Jump to content

Mickey Walker (footballer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mickey Walker
Personal information
Full name Michael John Walker Jr.
Date of birth (1945-04-10) 10 April 1945 (age 79)
Place of birth Harrogate, England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Sheffield Wednesday
Rotherham United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Bourne Town
1964–1966 Bradford City 20 (1)
1966 Rotherham United 0 (0)
1966–1968 Sligo Rovers
1968 Los Angeles Wolves 22 (7)
1968–1969 Mansfield Town 2 (0)
1969–1970 Altrincham
1970–1971 Stockport County 2 (0)
1970–1971 Chesterfield 1 (0)
Macclesfield Town
Total 47 (8)
Managerial career
Nottingham Forest (Assistant Manager)
1999–2006 Doncaster Rovers (Assistant Manager)
2006–2012 Doncaster Rovers (Director of Football)
2006 Doncaster Rovers (Caretaker Manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael John Walker Jr. (born 10 April 1945) is an English former professional footballer and coach.

Early and personal life

[edit]

Walker was born in Harrogate,[1] and grew up in Doncaster.[2] His father Mickey Sr. had played for Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, Bradford Park Avenue and York City.[3] As a teenager he played cricket, trialling for Yorkshire Schoolboys at the age of 15, and later playing for England Schoolboys.[4]

He is married to Carol.[4]

Career

[edit]

Playing career

[edit]

After being told he was too short (at 5 ft 7) to play football by Doncaster Rovers, Walker played youth football with Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United.[4] After a spell in non-league football with Bourne Town, he turned professional with Bradford City in October 1964.[5] He made 20 appearances in the Football League (scoring 1 goal) for Bradford City,[6] before returning to Rotherham United in March 1966.[5] He then moved to Sligo Rovers in Ireland later in 1966.[4]

He spent the 1968 season with the Los Angeles Wolves of the North American Soccer League, scoring 7 goals in 22 games.[7]

He later played for Mansfield Town, Altrincham, Stockport County, Chesterfield and Macclesfield Town.[1]

Coaching career

[edit]

Walker worked as a scout for Liverpool and Rangers, and as a youth team coach at Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.[8] After leaving his role as Assistant Manager at Nottingham Forest,[2] Walker has held a number of positions at Doncaster Rovers, including Assistant Manager,[9] Director of Football,[10] and Caretaker Manager.[11] He was Director of Football at Doncaster from 2006 until July 2012 when he was released as part of the club's cost cutting restructuring after relegation from the Championship.[8]

A testimonial match was held by Doncaster Rovers on 1 August 2009 in honour of Walker.[12]

Sources

[edit]
  • Frost, Terry (1988). Bradford City A Complete Record 1903-1988. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 0-907969-38-0.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Tim Rich (9 May 2003). "Ryan the benefactor plays leading role in Doncaster's transformation". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Mickey Walker Snr Dies". Doncaster Rovers F.C. 17 November 2004. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d John Brindley (1 August 2009). "MICKEY WALKER – WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW". Doncaster Rovers F.C. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  5. ^ a b Frost, p. 409
  6. ^ Frost, p. 389
  7. ^ "Profile". NASL Jerseys. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Mickey leaves Rovers". Doncaster Rovers F.C. 4 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Conference set for ignition". BBC Sport. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Rovers hand Walker new position". BBC Sport. 22 May 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Penney and Doncaster part company". BBC Sport. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  12. ^ "WALKER TESTIMONIAL: ROVERS 1 WOLVES 1". Doncaster Rovers F.C. 1 August 2009. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
[edit]
  • Mickey Walker at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database