Andy Spence

Andy Spence
Spence in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1983-01-08) 8 January 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth England
Team information
Current team
 Canada women (assistant)
Managerial career
Years Team
2004–2012 Everton Ladies (assistant)
2012–2015 Everton Ladies
2016–2018 Everton Ladies
2022– Canada women (assistant)

Andy Spence (born 8 January 1983) is an English football manager who currently is an assistant coach of the Canada women's national soccer team.[1][2] He previously managed Everton women's team.[3]

Education

He is a diploma graduate in football management from the University of Liverpool and an honorary graduate of science and football from the Liverpool John Moores University.

Management career

First stint with Everton

The first position Spence held with Everton was a stint as director of the Everton Centre of Excellence, which is an academy program tasked with training girls between the ages of Under-9s through Under-17s.[4]

By 2004, Spence began his Everton managing career as an assistant to Mo Marley.[5] During his time as an assistant, Spence helped the club win the 2008 League Cup and the 2010 FA Cup.[4]

On 14 November 2012 Marley stepped down at the end of the last campaign, naming Spence as the new first team manager.[5][6][7] After three seasons with the Blues, Spence stepped down, having lost the dressing room and citing the club's need to move forward after being relegated at the conclusion of the 2014 season after 21 seasons in the top flight and struggling form in the FA WSL 2. He would be succeeded by Nicola Anderson and retake his position at the club's Centre of Excellence.[8][9]

Return as Everton manager

After six months, Spence was re-appointed manager of Everton[5][10] Spence would lead Everton to back-to-back third place WSL 2 finishes. In 2017, the FA WSL ran an interim season to re-align the season calendars between February and May called the FA WSL Spring Series. This interim season would not compete for promotion or relegation ahead of the 2017–18 season. Under Spence, Everton won the Spring Series with seven wins from nine matches. Spence was known for his public outbursts on the side line with other Managers and emotional overflow.

Prior to the 2017–18 season, Notts County of the WSL 1 folded prior to the Spring Series prompting The Football Association to invite FA WSL 2 clubs to apply and fill the vacancy.[11] Spence's Everton was awarded the invitation back into the top flight on 9 June 2017, and competed in the WSL 1 for the 2017–18 season.[12]

After going winless through six matches in the FA WSL to open the 2018–19 campaign, Spence "left his role" as manager with Jennifer Herst being appointed interim manager.[3]

Canada

Spence was appointed assistant head coach for Canada women's national team in 2022.[13] He took temporary charge of the team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when head coach Bev Priestman was suspended after two members of her backroom staff were sent home for flying a drone over the New Zealand squad's training session in the build-up to the match between the two countries.[14][15]

Managerial statistics

All competitive league games (league and domestic cup) and international matches (not including friendlies) are included.

As of 11 November 2018
Team Nat Year Record
G W D L Win %
Everton England 2012–2015 51 16 13 22 031.37
Everton England 2015–2018 45 19 5 21 042.22
Career total 96 35 18 43 036.46

Honors

Manager

Everton Ladies

Individual

References

  1. ^ Laverty, Richard (15 October 2022). "Andy Spence Discusses His Role as an Assistant Coach with Canada". Our Game Magazine. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Canadian women's soccer coach Bev Priestman out for Olympic opener after drone incidents". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b Gold, Rachel Rose (7 November 2018). "Everton Ladies manager Andy Spence steps down". Royal Blue Mersey. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b "WSL club profile: Everton Ladies". www.sport.bt.com. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Andy Spence". EvertonFC.com. Everton Football Club. Retrieved 30 December 2017.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Everton Ladies FC Club History". www.everton.fawsl.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Andy Spence named as new Everton FC ladies boss". Chester Chronicle. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Everton ladies boss Andy Spence quits". Liverpool Echo. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Andy Spence: Everton Ladies manager resigns after three years". BBC Sport. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Andy Spence: Everton Ladies boss returns six months after departure". BBC Sport. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Women's Super League: WSL 2 clubs invited to apply to replace Notts County Ladies". BBC Sport. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Everton have been elected to FA Women's Super League 1". FA WSL. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ "Andy Spence discusses his role as assistant coach with Canada". Our Game Magazine. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Priestman removed as Olympic boss over drone incident". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Canada spying scandal threatens to tarnish their Tokyo football gold". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Everton Ladies are back where we belong declares Danielle Turner". Liverpool Echo. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.