Andy Scott (footballer, Born 1972)
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Andrew Scott (born 2 August 1972) is an English former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career, Scott played in the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
and
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, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
for
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
, Oxford United, Sheffield United and Leyton Orient as a forward and
utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...
. Upon his retirement in 2005, he entered coaching and later managed Brentford, Rotherham United and Aldershot Town. In 2015, he moved into
scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
and backroom roles with Brentford,
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
, Swansea City,
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
and Charlton Athletic.


Playing career


Early years

A forward, Scott began his career in the
youth system In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show en ...
at First Division club Wimbledon, but failed to be awarded a professional contract and dropped into
non-League football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
to join
Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...
Premier Division club Sutton United in 1991.


Sheffield United

Along with his brother, Efan Ekoku and Paul Rogers, Scott was one of four Sutton United players to be plucked from non-League football by Sheffield United in the early 1990s. He joined the
Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramall ...
club, then members of the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, for a £50,000 fee in December 1992 and made the first professional appearance of his career as an injury time substitute for Brian Deane in a 1–1 Steel City derby draw on 21 April 1993. Scott made his first start for the club versus Chelsea on the final day of the 1992–93 season and had a dream afternoon, playing the full 90 minutes and opening the scoring after seven minutes of the eventual 4–1 victory. Scott played a bit-part role during the 1993–94 season, at the end of which the Blades were relegated to the First Division. Scott became a regular in the team during the 1994–95 season, making 40 appearances. After the departure of manager Dave Bassett in 1995, he fell out of favour with successive managers Howard Kendall and Nigel Spackman. Following two
loans In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the debt ( ...
away, Scott departed the club on 21 December 1997. Scott made 87 appearances and scored 11 goals during five years at Bramall Lane.


Brentford

As one of new manager
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football Manager (association football), manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 43 ...
' first signings, Scott transferred to Second Division strugglers
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
on 21 November 1997. Joining for a £75,000 fee, the move reunited him with Geoff Taylor, then Director of Youth Football at
Griffin Park Griffin Park was a association football, football ground in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow, England. It was the home ground of Brentford F.C. from its opening in September 1904 to August 2020. The ground was in a predominantly resi ...
and previously assistant manager at Sheffield United and youth team manager at Wimbledon. Despite scoring on his debut with a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Oldham Athletic, Scott had a difficult start to life at Griffin Park and failed to live up to expectations, scoring just five goals in 27 appearances during the remainder of the 1996-97 season, at the end of which the Bees were relegated to the Third Division. Scott was played on the left wing by new manager Ron Noades during 1998–99, but despite suffering a serious leg injury in November 1998, he had the best season of his career so far, scoring 11 goals in 40 appearances and winning the Third Division championship. Scott was again a regular back in the Second Division during the 1999–00 season, making 42 appearances and proving his versatility by filling in at
left back In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categ ...
and in central midfield during the campaign. Scott began the 2000–01 season in his regular left wing role, but deputised up front for the injured Lloyd Owusu and enjoyed the best goalscoring form of his career, with 13 goals in a 21-match spell between late August 2000 and early January 2001. In a bid to balance the club's books, chairman Ron Noades sold Scott and teammate Rob Quinn in January 2001. Scott made 143 appearances and scored 37 goals in just over three years at Griffin Park.


Oxford United

Scott and Brentford teammate Rob Quinn joined Second Division strugglers Oxford United for a combined £150,000 fee on 12 January 2001. He was unable to prevent the club from suffering relegation to the Third Division at the end of the 2000–01 season, though on a personal note he had had the best season of his career and finished the campaign with 20 goals scored for Brentford and Oxford United. He was the final Oxford United player to score at the Manor Ground. Scott played on for a three further seasons with the Us, but fell out of favour due to injury troubles during the 2003–04 season. He was released on 24 March 2004. During years with Oxford United, he made 100 appearances and scored 25 goals. At the time of his departure, Scott was the club's PFA representative.


Leyton Orient

On 24 March 2004, Scott joined struggling Third Division club Leyton Orient on a free transfer. He scored one goal in eight appearances during what remained of the 2003–04 season and despite being aged 32, was a regular in 2004–05 and scored 9 goals in 45 appearances before being forced to retire in April 2005 after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A 2005–06 pre-season friendly was played between Leyton Orient and Brentford to raise money for Scott after his premature retirement.


Managerial and coaching career


Leyton Orient

After retiring from football in April 2005, Scott began coaching the Leyton Orient youth team, replacing Dean Smith, who moved up to assistant manager. He remained in the role until his departure at the end of the 2006–07 season.


Brentford


2007–2009

On 9 May 2007, Scott rejoined his former club Brentford, newly relegated to League Two, as assistant to incoming manager Terry Butcher. Following a poor run of results and with a relegation into non-League football a possibility, Butcher was sacked on 11 December 2007 and Scott was named
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 caret ...
. After three wins, one draw and one loss from his opening five games, Scott was named as the club's permanent manager on 4 January 2008. Seven wins and two draws from a 9-match spell between late December 2007 and mid-February 2008 raised the Bees to 11th position, but hopes of a playoff finish were thwarted by a run of just four wins from the final 15 matches of the season. Scott signed a new five-year contract during the 2008 off-season and an overhaul of the squad and the shrewd loan signings of goalkeeper Ben Hamer, centre back Alan Bennett and forwards Jordan Rhodes and Billy Clarke contributed to Brentford winning the 2008–09 League Two championship in Scott's first full season in management. During the season he was named the 2008
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Manager of the Year and won the April 2009 League Two Manager of the Month award. The title win made Scott the first person to win a league championship as both a player and manager of Brentford.


2009–2011

Scott again overhauled the squad for the 2009–10 season in League One and he again showed prowess in the loan market, signing young
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 mostly ...
goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, up-and-coming teenage attacker John Bostock and future stalwart Toumani Diagouraga. Just six defeats between early December and the end of the season led to a strong 9th-place finish. Scott's Brentford had a torrid start to the 2010–11 season and sat bottom of the table after just two wins from the opening 11 matches. The early months of the season were notable for a run to the fourth round of the League Cup, which featured wins over
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 sys ...
club Hull City and Premier League Everton on penalties at Griffin Park, before the run ended with a loss in a penalty shootout away to Premier League side
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
. The team's league form subsequently picked up and Scott won the October 2010 League One Manager of the Month award. In the same period, Scott felt the need to address the atmosphere surrounding the club, stating "we are closing ranks. There's a lot of negativity around the place and I'm sick of it. We've beaten
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
,
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, Charlton, Hull and Everton and taken Birmingham to penalties – it's a terrible season we're having!". Scott also guided Brentford to the Southern Area finals of the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
, but winless run in league matches in January 2011 saw Scott and his assistant Terry Bullivant sacked two days after a 4–1 away defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge on 1 February. In recognition of his achievements as a player and manager with Brentford, Scott was inducted into the club's
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
in November 2024.


Rotherham United

On 13 April 2011, Scott was named manager of League Two club Rotherham United on a three-year contract. He immediately made wholesale changes to the squad and instigated changes to the youth setup and the training ground. Four wins and one draw during the opening month of the 2011–12 season led to him winning the August 2011 League Two Manager of the Month award. With the club in 11th position in the table, Scott was sacked on 19 March 2012.


Aldershot Town

On 22 February 2013, Scott took over as manager of League Two club Aldershot Town on a deal until the end of the 2012–13 season. Scott and his assistant Terry Bullivant were unable to save the Shots from relegation to the Conference Premier and the subsequent entry into
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. ** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...
. Despite Aldershot residing in the relegation places in October 2013, the pair signed new three-year contracts. A 19th-place finish was achieved at the end of the 2013–14 season, but with the club six points above the relegation zone, Scott and Bullivant were sacked on 21 January 2015. In August 2022, Scott revealed that he would not return to football management and that he had been "in management for a reason and that was to develop players, organise teams and get everyone playing the way I wanted to play. Realistically, where I was going to go after Aldershot was scrambling around at that level, I didn't want to be a
journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...
manager applying for every job. Now I'm forging out a new career where I'm fortunate to be in the position I am in".


Backroom roles


Brentford

In early 2015, Scott resumed his association with Brentford, when he began
scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
for it and its partner club
FC Midtjylland Football Club Midtjylland (, "Central Jutland") is a Danish professional football club based in Herning and Ikast. The club is the result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad. Midtjylland competes in the Danish Superliga, which they ...
on behalf of Smartodds, a
sports betting Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a sportsbook or bookmaker (colloquially known as "bookies"), or illegally through priva ...
company owned by Brentford owner Matthew Benham. On 1 July 2016, Scott officially returned to Brentford, as chief scout. After a re-structuring of the backroom, Scott became the club's Head of Recruitment in July 2016. He left the club in November 2017.


Watford

On 13 November 2017, Scott joined Premier League club
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
as the club's UK Football Recruitment Director, working under Technical Director Filippo Giraldi. He was promoted into the role of
Sporting Director A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The ...
in November 2018 and stayed in the role until April 2019.


Swansea City

On 24 July 2019, Scott was appointed Head of Recruitment at Championship club Swansea City. As a result of structural changes at the club, he departed the role by mutual consent on 6 December 2021.


Nottingham Forest

In January 2022, Scott was appointed Head of Scouting at Championship club
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
. The move reunited Scott with Steve Cooper, who served as head coach during Scott's tenure as Head of Recruitment at Swansea City. Scott and Head of Recruitment George Syrianos were sacked on 11 October 2022.


Charlton Athletic

On 20 December 2022, Scott was named technical director of League One club Charlton Athletic on an interim basis. The failure of a proposed takeover of the club led to Scott's departure on 10 February 2023, but he was reappointed to the role in July 2023. Scott departed the club on 14 February 2025.


Personal life

Scott is the elder brother of Rob Scott. He attended Wilson's School in Wallington and studied Sports Studies at university. Scott is a patron of Cardiac Risk in the Young.


Career statistics


Managerial statistics


Honours


As a player

Brentford *
Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 Football League, 1920–21 and again from 1958–59 Football League, 1958 until 1991–92 Football League, 1992. When the FA Premier League ...
: 1998–99


As a manager

Brentford * Football League Two: 2008–09


As an individual

* Football League One Manager of the Month: October 2010 * Football League Two Manager of the Month: April 2009, August 2011 * Brentford Hall of Fame


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Andy 1972 births Living people Footballers from Epsom English men's footballers Men's association football forwards Premier League players English Football League players Sutton United F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. players Chesterfield F.C. players Bury F.C. players Brentford F.C. players Oxford United F.C. players Leyton Orient F.C. players English football managers Brentford F.C. managers Rotherham United F.C. managers Aldershot Town F.C. managers English Football League managers Wimbledon F.C. players Isthmian League players National League (English football) managers Brentford F.C. non-playing staff Watford F.C. non-playing staff Men's association football wingers Men's association football utility players Swansea City A.F.C. non-playing staff Nottingham Forest F.C. non-playing staff Charlton Athletic F.C. non-playing staff