Dario Gradi
Encyclopedia
Dario Gradi MBE
(born 8 July 1941) is an Italian
-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy
. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra
, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.
Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager of Crewe, between 1983 and 2007. He stepped down from his managerial role in 2007, handing first-team responsibilities to Steve Holland
, and became technical director. At that time, Gradi was the longest serving manager of an English football league club. After returning as manager in 2009, he stepped down on 10 November 2011 to focus on youth development at Crewe.
when his mother returned after the Second World War
.
He trained as a teacher of physical education at what is now Loughborough University
and his first (and only) teaching position was at Glyn Grammar School, Epsom
, the school which he himself had attended. He joined Sutton United
, playing in the FA Cup
tie against Leeds United
in 1970, and then represented Tooting & Mitcham United
. During that time Gradi also owned and operated a sportswear and equipment shop in Ewell
village.
in 1971 at the age of just 29. This was followed by coaching and management posts at Sutton United
, Derby County
, Wimbledon
, and a two-year spell as youth-coach at Leyton Orient
.
in January 1978, helping the Plough Lane
side win their first promotion from the Football League Fourth Division
in 1978/79
, although they were relegated at the first attempt. They were well on course for an immediate return to the Football League Third Division
when in February 1981 an offer came for Gradi to manage struggling Football League First Division
side Crystal Palace
.
was not a success, as he failed to save Palace from relegation and he resigned the following November as a disappointing start to the 1981/82 season
saw their promotion hopes effectively written off (promotion was ultimately not achieved for another seven seasons).
, a team who regularly finished near the bottom of the Fourth Division and had been forced to apply for re-election on several occasions in order to avoid slipping into the Northern Premier League
and, since its creation in 1979, the Alliance Premier League
. His first signing was Mike Woodward from Watford
and gradually the club moved forward.
In 1988/89
, after six seasons of steady progress, they won promotion to end 25 years in the league's basement division. Gradi signed a then unheard of ten-year contract with Crewe. They went back down again two years later, but in 1994 won promotion to the Division Two
and three years after that they reached Division One
for the first time in their history. Shortly after the 1994 promotion, Gradi became the League's longest-serving manager, long outlasting others in such jobs.
Gradi's contract with Crewe was one of the most controversial in the football league, he personally takes a percentage of profit on any player sold on to another club.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Gradi helped launch the careers of many players who went on to play top division and even international football. These include David Platt, Rob Jones, Geoff Thomas
, Danny Murphy, Ashley Ward
, Wayne Collins
, Dean Ashton
, Seth Johnson
, Robbie Savage
and Neil Lennon
. Platt was the most successful of these players, captaining England
on many occasions and also helping Arsenal
win the double
at the end of his playing career.
By 2002, he was one of just two managers to have held their position since before 1990. He has since joined the club's Board of Directors
.
His keen eye for spotting and rearing young talent is what has gained him some recognition in football. He was linked with the post of FA
Technical Director in 1996, and also entered into discussions with Portugal
's Benfica over the vacant managerial spot in the 1980s.
His success continued into the 2000s, when he helped launch the career of a new generation of young stars including Dean Ashton
and Michael O'Connor. Crewe Alexandra won the PFA Bobby Moore Fair Play trophy twelve times in fifteen years during Gradi's reign.
On 20 April 2007 Gradi announced that with effect from 1 July he would relinquish first team responsibilities, becoming Technical Director while gradually handing over to new first-team coach Steve Holland
, with Neil Baker remaining as assistant manager. Gradi told the club website:
On 18 November 2008, Gradi resumed control of Crewe's first team on a caretaker basis after a poor start to the 2008/09 season under Steve Holland had left the club bottom of League One. He was in charge for just over a month before Guðjón Þórðarson
was announced as his successor on Christmas Eve
2008. Gradi remained in charge of the team for two games during the Christmas period, with Thordarson taking over on 29 December. Following the sacking of Þórðarson on 2 October 2009, Gradi was again reinstated as caretaker manager which the board of directors then stated would be until further notice.
After returning as manager in 2009, on 10 November 2011 it was announced that Gradi had chosen to step down as manager, returning to his position as Director of Football. Dario's then assistant manager Steve Davis was appointed as manager with immediate effect.
in 2004 in recognition of his impact as a manager in the English game.
The British dance music group Dario G
is named in his honour, as is a street in Crewe, Dario Gradi Drive 53°5′9.91"N 2°26′16.23"W. In 2003 he was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich and in the same year was awarded an honorary doctorate by Loughborough University
.
The winning school in the Surrey Schools Football Association's boys under-13s competition receive the Dario Gradi Trophy.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 8 July 1941) is an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy
Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy
Crewe Alexandra F.C. gained a strong reputation for its youth policy, achieving official status as a FA Youth Academy in the late 1990s. By concentrating on developing its own players the club remained profitable by selling them on after they have gained experience with Crewe...
. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.
Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager of Crewe, between 1983 and 2007. He stepped down from his managerial role in 2007, handing first-team responsibilities to Steve Holland
Steve Holland (football)
Steve Holland is an English football coach who is currently assistant first team coach at Chelsea. Holland managed Crewe Alexandra until November 2008, where he took over following Dario Gradi's decision to step down as manager in 2007....
, and became technical director. At that time, Gradi was the longest serving manager of an English football league club. After returning as manager in 2009, he stepped down on 10 November 2011 to focus on youth development at Crewe.
Early life and playing career
Born to an Italian father (who died when Dario was a small child) and an English mother, Gradi moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
when his mother returned after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He trained as a teacher of physical education at what is now Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
and his first (and only) teaching position was at Glyn Grammar School, Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, the school which he himself had attended. He joined Sutton United
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Conference South. They are based in Sutton, London, and play their home games at the Borough Sports Ground in Gander Green Lane....
, playing in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in 1970, and then represented Tooting & Mitcham United
Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting and Mitcham, within the London Borough of Merton. The club's stadium, Imperial Fields is located in Morden. The club are nicknamed The Terrors or...
. During that time Gradi also owned and operated a sportswear and equipment shop in Ewell
Ewell
Ewell is a village in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, close to the southern boundary of Greater London. It is located 14 miles south-south-west of Charing Cross and forms part of the suburbia that surrounds Greater London. Despite its growing population it is still referred to as a...
village.
Coaching career
After a period of teaching, Gradi turned to football coaching, becoming Assistant Coach at ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in 1971 at the age of just 29. This was followed by coaching and management posts at Sutton United
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Conference South. They are based in Sutton, London, and play their home games at the Borough Sports Ground in Gander Green Lane....
, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, and a two-year spell as youth-coach at Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
.
Wimbledon
He took over as manager of WimbledonWimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in January 1978, helping the Plough Lane
Plough Lane
Plough Lane was a football stadium in Wimbledon, south west London. It was the home ground of Wimbledon Football Club from September 1912 to May 1991, when the club moved their first team home matches to Selhurst Park as part of a groundshare agreement with Crystal Palace. Both clubs' reserve teams...
side win their first promotion from the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in 1978/79
1978-79 in English football
-FA Cup:Manchester United had seemingly pulled off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final to make the score 2–2 after being two goals down, but a last-minute goal from Alan Sunderland saw Arsenal lift the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline...
, although they were relegated at the first attempt. They were well on course for an immediate return to the Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
when in February 1981 an offer came for Gradi to manage struggling Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
.
Crystal Palace
However, his time at Selhurst ParkSelhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
was not a success, as he failed to save Palace from relegation and he resigned the following November as a disappointing start to the 1981/82 season
1981-82 in English football
The 1981–82 season was the 102nd season of competitive football in England.It was also the first season that the Three points for a win system was introduced.- First Division :Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
saw their promotion hopes effectively written off (promotion was ultimately not achieved for another seven seasons).
Crewe Alexandra
Gradi returned to management in June 1983, when he accepted an offer to manage Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, a team who regularly finished near the bottom of the Fourth Division and had been forced to apply for re-election on several occasions in order to avoid slipping into the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
and, since its creation in 1979, the Alliance Premier League
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. His first signing was Mike Woodward from Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and gradually the club moved forward.
In 1988/89
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
, after six seasons of steady progress, they won promotion to end 25 years in the league's basement division. Gradi signed a then unheard of ten-year contract with Crewe. They went back down again two years later, but in 1994 won promotion to the Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
and three years after that they reached Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
for the first time in their history. Shortly after the 1994 promotion, Gradi became the League's longest-serving manager, long outlasting others in such jobs.
Gradi's contract with Crewe was one of the most controversial in the football league, he personally takes a percentage of profit on any player sold on to another club.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Gradi helped launch the careers of many players who went on to play top division and even international football. These include David Platt, Rob Jones, Geoff Thomas
Geoff Thomas
Geoff Thomas born Manchester, England is a former English footballer, who won nine caps for the full England team and captained Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final in 1990...
, Danny Murphy, Ashley Ward
Ashley Ward
Ashley Ward is an English retired footballer. He was a centre forward.-Biography:Ward was born in Middleton, Lancashire, the son of a coal mining engineer...
, Wayne Collins
Wayne Collins (footballer)
Wayne Collins is an English football midfielder.-References:*...
, Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and , and was also capped by England. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by...
, Seth Johnson
Seth Johnson
Seth Art Maurice Johnson is a former England international footballer, who is currently without a club after his second spell as a player with Derby County ended in 2007.-Playing career:...
, Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage
Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
and Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....
. Platt was the most successful of these players, captaining England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on many occasions and also helping Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
win the double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
at the end of his playing career.
By 2002, he was one of just two managers to have held their position since before 1990. He has since joined the club's Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
.
His keen eye for spotting and rearing young talent is what has gained him some recognition in football. He was linked with the post of FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Technical Director in 1996, and also entered into discussions with Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's Benfica over the vacant managerial spot in the 1980s.
His success continued into the 2000s, when he helped launch the career of a new generation of young stars including Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and , and was also capped by England. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by...
and Michael O'Connor. Crewe Alexandra won the PFA Bobby Moore Fair Play trophy twelve times in fifteen years during Gradi's reign.
On 20 April 2007 Gradi announced that with effect from 1 July he would relinquish first team responsibilities, becoming Technical Director while gradually handing over to new first-team coach Steve Holland
Steve Holland (football)
Steve Holland is an English football coach who is currently assistant first team coach at Chelsea. Holland managed Crewe Alexandra until November 2008, where he took over following Dario Gradi's decision to step down as manager in 2007....
, with Neil Baker remaining as assistant manager. Gradi told the club website:
- "I didn't want to be a 75-year-old manager working seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. That is not healthy for the future of the club. I will probably drop dead doing the job at some point but I wanted to put that day off a bit. This is a better way to do things, to introduce this gradual transition because it will take some of the workload off me."
On 18 November 2008, Gradi resumed control of Crewe's first team on a caretaker basis after a poor start to the 2008/09 season under Steve Holland had left the club bottom of League One. He was in charge for just over a month before Guðjón Þórðarson
Guðjón Þórðarson
Guðjón Þórðarson is an Icelandic former footballer and the current manager of Grindavík....
was announced as his successor on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
2008. Gradi remained in charge of the team for two games during the Christmas period, with Thordarson taking over on 29 December. Following the sacking of Þórðarson on 2 October 2009, Gradi was again reinstated as caretaker manager which the board of directors then stated would be until further notice.
After returning as manager in 2009, on 10 November 2011 it was announced that Gradi had chosen to step down as manager, returning to his position as Director of Football. Dario's then assistant manager Steve Davis was appointed as manager with immediate effect.
Tributes
Gradi was inducted into the English Football Hall of FameEnglish Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2004 in recognition of his impact as a manager in the English game.
The British dance music group Dario G
Dario G
Dario G is the name of a dance music trio from Crewe, Cheshire, England. Despite popular belief the group are not named after the manager of Crewe Alexandra, Dario Gradi but changed their name from Dario to Dario G after being threatened with legal action from an artist of the same name...
is named in his honour, as is a street in Crewe, Dario Gradi Drive 53°5′9.91"N 2°26′16.23"W. In 2003 he was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich and in the same year was awarded an honorary doctorate by Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
.
The winning school in the Surrey Schools Football Association's boys under-13s competition receive the Dario Gradi Trophy.
Managerial statistics
- As of 8 November 2011
Team Nat From To Record G W L D Win % Wimbledon Wimbledon F.C.Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
5 January 1978 1 January 1981
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C.Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... 1 February 1981 10 November 1981
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C.Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
1 1 June 1983 1 July 2007
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C.Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
(caretaker) 18 November 2008 28 December 20082
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C.Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club... 2 October 2009 10 November 2011
- 1 Between 22 September and 17 October 2003 Neil Baker took temporary charge of the team while Gradi underwent heart surgery. The team did not win any matches during this period.
- 2 Gradi's successor, Gudjon Thordarson, was announced on 24 December, but Gradi remained in charge of the team for games on 26 and 28 December.
External links