Graham Westley
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Graham Neil Westley (born 4 March 1968) is an English former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...
and manager who was most recently manager of League Two club
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Steven ...
. Westley's playing career, spent mostly as a striker in non-League football, was curtailed due to injury whilst playing for
Kingstonian Kingstonian Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London which currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was founded in 1885 by YMC ...
. It was at Kingstonian that he started his managerial career, at the age of 28, managing them for five months, before spending a year in charge of Enfield. In 1999, Westley became manager of Farnborough Town, guiding them to the
Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
in 2002. He left Farnborough the following season, to become manager of
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Steven ...
. He took the club to within one game of promotion to
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
, but left the club in 2006 when his contract expired. Westley then had a brief spell with Rushden & Diamonds, as well as acting as
caretaker manager In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a care ...
at
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
. He took a year out of the game, before rejoining Stevenage in May 2008. He managed the club to
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
success in
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, before securing promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's history in April 2010, finishing the season as league champions. The club won back-to-back promotions in his first season as a Football League manager, following Stevenage's successful 2010–11 League Two play-off campaign. At the start of 2012, Westley left Stevenage to join
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
. 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 again in May 2015. He took charge at Peterborough United four months later, before being sacked shortly before the end of the 2015–16 season. He was appointed manager at Newport County in October 2016, with the club lying bottom of the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
, 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.


Playing career

Westley was born in
Hounslow Hounslow () is a large suburban district of West London, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in ...
,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and he started his footballing career as an apprentice with
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
. During his time at QPR, Westley represented
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
at under-18 level. He then joined Gillingham in March 1986. He made two Third Division appearances for the club before joining Barnet. He made three appearances and scored one goal for them in the
Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
during the 1987–88 season, making his debut for the club in a 2–2 draw against
Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 and ...
at Moss Rose. Westley joined
Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their home ...
in the latter stages of 1987 for a fee of £7,500, making a scoring debut in a 2–1 away victory at Telford United. He scored in Wycombe's next two games, and was a first team regular until manager Peter Suddaby left the club in January 1988. Westley played just once under new manager Jim Kelman and left soon afterwards to sign for Kingstonian. He played 24 times for Wycombe, scoring five goals in all competitions during the club's 1987–88 campaign. He later played for a number of non-League clubs, including
Kingstonian Kingstonian Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London which currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was founded in 1885 by YMC ...
, Wealdstone, Farnborough Town, Harlow Town, Enfield, Aylesbury United,
Harrow Borough Harrow Borough Football Club is an English football club based in Harrow, London. They were founded in 1933 and compete in the . Harrow Borough's home ground is Earlsmead Stadium, which has a capacity of 3,070. Harrow Borough moved into Ear ...
, Tooting & Mitcham United,
Molesey Molesey is a district of two twin towns, East Molesey and West Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England, and is situated on the south bank of the River Thames. East and West Molesey share a high street, and there is a second retai ...
and Walton & Hersham – three of which he would later go on to manage. He was voted Player of the Season at Enfield, before being swapped to Aylesbury in exchange for Darren Collins in December 1992. During his time at Kingstonian, he suffered a dislocated ankle and broken leg in three places, which subsequently cut his playing career short as he never fully recovered from the injury.


Managerial career


Early management

While recovering from a broken leg, at the age of 28, Westley was appointed as
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...
of
Kingstonian Kingstonian Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London which currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was founded in 1885 by YMC ...
in December 1996 after approaching the club about their vacant managerial post. His first two games as manager of the club both ended in 4–4 draws against Walton & Hersham and
Harrow Borough Harrow Borough Football Club is an English football club based in Harrow, London. They were founded in 1933 and compete in the . Harrow Borough's home ground is Earlsmead Stadium, which has a capacity of 3,070. Harrow Borough moved into Ear ...
, with Westley saying "at the time, there was something raw and exciting about the team that I sent out. Although there was also something evidently missing". His first victory as manager was a 2–0 victory over Wokingham Town in the Isthmian League Cup, before securing his first league win in the following game, a 5–2 win away at Aylesbury United. Kingstonian drew clear of relegation, with Westley recalling a 3–2 victory over champions Yeovil Town at
Huish Park Huish Park is a football stadium located in Yeovil, Somerset, England. The stadium has been home to Yeovil Town F.C. since its completion in 1990, following their relocation from Huish. Huish Park has a capacity of 9,565 (of which two stands ar ...
as a "memorable victory". Despite helping Kingstonian avoid relegation, he was sacked after five months, being replaced by Geoff Chapple. He managed Kingstonian for 25 games, recording nine wins, eight losses, and eight draws. In September 1997, Westley was appointed as manager of another club he had previously played for in the form of Isthmian League Premier Division club Enfield. He appointed Graham Pearce as his assistant, who had also previously played for, and managed, Enfield. He outlined his ambition of ensuring the club returned to the top tier in non-League, despite the club struggling with financial difficulties, he stated "my ambition is to see silverware in the table, and if you can't take the pressure, you shouldn't take big jobs like this one". His first game as manager of Enfield was a 2–0 home defeat to St Albans City. Enfield finished in seventh place in Westley's first season there and he left the club after nine months in charge. He managed the club for 41 games; winning 19, losing 16, and drawing six, with a win percentage of 46.34%.


Farnborough Town

In 1999, Westley bought a controlling interest in Farnborough Town and appointed himself as manager. He managed the club to a 12th-place finish in his first season and enjoyed success in the Isthmian Cup; winning the competition in 2000. The following season, Farnborough won the Isthmian League Premier Division; securing 31 victories from 42 matches and amassing 99 points. Westley overhauled the squad shortly after the club's promotion to the
Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
, which he later stated as a "huge regret". At this point, he also tried to arrange a merger with Kingstonian, citing the club's "Football League rated ground" as the reasoning behind his proposed idea, although it never happened due to "fans resistance". During the 2001–02 season, the club consolidated their position in the first tier of non-League football; finishing in seventh place in the league. The following season, Westley managed the club to the Third Round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
after a 3–0 victory at
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...
, where they faced
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
competition in the form of
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underw ...
at Feethams. They won the match 3–2 and the club were rewarded with a Fourth Round tie at home to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
. The match was moved to
Highbury Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor house was sit ...
, Arsenal's home stadium, because the tie stood to make around £600,000 in gate receipts from playing at Highbury, whereas playing at
Cherrywood Road Cherrywood Road, known as the Saunders Transport Community Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the ground of Farnborough F.C. and the former home of Farnborough Town F.C. before the club went out of business in 2007. It lies in the town of Fa ...
would have generated the club an estimated £50,000. Westley left the club after the sell-out 'home' tie at Highbury, which they lost 5–1. Shortly after his resignation, he became manager at Football Conference club Stevenage Borough in January 2003, signing a three-year contract. Westley confirmed he would be leaving his shareholding in Farnborough to other existing shareholders, and would also be withdrawing his financial backing at the club. On moving to Stevenage, Westley said "I've enjoyed my time at Farnborough, but I feel that I need to move on now and that I need to concentrate on football management, which is where my ambitions lie". He also stated that Stevenage's "long-term potential" was another key factor behind the move.


Stevenage

When Westley took over the
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...
club, Stevenage were positioned in 21st place in the Football Conference, and were six points adrift of safety. Unlike his position at his previous club, Westley was appointed as first team manager, with no board involvement. With an initial objective of keeping the club in the highest tier in non-League football, he signed seven players from his previous club Farnborough, as well as his former assistant Graham Pearce and goalkeeping coach Graham Benstead. His first game as manager of the club was a 1–1 draw at home to
Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), ...
on 13 February 2003, before waiting three games for his first win, a 2–0 victory away at local rivals Barnet on 8 March 2003. The victory served as the catalyst for an eight-game unbeaten run, recording six consecutive victories to ensure the club avoided relegation. Westley guided the club from 21st in the table to a 12th-place finish by the end of the season. Stevenage finished in eighth place during the 2003–04 season, Westley's first full season. As was the case in previous seasons, Westley made wholesale changes at the end of the season, releasing several of the players he had originally signed from Farnborough, and replacing them with a mixture of players with Football League experience – in the form of Brian Quailey, Dannie Bulman, and Matt Hocking, as well as players from lower divisions such as Jon Nurse and Craig McAllister. Westley also gave first team opportunities to players who had progressed through the club's youth system, which included George Boyd. The new squad lost five games of the opening eight games of the club's league season. Following a 4–1 home defeat to part-time
Canvey Island Canvey Island is a town, civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary, near Southend-on-Sea, in the Castle Point district, in the county of Essex, England. It has an area of and a population of 38,170.Office for National Statistics ...
, with Stevenage supporters calling for Westley to leave the club, he walked across the pitch to the East Terrace and told supporters he "would turn it around". The team responded with four consecutive victories, and stayed close to the play-offs places. Stevenage went into the final day of the season needing to beat already-relegated Leigh RMI, and had to rely on Tamworth to hold Morecambe, who were currently occupying the final play-off spot. Stevenage beat Leigh 2–0, while Tamworth held Morecambe to a goalless draw, ultimately meaning Westley's team had reached the play-offs on the final day of the season. Stevenage overcame second-placed
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
2–1 on aggregate, before losing 1–0 to
Carlisle United Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Park s ...
at the
Britannia Stadium The Bet365 Stadium (stylised as ''bet365 Stadium'') is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City. The stadium was previously called the Britannia Stadium but was ...
in the final. The 2005–06 season marked Westley's third season in charge as manager of the club, and although the club were consistent at Broadhall Way throughout the season, the team did not replicate this form away from home, winning four away games all season. Westley had also fallen out with the club's top goalscorer the previous season, striker Anthony Elding, was eventually sold to
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
in January 2006. There were also question marks surrounding the discipline of the squad under Westley's control, as Stevenage received 14 red cards during the season, more than any other club in the league. A 2–0 defeat away to relegation-threatened Forest Green Rovers on the final day of the season meant that Stevenage failed to reach the play-offs, finishing sixth in the league table. After failing to reach the play-offs, Westley confirmed in May 2006 that he would leave the club when his contract expired in June, ending his three-and-a-half years with the Hertfordshire club.


Rushden & Diamonds

He was appointed manager of Conference National club Rushden & Diamonds in December 2006, with the club placed 22nd in the league table, two points adrift of safety. Westley's first game as manager of Rushden was a 1–0 victory away at Cambridge United on 26 December 2006. Westley signed several players who he had previously managed at Stevenage; signing Jamie Cook, David Perpetuini, and Dino Maamria. Westley also brought in
Michael Bostwick Michael Paul Trevor Bostwick (born 17 May 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for National League North club Boston United F.C., Boston United. Bostwick sta ...
and
Chris Beardsley Christopher Kellan Beardsley (born 28 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the fitness coach at club Burton Albion. Beardsley played youth football with Mickleover Sports and Derby Cou ...
, younger players who he had previously written about in his weekly column in '' The Non-League Paper''. The newly assembled team won five consecutive games in the league, including victories away at the top two teams in the league at the time,
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
and
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as D ...
. Despite managing an upturn in the form of the club, Westley was sacked after a 2–2 draw at Aldershot Town in February 2007. He had taken the club from 22nd in the league to 12th in the space of two-and-a-half months, and the club were on a seven-match unbeaten run at the time. Westley managed Rushden for thirteen games; winning seven, drawing three and losing three. No reasons were given as to why Westley left the club and he was replaced two days later by
Garry Hill Garry Hill is an English football manager who was last the manager of National League club Ebbsfleet United. He previously managed Woking, Heybridge Swifts, St Albans City, Dagenham & Redbridge, Hornchurch, Weymouth and Rushden & Diamond ...
.


Kettering Town

Shortly after leaving Rushden, Westley was appointed
caretaker manager In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a care ...
of
Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Syst ...
club
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
for the rest of the 2006–07 season on 20 April 2007. Due to the date he joined, Westley was unable to bring any new players, with just two games remaining until the end of the season. His first game as manager was a 0–0 draw away to
Stalybridge Celtic Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip. In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...
, shortly followed by a 1–0 defeat to Alfreton Town at Rockingham Road enough to ensure Kettering finished the season in second place. He managed Kettering in the play-offs, as they were beaten on penalties by
Farsley Celtic Farsley Celtic Football Club is a football club based in Farsley, West Yorkshire, England. The club was founded in 1908, but folded in 2010 and were reformed as Farsley AFC before returning to the name Farsley Celtic in 2015.
in the semi-final after a 1–1 aggregate scoreline over two legs, he left shortly after when his short-term contract expired in May 2007, managing the club for four games.


Return to Stevenage

After almost a year without work in football, Westley returned as manager of Stevenage on 2 May 2008, two years after he had left. On his return, Westley stated he had come to "finish the job he started", referring to trying to guide the club into the Football League for the first time in its history. He said that "the moment was right" for him to come back into football and that he "had some very good times at Stevenage before". His appointment was met with scepticism by some Stevenage supporters, but Westley promised to deliver a winning team. Westley started by overhauling the squad in the summer transfer window and brought in 12 players. Among those brought in were
Gary Mills and
David Bridges David Stephen Bridges (born 22 September 1982) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder. Bridges started his career with local club Cambridge United, progressing through the club's youth system and eventually bre ...
, who Westley had managed during his time at Kettering. He also signed
Michael Bostwick Michael Paul Trevor Bostwick (born 17 May 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for National League North club Boston United F.C., Boston United. Bostwick sta ...
and Mark Albrighton, who he had also signed at Rushden & Diamonds. Westley also signed Andy Drury and
Eddie Odhiambo Eddie Odhiambo-Anaclet (born 31 August 1985) is a Tanzanian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was most recently manager of side North Leigh. Odhiambo began his career as a schoolboy with Oxford United, before movin ...
respectively, both of whom were players Westley had previously earmarked. Stevenage started the season poorly, losing three out of their first four games and conceding thirteen goals in the process, including a 5–0 defeat to
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
on the first day of the season. The club secured its first victory of the season on 30 August 2008, a 3–1 win away at Barrow, before winning four consecutive matches throughout September. Through the first half of the club's 2008–09 campaign, Westley's team were suffering from the same inconsistency that was common in his first spell as manager of the Hertfordshire club, losing three consecutive matches in November, the last of which was a 2–1 home defeat to Wrexham; it was to be Stevenage's last defeat at Broadhall Way in the league for 18 months. Westley brought in former player, Dino Maamria as first-team coach at the club. This, coupled with signings during the season, such as
Chris Day Christopher Nicholas Day (born 28 July 1975) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Day started his career at Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent five years, making one Premier League appearance for the North ...
, Mark Roberts, and Jon Ashton, meant that Stevenage improved during the second half of the season. A club record 24-game unbeaten run lasting from December 2008 to April 2009 meant that the club made the Conference Premier play-offs, finishing in the last play-off place. Despite taking a 3–1 lead into the second leg, Stevenage lost 4–3 on aggregate to Cambridge United. The club won the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
that season, beating York City 2–0 in the
Final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. The FA Trophy success was Westley's first managerial honours won as manager of Stevenage. After the game, Westley signed a one-year contract extension. The majority of the squad that performed well in the second half of the club's 2008–09 campaign were retained, with very little transfer activity in comparison to previous seasons under Westley.
Steve Morison Steven William Morison (born 29 August 1983) is a football manager and former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was most recently the manager of EFL Championship club Cardiff City. Morison started his career at Northampton To ...
, the club's top goalscorer for the past three seasons, transferred to
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
for a fee of £130,000, while both John Martin and
Calum Willock Calum Daniel Willock (born 29 October 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. In his career he played in each of the top seven levels of English football. Born in England, he represented the Saint Kitts and Nevis nati ...
were released by Westley in late May 2009. Midfielder Gary Mills was the last departure of the close season; rejecting a contract and instead opting to join fellow Conference Premier club
Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ye ...
. Five players joined the club during the close season. Charlie Griffin was the first signing of the season, joining Stevenage from Salisbury City on a free transfer.
Yemi Odubade Yemi Odubade (born 4 July 1984) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for Southern League Premier Division club Gosport Borough. Odubade began his football career in England, playing in the Sussex County League for Eastbourne Tow ...
,
Chris Beardsley Christopher Kellan Beardsley (born 28 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the fitness coach at club Burton Albion. Beardsley played youth football with Mickleover Sports and Derby Cou ...
, and
Joel Byrom Joel Alan Byrom (born 14 September 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Northern Premier League Division One West club Clitheroe. Byrom started his career at Blackburn Rovers at the age of 14, and spent four ...
signed for the club shortly after; the latter commanding a transfer fee of £15,000. Westley had previously managed Beardsley at Rushden & Diamonds and Kettering Town. The last signing of pre-season was
Stacy Long Stacy William Long (born 11 January 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Long started his football career at Charlton Athletic in 1995 and progressed through the youth system, spending ten years on t ...
; who joined the club on a free transfer from Ebbsfleet United. No players departed the club during the season, with
Tim Sills Timothy Sills (born 10 September 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is currently manager of Wimborne Town. Sills was a product of Millwall's youth system and was a regular in the club's youth team ...
the only addition, signing for an undisclosed fee from
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nickna ...
in January 2010. Stevenage started the 2009–10 season by recording one win from their first five games of the season. Following a 2–1 defeat to
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
in August 2009, the team went on a 17-game unbeaten run from August to December 2009, propelling the club into the top two. Unlike in previous seasons, the club were performing strongly away from home, and secured victories at promotion rivals Luton Town and Mansfield Town. A 4–1 victory against Cambridge United on
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...
meant that Stevenage were positioned in first place in the league table for the first time in the season. Two away defeats within the space of a week in February meant that rivals Oxford United had an eight–point lead going into March 2010. Stevenage responded by winning eight consecutive games; including a 1–0 victory over Oxford United in late March, subsequently replacing Oxford at the top of the table. Stevenage earned promotion to the Football League with two games to spare following a 2–0 win against
Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...
at
Aggborough Aggborough Stadium is a football stadium in Kidderminster, England. It is the home ground of Kidderminster Harriers, and has a capacity of 7,000, of which 3,140 can be seated. The ground was also the home of Worcester City between 2013 and 20 ...
on 17 April 2010. The team won their last six games of the league campaign without conceding a goal, and recorded 42 points from a possible 45 from their last 15 league fixtures. Stevenage finished the season having amassed 99 points from 44 games, winning the league by 11 points. The promotion meant Westley had led Stevenage to the Football League for the first time in their history, as well as managing a Football League team for the first time in his managerial career. Westley also guided the club to another FA Trophy
Final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
; this time losing 2–1 after extra-time against Barrow at Wembley Stadium. At the end of the season, Westley signed a new two-year contract; keeping him contracted to the club until 2012. On signing the new deal, Westley said "I am grateful for all the support that we have all been given in the past two years. I am delighted to have the opportunity to manage the launch of the club into the Football League". In his first two seasons back at the club, from May 2008 to May 2010, Westley has been in charge for 114 games, winning a total of 70 games – recording a win percentage of 61.40%. Similarly to the club's successful campaign the season before, but in complete contrast to his first spell at the club, the 2010–11 season saw five players joining the club, while five players left the club in the close season. The club started the season inconsistently, with Westley stating the season would be a "massive learning curve" for both himself and the players. Following four defeats in six games in December 2010 and January 2011, Stevenage found themselves in 18th position, just four points above the relegation zone. Throughout February and March 2011, Stevenage won nine games out of eleven, propelling the club up the league table and into the play-off positions. This included winning six games in a row, a sequence only matched by Bury that season. A 3–3 draw against Bury on the final day of the season meant that Stevenage finished the season in sixth place. They faced fifth-placed
Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete his ...
in the 2010–11 League Two play-off semi-finals, winning both legs by a 3–0 aggregate scoreline. They beat
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nickna ...
1–0 in the
Final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wembl ...
on 28 May 2011. The victory meant that Westley had guided the club to back-to-back promotions, playing in League One for the first time in the club's history. On securing promotion, Westley said "It's a fantastic feeling. The players work so hard and they deserve everything they get". During the 2010–11 season, Westley also guided the club to the Fourth Round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
, where they lost to
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
2–1. In the previous round, Stevenage beat
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
club
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East En ...
3–1 at Broadhall Way. After the match, Westley said before the game he had told the players to "go out and win the match 5–0. We established that if we did just 20% of what it would take to win 5–0 then we would still win the game". At the start of the 2011–12 season, Westley signed a three-year contract extension at Stevenage that kept him contracted to the club until 2014. Westley acquired five players on free transfers, while also releasing five of the existing squad. Stevenage started their first ever League One campaign well, beating the 2010–11 League One play-off semi-finalists,
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a r ...
, 3–1 at
Dean Court Dean Court, currently known as the Vitality Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England and the home ground of AFC Bournemouth. History In 1910, Boscombe F.C. was g ...
to secure their first victory of the season on 16 August 2011. Stevenage were exceeding expectations in the third tier of English football, sitting just outside the play-off places after securing a notable 5–1 victory against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
at Broadhall Way in September 2011. The club also inflicted
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...
's first league defeat of the season after a 1–0 win against the league leaders. The victory against Charlton was to spark a 13-game unbeaten run for the team, and a 6–1 away victory at Colchester United on Boxing Day 2011 meant the club were in sixth place, the final play-off position. After managing Stevenage for three-and-a-half years, Westley left Stevenage in January 2012, joining fellow League One club
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
. His final game as manager of Stevenage was a 1–0 away victory at
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
in the FA Cup Third Round.


Preston North End

In January 2012, Preston North End asked for permission to speak to Westley with the view to employing him as their new manager. Though the Hertfordshire club described the approach as "unwelcome", permission was granted. After personal terms and a compensation package were agreed, Westley was appointed as Preston's new manager on 13 January 2012. His first game in charge of the club was a 2–0 home defeat against
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a profession ...
on 21 January 2012. He picked up his first win as Preston manager in his fourth game in charge, securing a 1–0 home victory over
Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
on 14 February 2012. Following Preston's 2–0 televised defeat to
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
on 31 March 2012, Westley stated that a Sheffield Wednesday player had informed him that four Preston players had leaked the Preston team and tactics to opposition players ahead of the match. Westley stated "It doesn't surprise me. When you have got people in your own camp working against you it is tough". Preston won two games out of the next 17 during the remainder of the campaign, and finished the season in 15th place. At the end of the season, Westley criticised the club's "mediocre" mentality, stating the squad have "not got a clue what it takes to get success". Westley subsequently went about overhauling the squad ahead of the 2012–13 season. In May 2012, Preston announced that 21 players would be leaving the club; 14 of which were released at the end of their contracts, while a further seven were transfer-listed. Preston signed 18 players during the summer transfer window, including
Scott Laird Scott Benjamin Laird (born 15 May 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back and midfielder for Southern League Premier Division South club Weston-super-Mare. He is also the club's assistant manager. Laird began his ...
, John Mousinho,
Joel Byrom Joel Alan Byrom (born 14 September 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Northern Premier League Division One West club Clitheroe. Byrom started his career at Blackburn Rovers at the age of 14, and spent four ...
, and
Chris Beardsley Christopher Kellan Beardsley (born 28 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the fitness coach at club Burton Albion. Beardsley played youth football with Mickleover Sports and Derby Cou ...
, four players from Westley's former club, Stevenage. Westley stated a desire for the new group of players to be committed to his ideas – "My job is to develop a plan that would see the club back on an upward curve. The plan is in place. I'm looking forward to working with a group that thinks along the same lines that I do". Preston started the season by beating
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
club Huddersfield Town 2–0 at
Deepdale Deepdale is a football stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End. Deepdale is "widely recognised as being the oldest 'continuously used' football stadium in the world, though this is contested". History ...
in the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
. Later on in the month, Preston went on to secure consecutive 4–1 home victories, beating
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
and Swindon Town respectively, as well as defeating Hartlepool United 5–0 a month later. After this, the club went on to win two leagues matches in a four-month period from October 2012 to February 2013. A day after Preston's 3–1 away defeat to Yeovil Town on 12 February 2013, the club released a statement announcing Westley had been sacked. With Preston sitting just five points above the relegation zone, "the board felt that a change of manager was the only way forward". On his time at Preston, Westley stated he had to "slash the wage bill by 60 percent", and as a result the "re-building was well underway but the club lost confidence in me whilst I was doing it. They just want results. Short-term pain is necessary sometimes. It was necessary at Preston. And the fans got restless. I get that. Just as managers have to be brave enough to grit their teeth and face up to that, so owners have to be brave at difficult times. And they have to be able to understand the issues. I knew the answers to problems but I wasn't being allowed to solve all the problems".


Third spell at Stevenage

After a month out of work, Westley rejoined Stevenage on 30 March 2013, his third spell in charge at the club. On the appointment, Stevenage chairman
Phil Wallace Phillip Owen Wallace BEM is a British businessman and chairman of EFL League One association football club Stevenage F.C. Business interests Phil Wallace is the CEO of Lamex Food Group, a global food trading company with 21 offices in 16 coun ...
stated – "Graham was keen to come back to Stevenage and, although I met some strong candidates, without doubt I think he's the best man for the job right now. The club enjoyed a great deal of success before he left last year and we moved forwards significantly in his time here on several levels". On his return, Westley stated "I'm really happy to be back, the training ground is fantastic, the club just keeps moving forward. All the facilities keep improving and I hope that I can come back and make another positive difference". In his first game back in charge of the club, Stevenage secured a 1–0 victory over
Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
on 1 April 2013. Stevenage ended the 2012–13 season in 18th place, and Westley released four players and transfer-listed three others. He signed seven players in preparation for the 2013–14 season, and further strengthened by signing striker François Zoko in September. However, Stevenage never recovered from a poor start to the season, and despite a late run of six undefeated games ended the campaign in last-place and were therefore relegated into League Two, finishing eight points shy of safety. Westley responded by releasing nine players, whilst a further four were sold on. Westley was forced to largely rebuild the squad for the 2014–15 season, and brought in 15 new signings, including Dean Wells,
Calvin Zola Calvin Zola-Makongo (born 31 December 1984), often known simply as Calvin Zola, is a Congolese former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, he began his career as a youth player at Newcastle United. Zola wen ...
, and Charlie Lee. He guided the team to a play-off place with a sixth-place finish, before they were beaten by Southend United 4–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals after conceding two goals in extra-time of the second leg fixture at Roots Hall. On 21 May 2015, Westley was replaced as manager by ex-England striker
Teddy Sheringham Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham, MBE (born 2 April 1966) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a forward, mostly as a second striker, in a 24-year professional career. Sheringham began his career at Millwall, where ...
.


Peterborough United

In September 2015, Westley was appointed manager of League One club Peterborough United. He was named as League One Manager of the Month for November 2015 after his team secured 12 points and 14 goals from four league games, which earned him praise for his side's open, attacking play. Despite lifting the "Posh" into the play-off places in January, a very poor run of form saw Peterborough slide down the table and Westley was sacked by Peterborough on 23 April after a 2–0 defeat to
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The te ...
at London Road left them 14th in the League One table.


Newport County

Westley was appointed manager of League Two bottom side Newport County on 7 October 2016, following the sacking of Warren Feeney. Despite Westley criticising his players with some "harsh words", saying he was "not prepared to tolerate that sort of rubbish anymore", Newport went on to lose eight successive games, which Westley described as "embarrassing" and "humiliating". Club secretary Graham Bean resigned in December, saying "Graham Westley is an impossible man to work with... he needs to learn some manners and start treating people with some respect". Shortly afterwards Westley again courted controversy after refusing to leave opposition manager Derek Adams's press conference. He signed 14 players in the January transfer window, a move he admitted was a "short-term risk". However, he failed to arrest the team's declining fortunes and was sacked on 9 March 2017 with Newport 11 points adrift at the bottom of League Two. The club's board said that they had consulted both fans and the players over their decision to sack Westley; he had been confronted by irate supporters at
Rodney Parade Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales, owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's cen ...
and after his sacking transfer-listed midfielder Mark Randall came out to say he had been "treated quite unfairly" by Westley. Caretaker-manager
Michael Flynn Michael Thomas Flynn (born December 24, 1958) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general and conspiracy theorist who was the 24th U.S. National Security Advisor for the first 22 days of the Trump administration. He resigned in light of ...
managed to organise an unlikely escape from relegation for the "Exiles" after overseeing seven victories in the remaining 12 games of the 2016–17 season. Westley maintained that his strategy had played a key part in Newport's survival, stating "If you go back to the AGM just after the turn of the year, Newport were rooted to the bottom of the Football League and I was very clear there was one way out of it – turning the whole squad over in January. I put together a team to function on the bog of a pitch that was Rodney Parade and my strategy is what kept that club in the Football League. Yes, it happened under Flynny's management but I think anyone who is honest would say I did a very good job in working out a way of surviving and building a squad that would win the games at home to keep them in the League".


Barnet

Westley was appointed as
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
of League Two club Barnet on 15 January 2018. Barnet chairman
Anthony Kleanthous Anthony Andrew Kleanthous (born January 1966) is an English businessman and the current chairman of Barnet Football Club. He became the youngest football chairman to enter the Football League when, aged 28, he bought the club in 1994. Early life ...
stated the move had come about after Westley had been recommended to him by Peterborough United director of football, Barry Fry. Despite his previous ties with local rivals Stevenage, Westley had been identified as a "high impact manager" capable of changing Barnet's fortunes, with the club sitting bottom of League Two at the time of his appointment. He joined Barnet on a rolling contract. Westley's first game in charge was a 1–1 draw with promotion-chasing Lincoln City on 20 January 2018. He was sacked by Barnet on 19 March 2018, just two months into his time there, and was immediately replaced with
Martin Allen Martin James Allen (born 14 August 1965) is an English football manager and former player. He played more than 100 games as a midfielder for both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and ...
. Barnet had won two games out of eleven with Westley in charge, drawing four and losing five.


Fourth spell at Stevenage

On 15 December 2019 Westley's return to
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Steven ...
as manager was announced, four-and-a-half years after his last spell ended and taking over from caretaker manager Mark Sampson who reverted to first team coach. Westley returned with the club 23rd in
EFL League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Le ...
, signing a contract until the end of the 2019–20 season. On 21 December 2019 Sampson completed his final match in charge of the club, losing 5–1 at home to Crewe Alexandra. Westley started his role two days later but won just one and drew three of the next 13 league matches, despite signing nine players in the January 2020 transfer window. Westley resigned as manager on 16 February 2020 with Stevenage in 24th place and seven points adrift at the bottom of League Two, having lost all six of his final matches in charge. Stevenage youth team manager
Alex Revell Alexander David Revell (born 7 July 1983) is an English manager and former footballer. He is currently serving as a first team coach for Stevenage in League Two. He was the manager at Stevenage from February 16, 2020 till November 14, 2021. Dur ...
replaced Westley as team manager until the end of the 2019–20 season.


Personal life

Westley wrote a weekly column in '' The Non-League Paper'', sharing his views and experiences on the non-League game. He is the chief executive of the Aimita Corporation, an organisation that provides performance management consulting. Westley has also gained a
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degree in company direction.


Statistics


Playing statistics

Source:


Managerial statistics


Honours

Farnborough Town * Isthmian League Cup: 2000–01 *
Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 t ...
Premier Division: 2000–01 Stevenage *
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
: 2008–09; runner-up: 2009–10 *
Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...
: 2009–10 * League Two play-offs: 2010–11 Individual * Conference Premier Manager of the Month: October 2005, January 2009, January 2010 * League One Manager of the Month: November 2015


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westley, Graham 1968 births Living people Footballers from Hounslow English footballers England youth international footballers Association football forwards Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Gillingham F.C. players Barnet F.C. players Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players Kingstonian F.C. players Wealdstone F.C. players Farnborough F.C. players Harlow Town F.C. players Enfield F.C. players Aylesbury United F.C. players Harrow Borough F.C. players Tooting & Mitcham United F.C. players Molesey F.C. players Walton & Hersham F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players Isthmian League players Southern Football League players English football managers Kingstonian F.C. managers Enfield F.C. managers Farnborough F.C. managers Stevenage F.C. managers Rushden & Diamonds F.C. managers Kettering Town F.C. managers Preston North End F.C. managers Peterborough United F.C. managers Newport County A.F.C. managers Barnet F.C. managers Isthmian League managers National League (English football) managers English Football League managers English columnists