Garry Flitcroft
Encyclopedia
Garry William Flitcroft (born 6 November 1972 in Bolton
, Lancashire
, England
) is an English football manager
and former footballer. Since May 2010 he has been the manager of Northern Premier League
team Chorley
.
as a teenager before making his name as a professional.
Following a brief spell on loan at Bury in 1992, where he made twelve appearances, he then broke into the City first team and went on to play 142 times, scoring 15 goals.
After five years at with City, having played 142 games, some as captain, he joined Blackburn in March 1996
for £3.5m after City were going through financial difficulties and their then chairman Francis Lee
told the then manager Alan Ball to sell their most profitable player, which turned out to be Flitcroft. The combative midfielder was signed after Rovers' talks with rising French star William Prunier
broke down. Despite being sent off after just three minutes of his debut, he went on to serve as Blackburn's captain.
Flitcroft made his 250th appearance for the club during the 2003-04
season. Blackburn allowed him to join Sheffield United on a free transfer on 12 January 2006 where his Premiership experience was expected to make him a permanent figure in United's midfield. However, due to a persistent knee injury and a lack of form, Flitcroft was forced to retire in July 2006 after just a handful of games for the club.
side Leigh Genesis. This also came with the news that the club had moved into their new ground at Leigh Sports Village
.
Flitcroft left Leigh Genesis after revealing to the media that he and many of his players had not been paid at Leigh for some time, and moved to Leigh's rivals, Chorley F.C.
in May 2010. Flitcroft has taken Chorley up into the NPL Premier Division in his first attempt at Chorley, as they won the Play-Off Final 2-0 vs AFC Fylde on May 6, 2011.
, Bolton. His brother, David
, was also a midfielder who played in the lower divisions for clubs including Chester City
, Bury
and Rochdale
, and who is now assistant manager at Barnsley F.C.
.
Flitcroft is married to Karen, whom he had met at Turton High School, and the couple had two children. The couple are separated, and Flitcroft currently lives with his girlfriend.
After a long legal battle, during the 2001-02
season Flitcroft was unmasked in the newspapers as having had two extramarital affairs. The lawsuit resulting from this allegation, presided over by Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, was notable for the way it weighed personal privacy
rights against the right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights
(applicable since the Human Rights Act 1998
came into force in 2000).
In September 2011, Flitcroft was named as a "core participant" in the Leveson Inquiry
into the News International phone hacking scandal.
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English football manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
and former footballer. Since May 2010 he has been the manager of 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...
team Chorley
Chorley F.C.
Chorley Football Club are a football club from Chorley, Lancashire, England. They were founded as a rugby union club in 1875 but switched to football in 1883. They have reached the FA Cup second round twice in 1986–87 and 1990–91. Their best performance in the FA Trophy was in 1995–96 when they...
.
Playing career
At the age of 12 Flitcroft rejected Manchester United’s overtures in favour of a move to Manchester City. Garry then spent two years honing his skills at LilleshallLilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
as a teenager before making his name as a professional.
Following a brief spell on loan at Bury in 1992, where he made twelve appearances, he then broke into the City first team and went on to play 142 times, scoring 15 goals.
After five years at with City, having played 142 games, some as captain, he joined Blackburn in March 1996
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
for £3.5m after City were going through financial difficulties and their then chairman Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
told the then manager Alan Ball to sell their most profitable player, which turned out to be Flitcroft. The combative midfielder was signed after Rovers' talks with rising French star William Prunier
William Prunier
William Prunier is a French former footballer. He played in the centre back position.-Career:Prunier was a product of a famous AJ Auxerre youth team which also included Eric Cantona, Basile Boli, Pascal Vahirua and Daniel Dutuel, all under the tutelage of Guy Roux...
broke down. Despite being sent off after just three minutes of his debut, he went on to serve as Blackburn's captain.
Flitcroft made his 250th appearance for the club during the 2003-04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season. Blackburn allowed him to join Sheffield United on a free transfer on 12 January 2006 where his Premiership experience was expected to make him a permanent figure in United's midfield. However, due to a persistent knee injury and a lack of form, Flitcroft was forced to retire in July 2006 after just a handful of games for the club.
Managerial career
On 23 March 2009, it was announced that Flitcroft would replace Lee Merricks as manager of Northern Premier LeagueNorthern 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...
side Leigh Genesis. This also came with the news that the club had moved into their new ground at Leigh Sports Village
Leigh Sports Village
Leigh Sports Village is an £50 million multi-use sports, retail and housing development in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. Leigh Sports Village plays host to three of the towns sporting clubs. Amateur rugby league club, Leigh East and amateur athletics club, Leigh Harriers occupy dedicated...
.
Flitcroft left Leigh Genesis after revealing to the media that he and many of his players had not been paid at Leigh for some time, and moved to Leigh's rivals, Chorley F.C.
Chorley F.C.
Chorley Football Club are a football club from Chorley, Lancashire, England. They were founded as a rugby union club in 1875 but switched to football in 1883. They have reached the FA Cup second round twice in 1986–87 and 1990–91. Their best performance in the FA Trophy was in 1995–96 when they...
in May 2010. Flitcroft has taken Chorley up into the NPL Premier Division in his first attempt at Chorley, as they won the Play-Off Final 2-0 vs AFC Fylde on May 6, 2011.
Personal life
Flitcroft was educated at Turton High SchoolTurton High School Media Arts College
Turton High School Media and Arts College is a mixed comprehensive secondary school and sixth form in Bromley Cross, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.-History and information:...
, Bolton. His brother, David
David Flitcroft
David Flitcroft is a former professional footballer who is now assistant manager at Barnsley. He is a younger brother of the former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City player Garry Flitcroft....
, was also a midfielder who played in the lower divisions for clubs including Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
and Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
, and who is now assistant manager at Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
.
Flitcroft is married to Karen, whom he had met at Turton High School, and the couple had two children. The couple are separated, and Flitcroft currently lives with his girlfriend.
Legal cases
During his marriage, Flitcroft had two affairs, one with a nursery nurse and the second with a lap dancer. After a disagreement with one of the women, the media began to pursue the story, so Flitcroft took out a High-Court injunction, banning media coverage of the affairs.After a long legal battle, during the 2001-02
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
season Flitcroft was unmasked in the newspapers as having had two extramarital affairs. The lawsuit resulting from this allegation, presided over by Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, was notable for the way it weighed personal privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
rights against the right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
(applicable since the Human Rights Act 1998
Human Rights Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim is to "give further effect" in UK law to the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights...
came into force in 2000).
In September 2011, Flitcroft was named as a "core participant" in the Leveson Inquiry
Leveson Inquiry
The Leveson Inquiry is an ongoing public inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press following the News International phone hacking scandal. On 6 July 2011, Prime Minister David Cameron announced to Parliament that a public government inquiry would convene to further...
into the News International phone hacking scandal.
External links
- A v B & C 2002 EWCA Civ 337, a discussion of Garry Flitcroft's lawsuit