Steve Tilson
Encyclopedia
Stephen Brian "Steve" Tilson (born 27 July 1966) is an English football manager
and former player. He is best known for his time in charge of Southend United
. He was appointed manager of Lincoln City
on 15 October 2010 and sacked on 10 October 2011.
, Essex
Tilson began his footballing career with non-league sides Basildon United
, Bowers United
and Witham Town
before being signed by then Southend manager David Webb
. During the 1990s, Tilson appeared in just under 250 matches and played in the side that won two consecutive promotions in the early part of the decade. Tilson played continually for Southend, except for a loan spell at Brentford
, until 1998, when he signed for Canvey Island
, serving as club captain during his 4-year spell with the team.
as Director of the club's new centre of excellence, the establishment of which was made possible by a grant of £276,000 from the English Sports Council. The post, which enabled him to continue his playing career with Canvey Island
, saw him responsible for overseeing and developing all of the centre's teams, raging from the under-9 to 16. Following the departure of David Webb
as Southend United
's manager in October 2001 and the promotion of Rob Newman
from reserve team manager to first team manager, Tilson's role widened to take on Newman's previous duties with the reserve team. In May 2002, he drew time on his five year career with Canvey Island
to join Newman
's backroom team on a full-time basis becoming joint assistant manager with Blues' former striker David Crown
.
Tilson worked to develop Southend's youth until the sacking of Steve Wignall
in November 2003. With the club in danger of relegation to the Football Conference
, Tilson was named caretaker-manager by chairman Ron Martin
and proceeded to take Southend clear of danger. Also in the same season, Tilson led Southend to the first ever national cup final in the club's history, losing to Blackpool
2–0 in the Football League Trophy
Final. In March 2004 Tilson was offered the job of manager on a full-time basis, and accepted the offer.
In the following two seasons, Tilson took Southend to two consecutive promotions from League Two
to the Championship
. Southend also reached another Football League Trophy Final in 2005, but lost to Wrexham. Tilson's success saw him linked with jobs at West Bromwich Albion
and Norwich City
, but he remained with Southend. In November 2006, Southend achieved a notable victory over eventual Premier League champions Manchester United
in the League Cup
, but were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2006–07 season.
On 3 January 2009, Tilson led Southend to a 1–1 FA Cup third round draw away at Chelsea, with Peter Clarke
scoring a very late birthday equaliser. On 28 October 2009, following the club being threatened with administration and on-loan midfielder Lee Sawyer
returning to Chelsea, Tilson came out of retirement to play for Southend in the Essex Senior Cup.
On 4 July 2010, Steve Tilson was placed on gardening leave by Southend United, bringing an end to his seven-year reign as manager.
In October 2010, Tilson was appointed the new manager of Lincoln City, replacing Chris Sutton. In his first game Lincoln drew 0-0 but Tilson brought in four promising loan signings, and went onto get a good away result against wycombe, with many signs of improvement. However, on May 7th 2011, Lincoln were defeated 0-3 by Aldershot, and relegated from the Football League. Following this, he released and transfer listed nearly the whole squad, leaving just 3 players.
Tilson was sacked as manager of Lincoln City on 10 October 2011 following a heavy defeat away at Tamworth.
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 player. He is best known for his time in charge of Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
. He was appointed manager of 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....
on 15 October 2010 and sacked on 10 October 2011.
Playing career
Born in WickfordWickford
Wickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
Tilson began his footballing career with non-league sides Basildon United
Basildon United F.C.
Basildon United Football Club is an English football club based in Basildon, Essex. They currently compete in the Essex Senior League and are nicknamed the Bees, due to the club adopting amber and black as the team colours.-1967 to 1970:...
, Bowers United
Bowers & Pitsea F.C.
Bowers & Pitsea Football Club is an English football club based in Pitsea, Essex and currently plays in the Essex Senior League.-Bowers United Football Club:...
and Witham Town
Witham Town F.C.
Witham Town F.C. is an English football club based in Witham, Essex. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Spa Road.-History:...
before being signed by then Southend manager David Webb
David Webb (footballer)
David James Webb is an English former professional footballer who made 555 appearances in the Football League playing for Leyton Orient, Southampton, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Derby County, A.F.C. Bournemouth and Torquay United. He became a manager, taking charge of A.F.C...
. During the 1990s, Tilson appeared in just under 250 matches and played in the side that won two consecutive promotions in the early part of the decade. Tilson played continually for Southend, except for a loan spell at Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, until 1998, when he signed for Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
, serving as club captain during his 4-year spell with the team.
Coaching and management career
In 1999, Tilson returned to Southend UnitedSouthend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
as Director of the club's new centre of excellence, the establishment of which was made possible by a grant of £276,000 from the English Sports Council. The post, which enabled him to continue his playing career with Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
, saw him responsible for overseeing and developing all of the centre's teams, raging from the under-9 to 16. Following the departure of David Webb
David Webb (footballer)
David James Webb is an English former professional footballer who made 555 appearances in the Football League playing for Leyton Orient, Southampton, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Derby County, A.F.C. Bournemouth and Torquay United. He became a manager, taking charge of A.F.C...
as Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
's manager in October 2001 and the promotion of Rob Newman
Rob Newman (footballer)
Robert "Rob" Newman is an English football coach and former player.-Career:Newman signed for Bristol City as an apprentice in October 1981 and played 483 games for the club, serving as club captain before being sold to Norwich City for £600,000 in 1991...
from reserve team manager to first team manager, Tilson's role widened to take on Newman's previous duties with the reserve team. In May 2002, he drew time on his five year career with Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
to join Newman
Rob Newman (footballer)
Robert "Rob" Newman is an English football coach and former player.-Career:Newman signed for Bristol City as an apprentice in October 1981 and played 483 games for the club, serving as club captain before being sold to Norwich City for £600,000 in 1991...
's backroom team on a full-time basis becoming joint assistant manager with Blues' former striker David Crown
David Crown
David Ian Crown is an English former professional football player.His clubs included Grays Athletic, Brentford, Portsmouth, Southend United and Gillingham. He made over 470 Football League appearances....
.
Tilson worked to develop Southend's youth until the sacking of Steve Wignall
Steve Wignall
Steven Leslie "Steve" Wignall is an English former professional football manager and player. During his playing career, Wignall, who played as a central defender, made over 600 appearances in the Football League.-Playing career:...
in November 2003. With the club in danger of relegation to the Football 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...
, Tilson was named caretaker-manager by chairman Ron Martin
Ron Martin (businessman)
Ron Martin is the current chairman of Southend United Football Club.His development company "Martin Dawn PLC" and "Delancery Estates" together forming "South Eastern Leisure " took control of Southend United in November 1998, from former chairman Vic Jobson owning a 55% issued share captial...
and proceeded to take Southend clear of danger. Also in the same season, Tilson led Southend to the first ever national cup final in the club's history, losing to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
2–0 in the 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...
Final. In March 2004 Tilson was offered the job of manager on a full-time basis, and accepted the offer.
In the following two seasons, Tilson took Southend to two consecutive promotions from 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....
to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Southend also reached another Football League Trophy Final in 2005, but lost to Wrexham. Tilson's success saw him linked with jobs at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, but he remained with Southend. In November 2006, Southend achieved a notable victory over eventual Premier League champions Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, but were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2006–07 season.
On 3 January 2009, Tilson led Southend to a 1–1 FA Cup third round draw away at Chelsea, with Peter Clarke
Peter Clarke (footballer)
Peter Michael Clarke is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Huddersfield Town, where he is club captain....
scoring a very late birthday equaliser. On 28 October 2009, following the club being threatened with administration and on-loan midfielder Lee Sawyer
Lee Sawyer
Lee Thomas Sawyer is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Southend United in League Two.-Playing career:...
returning to Chelsea, Tilson came out of retirement to play for Southend in the Essex Senior Cup.
On 4 July 2010, Steve Tilson was placed on gardening leave by Southend United, bringing an end to his seven-year reign as manager.
In October 2010, Tilson was appointed the new manager of Lincoln City, replacing Chris Sutton. In his first game Lincoln drew 0-0 but Tilson brought in four promising loan signings, and went onto get a good away result against wycombe, with many signs of improvement. However, on May 7th 2011, Lincoln were defeated 0-3 by Aldershot, and relegated from the Football League. Following this, he released and transfer listed nearly the whole squad, leaving just 3 players.
Tilson was sacked as manager of Lincoln City on 10 October 2011 following a heavy defeat away at Tamworth.
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... |
20 November 2003 | 4 July 2010 |
||||||
| 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.... |
15 October 2010 | 10 October 2011 |
||||||
| Total |
||||||||