Graham Westley
Graham Neil Westley (born 4 March 1968) is an English professional football manager and former professional footballer. He was most recently manager of League Two club Stevenage.
|
Westley in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graham Neil Westley | ||
| Date of birth | 4 March 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Hounslow, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1986 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1987 | Gillingham | 2 | (0) |
| 1987 | Barnet | 3 | (1) |
| 1987–1988 | Wycombe Wanderers | ||
| 1988–1990 | Kingstonian | ||
| 1990 | Wealdstone | ||
| 1990 | Farnborough Town | ||
| 1990 | Harlow Town | ||
| 1990–1992 | Enfield | ||
| 1992 | Aylesbury United | 23 | (18) |
| 1992–1993 | Harrow Borough | ||
| 1993 | Tooting & Mitcham United | ||
| 1993 | Molesey | ||
| 1994 | Walton & Hersham | ||
| International career | |||
| England U18 | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1996–1997 | Kingstonian | ||
| 1997–1998 | Enfield | ||
| 1999–2003 | Farnborough Town | ||
| 2003–2006 | Stevenage Borough | ||
| 2006–2007 | Rushden & Diamonds | ||
| 2007 | Kettering Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2008–2012 | Stevenage | ||
| 2012–2013 | Preston North End | ||
| 2013–2015 | Stevenage | ||
| 2015–2016 | Peterborough United | ||
| 2016–2017 | Newport County | ||
| 2018 | Barnet | ||
| 2019–2020 | Stevenage | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Westley's playing career, spent mostly as a striker in non-League football, was curtailed due to injury whilst playing for Kingstonian. It was at Kingstonian that he started his managerial career, at the age of 28, managing them for five months before spending a year as manager of Enfield. In 1999, Westley became manager of Farnborough Town, helping the club earn promotion to the Football Conference in 2002. He left Farnborough the following season, to become manager of Stevenage Borough in January 2003. He took the club to within one game of promotion to the Football League, but left the club in 2006 when his contract expired. Westley then had a brief spell as manager of Rushden & Diamonds, as well as acting as caretaker manager at Conference North club Kettering Town.
Westley rejoined Stevenage in May 2008 and managed the club to FA Trophy success in 2009, before securing promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's history after finishing the 2009–10 season as league champions. The club won back-to-back promotions in his first season as a Football League manager, via the League Two play-offs. Westley left Stevenage to join fellow League One club Preston North End in January 2012. He was sacked by the club in February 2013. A month later, Westley rejoined Stevenage, his third spell at the club. He managed the club for another two years, before leaving in May 2015.
He took charge at Peterborough United four months later, before being sacked shortly before the end of the 2015–16 season. Westley was appointed manager at League Two club Newport County in October 2016, with the club lying bottom of the Football League, and was sacked five months later. He was appointed as head coach of Barnet in January 2018, before managing Stevenage for a fourth time for two months from December 2019.