Alan Buckley

Alan Peter Buckley (born 20 April 1951 in Mansfield, England) is an English football manager for League Two side Grimsby Town and is a former football player.

Football career
Buckley began his career with Nottingham Forest, but was transferred to Walsall in 1973 having never managed to win a regular place in the first team. He became a prolific striker at Fellows Park, before he was transferred briefly to Birmingham City in October 1978. He returned to Walsall as their record signing (£175,000) in June 1979. He began his managerial career with 'The Saddlers', initially as player/manager and briefly as co-manager with Neil Martin. This was an era that became a hallmark for some of the most attractive football seen in Walsall. Buckley also gained something of a reputation as a giant killer during his time in the Black Country, scoring against Manchester United as a player during an FA Cup upset in January 1975, and leading his Walsall side as a manager to victories against the likes of Arsenal, and a draw at Anfield during a League Cup run which took them to the semi-finals, just '90 Minutes From Europe'. He was sacked in August 1986, as enigmatic millionaire Terry Ramsden bought the club, installing his own managerial team.

Later as a manager, after a spell with non-league Kettering Town, he guided Grimsby Town to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1990 and they reached the Second Division a year later - where they spent all but one of the next 12 seasons. Buckley remained at Blundell Park until the autumn of 1994 when he joined Grimsby's Division One rivals West Bromwich Albion. His spell at the Hawthorns lasted two-and-a-half years before he was sacked for failing to get Albion anywhere near a promotion challenge.

Soon after being sacked by Albion, Buckley returned to Grimsby for his second spell as manager. They had just been relegated to Division Two but he took them back to Division One at the first time of asking, and he remained in charge for one season after that. Two brief, short-lived spells in Division Three followed - first with Lincoln City. He arrived at Sincil Bank in January 2001. Buckley left Lincoln in April 2002, with the club stating that financial reasons were behind his departure. He then took charge of Rochdale in June 2003, but left by mutual consent in December of the same year after failing to revive the club's fortunes. On 9 November 2006 Buckley was appointed manager of Grimsby for a third time.

Buckley is one of only 14 managers to have reached 1,000 matches in charge of a league team. Buckley is however the only one of the 14 never to have managed a team in the Premiership or its predecessor, the First Division.

He also played for Tamworth and many more lower league clubs.

He is the older brother of former Borrowash Victoria, Burton Albion, Luton Town and Derby County full-back, Steve Buckley. and he is the father of former Grimsby Town and Lincoln City midfielder Adam Buckley. His other son, Simon Buckley also had a brief stint with Grimsby, before playing for non-league clubs such as Grantham Town

Walsall

 * All time scoring record: 202 goals in all major competitions
 * Most expensive signing: £175,000 from Birmingham City in June 1979

Kettering Town

 * GMAC Cup winner: 1987

Grimsby Town

 * Division Four runners up, Promoted: 1990
 * Division Three 3rd place, Promoted: 1991
 * Auto Windscreens Shield winner: 1998
 * Second Division playoff winner: 1998

Managerial stats
As of 24 May 2007.

Trivia

 * In his three stints as Grimsby Town manager (spanning, in total, over 10 years) the club have never been relegated, only promoted (3 times).