Aidan McCaffery

Aidan McCaffery (born 30 August 1957 in Jarrow) is an English former professional footballer and football club manager. As player, he made 370 appearances in the Football League, playing as a central defender for Newcastle United, Derby County, Bristol Rovers, Bristol City, Torquay United, Exeter City, Hartlepool United and Carlisle United.[2] As manager, he spent the 1991–92 season in charge of Carlisle United.

Aidan McCaffery
Personal information
Date of birth (1957-08-30) 30 August 1957
Place of birth Jarrow, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Position(s) Central defender
Youth career
19xx–1974 Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1978 Newcastle United 59 (4)
1978–1980 Derby County 37 (4)
1980–1985 Bristol Rovers 184 (11)
1982 → Bristol City (loan) 6 (1)
1985 → Torquay United (loan) 6 (0)
1985–1987 Exeter City 58 (0)
1987 Hartlepool United 6 (1)
1987–1988 Whitley Bay
1988 Carlisle United 14 (0)
Teams managed
1991–1992 Carlisle United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

McCaffery began his career as an apprentice with Newcastle United and went on to captain the England Youth side. He turned professional in January 1974 and made his league debut against Ipswich Town in March 1975. His first senior goal for the club came in an FA Cup replay against Sheffield United in January 1977.[3]

After 59 league games for the Magpies (scoring four goals)[2] he moved to Derby County in August 1978 for a fee of £60,000,[4] making his Rams' debut on 15 September in a 3–2 win against West Bromwich Albion at the Baseball Ground.[5]

In August 1980, after Derby's relegation, he moved to Bristol Rovers for a fee of £70,000, having scored four times in 37 games for Derby.[2][6] The following season, he scored the only goal of the game as Rovers beat local rivals Bristol City for the first time in ten meetings.[7] He was loaned by Rovers to their local rivals Bristol City in February 1982, when City were in a financial crisis that saw them come very close to extinction and lose many of their players. He returned to Bristol Rovers and became a regular in their side, playing 184 times and scoring 11 goals in five seasons.

In March 1985 he joined Torquay United on loan and in July that year moved to Exeter City on a free transfer. He made 58 league appearances for the Grecians before a £3,000 move back to his native north-east, joining Hartlepool United in February 1987.

He was released after only six games and was playing for Whitley Bay when he was appointed youth coach at Carlisle United in January 1988. He played 14 times for the Cumbrians that season before retiring to concentrate on his coaching duties under manager Clive Middlemass. When Middlemass was sacked in April 1991, McCaffery took over as manager, Carlisle ending the season in 20th place in the Fourth Division. The following season saw Carlisle struggle financially and finish bottom of the league, only saved from relegation to the Football Conference by the unfortunate demise of Aldershot. A new owner, Michael Knighton, took over the club the following summer and McCaffery left in September 1992, having expressed doubts about Knighton's plans.[8][9]

References
  1. Rollin, Jack, ed. (1990). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91 (21st ed.). Queen Anne Press. p. 168. ISBN 0-356-17911-7.
  2. "Aidan McCaffery". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  3. Macklin, Keith (25 January 1977). "Newcastle's uncertain defence keeps men of Manchester happy". The Times. p. 11. Craig sent over a high corner to the far post where the Newcastle centre half McCaffery, standing in a large space apparently reserved for him by the Sheffield defence, headed his first senior goal for the club.
  4. "McCaffery signs". The Times. 26 August 1978. p. 5.
  5. Fox, Norman (16 September 1978). "Liverpool in a determined mood". The Times. p. 15.
  6. "Londoners agree on multi-million pound deal". The Times. 13 August 1980. p. 9.
  7. "Rovers end era and a sequence". The Times. 30 December 1981. p. 15.
  8. "History: Carlisle United FC". News & Star. Carlisle. 18 July 2008. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  9. Lightbown, Chris (4 October 1992). "Knighton daze" (reprint). The Sunday Times. NewsBank. Retrieved 17 November 2009.


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