 2010 | 111 | 39 | 34 | 38 | 035.1 |
| Stockport County | 1 July 2010 | 4 January 2011 | 27 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 018.5 |
| Northwich Victoria | 2 February 2012 | 25 February 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| England U20 | 24 February 2017 | 9 August 2020 | 42 | 24 | 5 | 13 | 057.1 |
| Bristol City (caretaker) | 16 February 2021 | 23 February 2021 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.0 |
| Carlisle United | 24 February 2022 | 31 August 2024 | 126 | 39 | 28 | 59 | 031.0 |
| Total | 586 | 221 | 143 | 222 | 037.71 | ||
Manchester City
Derby County
Blackpool
Carlisle United
Individual
Carlisle United
England U20
Individual
