Mark Yates (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Jason Yates is an English
football manager and former player, currently managing Cheltenham Town
. As a player he played primarily in a central midfield
role.
, Yates began his footballing career as a trainee at hometown club Birmingham City
, before going on to sign professional terms with the club in 1988. He spent a total of three seasons at St Andrew's
, making 66 first team appearances, including one in the side that won the 1991 Football League Trophy
.
In 1991 Yates was sold to Burnley
for £
40,000 but struggled to hold down a regular position. Spells at Lincoln City
and Doncaster Rovers
followed, before Yates dropped out of the Football League
to sign for Conference
side Kidderminster Harriers
in 1994, going on to become club captain. In his first season at the club Kidderminster reached the final of the FA Trophy
, losing 2-1 to Woking
. In 1997 Yates seemed set for a return to League football as Kidderminster led the Conference by a significant margin going into the final months of the season. However, the Harriers let the lead slip, allowing Macclesfield Town
to overtake them and claim the championship.
In January 1999 Yates left Kidderminster to join local rivals Cheltenham Town
for a fee of £25,000, helping the Robins to secure the league title and a place in the Football League. Yates remained with the Gloucestershire
outfit until February 2004, enjoying reasonable success, the highlight being a victory in the 2002 Third Division
play-off final
. After falling out of favour at Whaddon Road
, in 2004 Yates returned to Kidderminster, by this time a Football League club themselves, playing his part in the club's successful fight against relegation.
. Following a year and a half in that role, Yates was offered the chance to take up his first managerial position by former club Kidderminster, now back in the Conference, a position which he took up in January 2006. In his first season in charge he steered the club to safety from relegation, and in the second secured a top-half finish as well as an FA Trophy Final place at the new Wembley Stadium
. He was twice voted Manager of the Month in this second season, for the months of December 2006 and January 2007.
He was appointed manager of League Two
team Cheltenham on 22 December 2009, with Neil Howarth
joining him as first team coach.
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...
football manager and former player, currently managing Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
. As a player he played primarily in a central midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
role.
Playing career
Born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Yates began his footballing career as a trainee at hometown club Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, before going on to sign professional terms with the club in 1988. He spent a total of three seasons at St Andrew's
St Andrews (stadium)
St Andrew's is an association football stadium in the Bordesley district of Birmingham, England. It has been the home ground of Birmingham City Football Club for more than a century....
, making 66 first team appearances, including one in the side that won the 1991 Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
.
In 1991 Yates was sold to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
40,000 but struggled to hold down a regular position. Spells at Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
and Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
followed, before Yates dropped out of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
to sign for Conference
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...
side Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
in 1994, going on to become club captain. In his first season at the club Kidderminster reached the final of the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
, losing 2-1 to Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
. In 1997 Yates seemed set for a return to League football as Kidderminster led the Conference by a significant margin going into the final months of the season. However, the Harriers let the lead slip, allowing Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
to overtake them and claim the championship.
In January 1999 Yates left Kidderminster to join local rivals Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
for a fee of £25,000, helping the Robins to secure the league title and a place in the Football League. Yates remained with the Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
outfit until February 2004, enjoying reasonable success, the highlight being a victory in the 2002 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...
play-off final
Football League Two play-offs
The Football League Two play-offs are a series of play-off matches, contested by the teams finishing from 4th to 7th in the Football League Two table to determine the fourth promotion place to the third tier of English football, League One. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 7th playing...
. After falling out of favour at Whaddon Road
Whaddon Road
Whaddon Road is a football stadium in Cheltenham, England. It is the home ground of Cheltenham Town F.C. and shared with Gloucester City A.F.C.. It has a total capacity of 7,066, with a mixture of seating and terracing...
, in 2004 Yates returned to Kidderminster, by this time a Football League club themselves, playing his part in the club's successful fight against relegation.
Coaching and management
At the end of this season Yates called time on his playing career, becoming first team coach at Burnley alongside the manager who had signed him at Cheltenham, Steve CotterillSteve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...
. Following a year and a half in that role, Yates was offered the chance to take up his first managerial position by former club Kidderminster, now back in the Conference, a position which he took up in January 2006. In his first season in charge he steered the club to safety from relegation, and in the second secured a top-half finish as well as an FA Trophy Final place at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. He was twice voted Manager of the Month in this second season, for the months of December 2006 and January 2007.
He was appointed manager of League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
team Cheltenham on 22 December 2009, with Neil Howarth
Neil Howarth
Neil Howarth is an English former professional footballer who is assistant manager for Cheltenham Town. As a player, he played in the Football League with Macclesfield Town and Cheltenham Town.-Career:...
joining him as first team coach.