Coordinates: 52°31′30″N 2°00′58″W / 52.525°N 2.016°W / 52.525; -2.016

West Bromwich
The Public
West Bromwich  West Bromwich shown within the West Midlands
Population	136,940 (2001)
OS grid reference	SO9992
- London	126 mi (203 km)
Metropolitan borough	Sandwell
Metropolitan county	West Midlands
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WEST BROMWICH
Postcode district	B70 B71
Dialling code	0121
Police	West Midlands
Fire	West Midlands
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	West Bromwich West
	West Bromwich East
List of places: UK • England • West Midlands

West Bromwich ⁱ/wɛst ˈbrɒmɪtʃ/ is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road and is part of the Black Country. Historically within Staffordshire, West Bromwich is the largest town within Sandwell, with a population of 136,940 at the time of the 2001 census.

The Latin motto on the town's coat of arms translates as "Work Conquers All".

History[link]

West Bromwich was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the name meaning "the little village on the heath of broom" (broom being a particular type of bush). It is believed that it may have originally been part of the Handsworth parish.^[1] A Benedictine priory existed in West Bromwich from the 12th century around which the settlement of Broomwich Heath grew. In 1727, the town became a stop on the coaching road between London and Shrewsbury and its growth began.

In the 19th century, coal deposits were discovered, ensuring that the town grew rapidly as an industrial centre, with industries such as spring, gun and nail making developing. Most of the coal deposits were found below the ground a mile or so west of Broomwich Heath, and so the "new" town adopted the name West Bromwich. Well before the end of the 19th century, West Bromwich had established itself as a prominent area to match older neighbouring towns including Dudley and Walsall.

In 1888, West Bromwich became a county borough, incorporating the village of Great Barr. It was expanded in 1966, acquiring most of the borough of Tipton and Wednesbury urban district as well as a small section of Coseley urban district, before joining with the neighbouring county borough of Warley (which contained the towns of Rowley Regis, Oldbury and Smethwick) in 1974 to form the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.

Charlemont Hall, built during the 1750s, stood on the west side of the present Charlemont Crescent, in the Charlemont and Grove Vale district of the town. Charlemont Hall was described c. 1800 as 'a lofty neat-looking house of brick, faced with stone, with iron palisades etc. in front'. An east wing was added in 1855. The last occupant was the widow of Thomas Jones, town clerk of Wednesbury 1897–1921. The house was demolished in 1948, and is now covered by a number of smaller detached homes. Much of the surrounding area was developed during the 1960s as the Charlemont Farm housing estate, which ia a mix of private and council housing.

West Bromwich suffered heavily in the Cholera epidemic of 1831 which spread northwards into the town. A temporary board of health was set up and a hospital opened in the former Revivalist chapel in Spon Lane. The natural gradual slope of the land provided drainage within the soil, however, urbanisation made this increasingly difficult and drainage along the streets was described as inadequate. The West Bromwich Town Improvement Commissioners was established in 1854, and they tackled the drainage problem in the town. They appointed members to new titles and in the 1880s bought land in Friar Park for a sewerage farm.

Under the Reform Act 1832, West Bromwich became part of the new southern division of Staffordshire, and under the Reform Act 1867 it was transferred to the parliamentary borough of Wednesbury.^[3] Under the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, the borough of West Bromwich became a parliamentary borough returning one member. In 1885, it was held by the Liberal Party but from 1886 to 1906 it was held by the Conservative Party before being held by the Liberal Party again until 1910 when the Conservative Party regained the area which they held until 1918 under the representation of Viscount Lewisham.^[3] In 1918, it became a Labour hold who have held it since, except for between 1931 to 1935 when it held by the National Unionists.^[3]

West Bromwich Town Hall

By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, many of the older houses that had been built to house workers during the Industrial Revolution were becoming unfit for human habitation^{[citation needed]} Sanitation was inadequate, decay was rife, and the homes were becoming a danger to the health and safety of their inhabitants. After the end of the war, the local council started building new homes to rehouse people from the rundown town centre. However, there are still many late 19th century and early 20th century buildings around the centre of West Bromwich today.

Stone bottle, dated 1936, belonging to Joseph Rothwell of 29, Sandwell Road, in a storeroom of the Black Country Living Museum

Council housing debuted in the town in 1920 when the first houses were built on the Tantany Estate to the north of the town centre.^[4]

Mass immigration from the Commonwealth took place in West Bromwich during the 1950s and 1960s, with most of these hailing from the Indian subcontinent, although a significant number of Afro-Caribbean immigrants also settled in West Bromwich. The majority of these immigrants settled in the older parts of the town that were mostly made up of Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses.

The town suffered significant air raid damage in World War II, with no less than 58 of its civilians being killed, most of them in the raids of 19 November 1940.^[5]

The local road network was also massively improved during the 1960s and 1970s. West Bromwich is located at the extreme northern end of the M5 motorway, and has had direct access to it since the early 1960s. This gave the town an immediate fast road link to faraway places including Worcester, Gloucester, Bristol and Exeter. Traffic passing through West Bromwich on the main route from Wolverhampton to Birmingham was diverted along the new dual carriageway, the Northern Loop Road (also known as The Expressway), after its opening in 1972, with another dual carriageway being built to link The Expressway with neighbouring Oldbury.

As with many other parts of the Midlands, West Bromwich was hit badly by the recessions of the mid 1970s and early 1980s. Many local factories closed as there was no longer an adequate demand for the supply they were generating.

Queen's Square shopping centre opened in the town centre in 1971, providing shoppers with a 60-unit indoor shopping centre and an 850-space multi-storey car park. It cost £3million to build.^[6]The smaller King's Square shopping centre also opened in the town in 1971.^[7]On 8 December 2011, 40 years after the opening of Queen's Square, Sandwell Council announced that Queen's Square would be refurbished at a cost of £5million. By this stage, the centre was falling into disrepair and a mere 33 of the 61 available units were occupied.^[8]

Many local towns, particularly Dudley, lost many of its major stores around the time that the Merry Hill Shopping Centre which was developed at Brierley Hill during the second half of the 1980s as businesses looked to take advantage of the Enterprise Zone incentives that the centre offered. West Bromwich's fortunes as a retail centre were affected by the Merry Hill development. This contributed to the closure of its Marks and Spencer store on 25 August 1990, along with the Dudley store, to be replaced by a new store at Merry Hill, with most of the staff at the new store being transferred from either West Bromwich or Dudley. British Home Stores also pulled out of the town around the same time to be replaced by a new store at Merry Hill which opened in November 1989 and also spelled the end of the Dudley store. The town lost another big retail name in 2005 when the Littlewoods store closed; it was later occupied by New Look. Retail developments around Oldbury, beginning with the SavaCentre hypermarket in 1980, have also affected trade in West Bromwich.^[9] The recession beginning in 2008 has pushed the town centre further into decline, a notable casualty being the Woolworths store which closed on 30 December 2008 as a result of the retailer going into liquidation; the building has still not been re-occupied almost three years later.^[10]

Several more factories have closed in more recent years as manufacturers look to countries where the labour is cheaper, but West Bromwich remains a busy industrial area despite the decline of the last 35 years.

West Bromwich's road links were further enhanced in 1995 on the completion of the Black Country Spine Road that gives an unbroken dual carriageway link to Bilston. The completion of this new road opened up several square miles of previously inaccessible land, and has allowed several major businesses to set up along the route. This has helped relieve some of the unemployment problems in West Bromwich, although most parts of the town still have the highest unemployment rates in the West Midlands, and unemployment has risen again since 2008 as a result of the latest recession.

West Bromwich was among the many towns and cities in England affected by the widespread rioting in August 2011. On 9 August, shops closed their doors early to combat looting and vandalism. Widespread acts of vandalism and violence followed. Police closed the main roads leading into the town until the following morning.^[11]

Governance[link]

The town is divided into two constituencies; West Bromwich East and West Bromwich West. West Bromwich East is served by Tom Watson of Labour. He has held the position since the 2001 general election. Preceding him was Peter Snape, also of Labour, who had been MP since the 1974 general election.^[12]

West Bromwich West is served by Adrian Bailey of Labour who won a 54.3% share in the 2005 general election. He has been MP for the seat since the 2000 by-election.^[13] Preceding him, the MP for the seat was Betty Boothroyd,^[14] who for eight years served as the first female Speaker of the British House of Commons.

West Bromwich is the largest town in the United Kingdom without its own Royal Mail postcode.

Geography[link]

Below is a list of localities:

Features[link]

The Farley Clock Tower in memory of Reuben Farley first Mayor of West Bromwich.

The town is famous for its football club, West Bromwich Albion. The club was founded in 1878 and in 1888 it became one of the twelve founder members of the Football League. It won the league championship in 1920 and has won the FA Cup five times, most recently in 1968. The club recently won the Coca Cola Championship in 2008. Albion were based in and around the centre of West Bromwich during their formative years, but moved further out of the town in 1900 when they switched to their current ground, The Hawthorns. The Hawthorns is the highest football ground (above sea level) in the country.

Engineering and chemicals are important to the town's economy, as it played a crucial part in the Industrial Revolution during the 19th century and still retains many manufacturing jobs to this day, despite a steady nationwide decline in this sector since the 1970s.

Sandwell General Hospital (On the site of the former Hallam Hospital) is located near the town centre. It is part of the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the United Kingdom.

William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth had his seat at Sandwell Hall. Legge was unusual as an aristocrat of this period by being a Methodist and attending the Wednesbury Methodist meetings, where fellow Methodists – many of them colliers and drovers – knew him as "Brother Earl".

West Bromwich Town Hall, situated in the centre of the High Street, is a Grade II listed building. It was built between 1874 and 1875 in brick and stone to an Italian Gothic design, and its interior reflects the Victorian interest in Gothic and Medieval architecture. Its Grand Organ, built in 1862, is considered to be of historic importance for its musical and technical qualities.^[15][16]

West Bromwich Manor House, Hall Green Road B71 2EA. Built by the de Marnham family in the late 13th century as the centre of their agricultural estate in West Bromwich only the Great Hall survives of the original complex of living quarters, agricultural barns, sheds and ponds. Successive occupants modernised and extended the Manor House until it was described in 1790 as “a large pile of irregular half-timbered buildings, black and white, and surrounded with numerous out-houses and lofty walls.” The Manor House was saved from demolition in the 1950s by West Bromwich Corporation which carried out an extensive and sympathetic restoration of this nationally important building.

In 2004, a modern community arts centre known as "The Public" was developed in the town centre. Designed by the architect Will Alsop, the £52 million venue consists of a massive cuboid building constructed in dark grey and silver metal cladding with irregularly-shaped windows edged in magenta. Its appearance has drawn comparisons with a fish tank.^[17] The development was beset by financial difficulties, going into administration and finally finished in 2009. Many people refuse to visit the venue as they consider it a waste of money and an extreme eyesore.^[18] A sound production and music industry practice course is run in the building by Major key studios (http://www.majorkeystudios.com) and is provided by the University of Wolverhampton.

A large portion of the town centre has been procured by Tesco for the development of a Tesco Extra Store and shopping centre called New Square, West Bromwich. Since the early 2000's the tenants of homes and businesses have slowly moved out of the site to make way for the development. Cronehills Primary School (staff and pupils) relocated to the newly built Eaton Valley Primary School, which opened in September 2009. The police station relocated to a brand new building the other site of the ring road. Major works started on the site during October 2011 and the development should be complete by late Spring 2013.

Religion[link]

West Bromwich is a culturally diverse area with many places of worship for several different religions.

The Church of England provides the most places of worship across the geographically wider West Bromwich Deanery (taking in West Bromwich, Hill Top, Stone Cross, Carter's Green, Holy Trinity, All Saint's, St Andrew's, St Francis, Friar Park and others) which contains nine Anglican churches and the newly formed West Bromwich Network Church. Other Christian denominations are present, including Roman Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist, Methodist, Baptist, Elim Pentecostal, Assemblies of God and other independent churches. The deanery of West Bromwich is under the Diocese of Lichfield.

West Bromwich has three main mosques, two on Dartmouth Street. 47 Dartmouth Street accommodates up to 400 worshippers during busy periods like Friday Prayers and Eid Prayers: it is mainly a Pakistani traditional mosque, soon to be reconstructed.^{[citation needed]} 67 Dartmouth Street was the first mosque in the area, of Bangladeshi origin: it holds many programs and events. It will be shortly^[when?] moved to a larger location.^{[citation needed]} There is also another mosque, Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiyah. It is situated at 1a-1b Moor street, and was previously a church. The transformation begin in 2001 and it now has Islamic evening classes and a big prayer facility. This mosque is also managed by Sunni Bangladeshi but attracts citizens from all backgrounds, including Pakistanis and Arabs.^{[citation needed]}. The building is also used for National Curriculum English, Maths and science tuition by members of the wider community, including people of other faiths. The tuition centre is run by local teachers and is called Cohort Tuition.^[19]

There is also a very large^[vague] number of Sikhs in the area. There are many Gurudwaras. Sikhs have settled in the area since 1950, when the first influx of immigrants came.

Hindus have had a formal place of worship in West Bromwich since the opening of the Shree Krishna Mandir^[20] in 1974, in a converted church once called Ebenezer Congregational Chapel, which had closed in 1971.^[21] It was damaged by fire on 8 December 1992, the same date that a Mandir in Birmingham and another in Coventry were damaged in arson attacks. It was believed to have been connected to religious violence in India that was spreading into Britain.^[22]

West Bromwich also has a significant^[vague] black Afro-Caribbean population.

In 1875, being locked out of a packed Evangelist meeting in Birmingham caused John Blackham of Ebenezer Congregational Church to start the Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Movement.^[23]

Transport[link]

For roads, the M5 motorway between the West Midlands and the West Country and its junction with the M6 motorway passes through the town, making West Bromwich at the hub of Britain's motorway network. Improvements are underway at A41 junction by West Bromwich town centre after a £25 million project grant was awarded to the area to cut congestion for commuters. The junction, which is where The Expressway meets All saints way, currently carries over 60,000 vehicles a day, and is close to Junction 1 of the M5 The project involves the creation of a dual carriageway underpass, beneath an improved roundabout. This work began in June 2010 and should hopefully be completed in Autumn 2012. West Bromwich has its own bus station in the town centre, with connections to Birmingham and other major towns in the West Midlands region.

West Bromwich railway station was opened by the Great Western Railway on its route between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton Low Level on 14 November 1854. The trackbed of that line is now served by the Midland Metro light rail (tram) system. The nearest main-line railway station is now Sandwell and Dudley railway station, approximately one mile away in Oldbury town centre.

The nearest airport which is approximately 16 miles (26 km) away, is Birmingham International Airport.

Carters Green, High Street and the beginning of Birmingham Road formed the original main route through West Bromwich as part of Thomas Telford's London to Holyheadroute in the early 19th century. This later formed part of the A41 road which links London with Merseyside, taking in the midlands, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire on the way. However, the route through central West Bromwich was by-passed in the 1970s on the completion of the Expressway, a two-mile (3 km) dual carriageway beginning at Carters Green and finishing at Junction 1 of the M5 motorway (which had opened a decade earlier) on Birmingham Road. The original A41 road through the centre of West Bromwich was downgraded to an unclassified route.

Around this time, West Bromwich Ringway was opened, circulating the main shopping areas.

Further revolution came to the local road network in 1995 with the completion of the Black Country Spine Road which stretches from Carters Green to Bilston via Wednesbury, forming another new section of the A41.

Education[link]

The largest educational provider in the town is the Central Campus of Sandwell College. This is housed in a £77 million building opened in February 2012. The college is capable of enrolling over 5,000 students each year across many curriculum areas. Central Sixth delivers the college's A-Level programme covering twenty different subject areas. Facilities in the Central Campus include a Boeing 737 fuselage used for training aircabin crew and a dental surgery used to train dental nurses.

The town is served by 4 secondary schools: Sandwell Academy,^[24] Phoenix Collegiate Academy, George Salter Collegiate Academy and Q3 Academy.

The town has 21 primary schools in total. Some of which are St. John Bosco RC Primary School, All Saints CofE Primary School, St Mary Magdalane, Hateley Heath, and Eaton Valley.

Sandwell Academy serves the whole of West Bromwich (along with the rest of Sandwell), Phoenix Collegiate Academy serves the area around Hateley Heath, Tantany, Charlemont and Grove Vale and Stone Cross, West Midlands. George Salter Collegiate Academy serves the west of the town near the border with Tipton. Q3 Academy serves the north-eastern part of the town around Great Barr.

The area was also served by Churchfields High School, approximately one mile to the north of the town centre. Due to constant closure rumours, less and less pupils began enrolling to attend the school and it was closed in July 2001. The site has since been redeveloped for housing.^[25]

Sport[link]

The town's sport scene is dominated by West Bromwich Albion football club, who were founded in the town in 1879 and played at a stadium near the town centre until they moved to their current home, The Hawthorns on Birmingham Road (directly on the border with Birmingham) in 1900. Although they are now in their 109th year at the stadium, all traces of the original structures are long gone; the oldest stand is the Halfords Lane Stand that was built in 1979 and the other three stands were built between 1991 and 2001. During the summer of 2008 the Halfords Lane Stand was refurbished and is now called the West Stand.

Fans spill on to The Hawthorns pitch following West Bromwich Albion's escape from relegation in 2005.

Albion were among the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888, along with their two fiercest local rivals – Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The club has won seven major trophies; five FA Cups, one Football League title and one Football League Cup. Their most recent major trophy came in 1968 when they won the FA Cup with a 1–0 win over Everton at Wembley Stadium. They enjoyed further success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they finished in the top five league positions three times in four seasons as well as reaching a UEFA Cup quarter-final. However, since relegation from the old Football League First Division in 1986 (this division became the Premier League in 1992) they have played in the top level of English football for a total of just four seasons. This spell of relatively disappointing performances included 16 successive seasons without top division football, two of which were spent in the third tier of the English professional league system.

Notable former players of West Bromwich Albion include Ronnie Allen (who later had a relatively unsuccessful spell as the club's manager), Bryan Robson (who was later the club's manager), Laurie Cunningham (one of the first black players to play for the England national football team, but who died in a car crash in 1989 aged only 33), Tony Brown (the club's all time leading goalscorer) and Jeff Astle (who scored the club's winning goal in the 1968 FA Cup final and remained a cult figure among Albion fans).

The local cricket team is West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club and is based locally.

Notable people[link]

• John Bainbridge – Author and countryside access campaigner, born in West Bromwich, raised in Great Barr.
• Francis Asbury – Methodist bishop
• Denise Lewis – heptathlete
• Robert Plant – singer with Led Zeppelin Born in West Bromwich.
• Keith Law, Songwriter for Velvett Fogg born in West Bromwich.
• Major Nichols – lightweight Racing bicycle manufacturer
• Dr. Stewart Donaldson – Author, psychologist, evaluation research scientist
• Madeleine Carroll – actor
• Jana Bellin – chess grandmaster
• Phil Lynott – Thin Lizzy
• Ian Hill – Judas Priest bassist
• K.K. Downing – Judas Priest guitarist
• Dr Karl Shuker – zoologist, cryptozoologist and author
• Frank Skinner – comedian
• Brian Walden – Member of Parliament, journalist and broadcaster
• Matthew Marsden – actor
• Cindy Kent – former singer with The Settlers and currently a broadcaster
• Steve Webb – Member of Parliament, and Liberal Democrat
• John Byrne – comic book artist (Moved to Canada when 8)
• Lee Woodley – boxer
• Gary Bull – footballer
• Anne Aston – Real name Anne Lloyd. TV presenter and actress. Lived in Old Meeting Street.
• Thomas Guinane – Winner of the military medal in World War One
• Mike Collins – Comic book artist, attended Churchfields High School
• Reuben Farley – First Mayor of West Bromwich
• Al Atkins Founder member of Judas Priest,and still lives in West Bromwich.

Quotes[link]

• "I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to chose [sic?] between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I would make straight for West Bromwich." J.B. Priestley, English Journey

See also[link]

• West Bromwich Building Society
• Charlemont and Grove Vale
• West Bromwich Mountaineering Club
• Primary schools in Sandwell

References[link]

Sources[link]

• 'West Bromwich: Social life', A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 17: Offlow hundred (part) (1976), pp. 70–74. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36169. Date accessed: 23 April 2008.

External links[link]

• Sandwell MBC
• West Bromwich in the Domesday Book

Steve Clarke

Personal information
Full name	Stephen Clarke[1]
Date of birth	(1963-08-29) 29 August 1963 (age 48)
Place of birth	Saltcoats, Scotland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Liverpool (First-Team Coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1982–1987	St. Mirren	200	(7)
1987–1998	Chelsea	330	(7)
National team
	Scotland U21	8
1987–1994	Scotland	6	(0)
Teams managed
1998–1999	Newcastle United (Assistant Manager)
1999	Newcastle United (Caretaker)
2004–2008	Chelsea (Assistant Manager)
2008–2010	West Ham United (Assistant Manager)
2011-	Liverpool (First Team Coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Stephen "Steve" Clarke (born 29 August 1963 in Saltcoats) is a former Scottish association football player and current First Team Coach of Liverpool FC. He played for St. Mirren, Chelsea and Scotland, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end of his career. After retiring as a player he moved into coaching and has worked as an assistant manager for Newcastle United, enjoyed successes working alongside Jose Mourinho for Chelsea, and then alongside Gianfranco Zola at West Ham United.

Playing career[link]

Spotted whilst playing for Beith Juniors, Clarke started his professional football career with St. Mirren.^[2] Clarke was initially on a part-time contract with St. Mirren, while he completed an apprenticeship as an instrument engineer.^[2] He was transferred to Chelsea for £422,000 in February 1987.^[3] He stayed at Chelsea until 1998, making 421 appearances.^[3] He was a part of the Chelsea sides which won the 1997 FA Cup Final, 1998 Football League Cup Final and 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final. The latter game, against VfB Stuttgart in Stockholm, was Clarke's final appearance for the club.^[3] In 2005 he was voted into Chelsea's centenary XI, occupying the right-back berth.

Coaching career[link]

Newcastle United[link]

In 1998 Clarke joined Newcastle United as assistant manager to Ruud Gullit, his former boss at Chelsea. Clarke was caretaker manager following Gullit's resignation,^[4] taking charge of one match, a 5–1 (1–1 HT) defeat against Manchester United.^[5] For that game, Clarke reinstated Alan Shearer and Rob Lee to the team.^[5]

Chelsea[link]

After a stint in charge of the youth teams at Chelsea, Clarke was promoted to the position of assistant manager when José Mourinho was appointed manager in the summer of 2004.^[6] Clarke was a part of the coaching set-up which saw Chelsea win two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups over three seasons under Mourinho. During this period he completed his UEFA Pro Licence in 2006^[7]

When Mourinho departed from Chelsea in September 2007, his services were retained by Avram Grant, although Henk ten Cate was brought in as another assistant coach.^[8] Both Grant and ten Cate left the club at the end of the 2007–08 season.^[8][9] BBC Sport and The Times both reported then that although Clarke remained on the Chelsea coaching staff, he would be looking to pursue opportunities to become a manager in his own right.^[8][9] Chelsea assured Clarke of his status, citing his loyalty, popularity amongst the club's supporters and work in the aftermath of Mourinho's departure.^[9]

West Ham United[link]

On 12 September 2008 Clarke handed in his resignation to Chelsea, hoping to move to West Ham to be assistant to former Chelsea teammate Gianfranco Zola.^[6][10] Chelsea initially rejected his resignation, demanding compensation worth two years of Clarke's salary.^[6] After a deal was agreed between the clubs, Clarke became West Ham's first-team coach on 15 September.^[11]

West Ham finished ninth in the Premier League in the 2008–09 season,^[12] earning Clarke and Zola extended contracts that made Clarke the highest paid assistant manager in the league.^[13] The club struggled during the next season, however, narrowly avoiding relegation.^[12] In June 2010, not long after the dismissal of Zola as manager,^[12] Clarke left the club by mutual consent.^[14]

Liverpool[link]

On 10 January 2011, Clarke was appointed first team coach at Liverpool by Kenny Dalglish,^[15] after Dalglish had replaced the dismissed Roy Hodgson two days before.^[16] Clarke was credited (alongside Dalglish) for turning Liverpool's season around, having a points average of around 2 points per match from his arrival, coupled with an improved defensive record. On 12 May 2011, Clarke, as well as manager Dalglish, signed a 3 year permanent contract to remain in his current role as first team coach.

On 14th May 2012 Clarke offered his resignation Liverpool soon after Kenny Dalglish was sacked following Liverpool's disappointing 8th spot finish in the Premier League, however it was declined.

Honours[link]

Team playing honours[link]

Chelsea

• FA Cup: 1997
• League Cup: 1998
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1998
• Full Members Cup: 1990

Individual playing honours[link]

Chelsea

• Chelsea Player of the Year: 1994
• Chelsea centenary XI: 2005

Coaching honours[link]

Chelsea

• FA Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06
• FA Cup: 2007
• League Cup: 2005, 2007

Liverpool

• League Cup: 2012

Managerial statistics[link]

As of 21:00, 10 October 2010 (UTC)^[17]

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	L	D	Win %
Newcastle United		28 August 1999	2 September 1999	1	0	1	0	00.00

References[link]

External links[link]

• Steve Clarke career stats at Soccerbase
• Steve Clarke at scottishfa.co.uk

Goran Popov

Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-10-02) 2 October 1984 (age 27)
Place of birth	Strumica, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Left back Left midfielder
Club information
Current club	Dynamo Kyiv
Number	6
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2003	Belasica	6	(0)
2003	Sileks	0	(0)
2004	AEK Athens	8	(0)
2004	Red Star Belgrade	0	(0)
2004–2005	Odra Wodzisław	11	(0)
2005–2007	Egaleo	44	(1)
2007–2008	Levadiakos	20	(0)
2008–2010	Heerenveen	51	(2)
2010–	Dynamo Kyiv	31	(2)
National team‡
2002	Macedonia U-19	5	(2)
	Macedonia U-21	10	(2)
2004–	Macedonia	41	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 October 2011

Goran Popov (Macedonian: Горан Попов, born 2 October 1984 in Strumica, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a defender who plays for Ukrainian football club Dynamo Kyiv.

Career[link]

Popov was signed by Red Star Belgrade in June 2004. In January 2008, rumours suggested that Popov would sign for Russian Premier League side FC Amkar Perm at the end of the Greek Super League season, but he joined Dutch side SC Heerenveen on 12 June 2008 instead.

Popov signed a 5 year deal with Dynamo Kyiv on 9 June 2010.

National team[link]

Goran Popov has been part of the Macedonian U-19 and U-21 teams before making his debut for the Macedonian national team in 2004.^[1]

Personal life[link]

He is the younger brother of Robert Popov who is also a football player.

Career statistics[link]

International goals[link]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	30 May 2004	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	2–4	Win	Friendly
2.	19 November 2008	Estadi Comunal d'Aixovall, Andorra la Vella, Andorra	Montenegro	2–1	Lost	Friendly
Correct as of 8 March 2012

Honours[link]

• KNVB Cup: 1

2009

References[link]

External links[link]

• Goran Popov at National-Football-Teams.com(English)
• Profile at Macedonian Football (English)

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Richard Sneekes

Personal information
Full name	Richard Sneekes
Date of birth	(1968-10-30) 30 October 1968 (age 43)
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	None
Youth career
1980–1984	Ajax Amsterdam
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1984–1989	Ajax Amsterdam	3	(0)
1989–1990	Volendam	31	(7)
1990–1994	Fortuna Sittard	126	(20)
1994	FC Locarno Switzerland	26	(13)
1994–1996	Bolton Wanderers	71	(11)
1996–2001	West Bromwich Albion	251	(34)
2001	Stockport County	10	(0)
2001–2002	Hull City	25	(0)
2002–2003	Herfølge BK
2007	Hinckley United	3	(0)
2010	Dudley Town	5	(0)
Total		546	(85)
National team
1982–1984	Netherlands Schoolboys	22	(0)
1988–1989	Netherlands U21	2	(0)
Teams managed
2010–2011	Tamworth (academy coach)
2011	Hereford United (First Team Coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Richard Sneekes (born 30 October 1968 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch former footballer, who played as a midfielder. He is currently without a club after being released from his at Hereford United where he was first team coach.

Playing career[link]

Ajax and Fortuna Sittard[link]

Sneekes started as a Youth player at Ajax Amsterdam, and made 22 appearances for Netherlands National Schoolboys. He made his debut for Ajax at the age of 16, and broke through into the Netherlands U21 team, but never quite fulfilled his potential for the club and was transferred out at the age of 21.

After a short spell at Volendam Sneekes signed for Fortuna Sittard and spent four years at the club after which he moved to FC Locarno in Switzerland before being transferred to England.

Bolton Wanderers[link]

Sneekes first came to prominence in England when he signed for Bolton Wanderers in August 1994 for £200,000. He was part of their team that won promotion to the Premier League that season, but was a casualty the following season when Bolton struggled in the Premier League and was transferred shortly before the end of the season. Whilst at Bolton he played in the 1995 Football League Cup Final.

West Bromwich Albion[link]

Alan Buckley signed the Dutchman for West Bromwich Albion in March 1996 for £400,000. Despite Buckley claiming it would be a while before he made any difference, Sneekes almost immediately became a cult hero at The Hawthorns. Sneekes was an overnight sensation, and many of the Baggies crowd took to wearing long blond wigs as gestures of worship - even the club shop was selling them. Sneekes finished his first season with ten goals from thirteen games, arguably for some Albion fans saving them from relegation. Sneekes spent seven seasons at West Brom before finally being transferred at the start of the 2001–02 season. After Sneekes' retirement in 2007, he went on to captain West Bromwich Albion in the Midlands 'Masters' and has done so ever since. He scored in the 2008 and 2011 tournaments.

Stockport, Hull and Herfølge[link]

He moved to Stockport County on a free transfer in September 2001,^[1] but stayed just two months^[2] before a move to Hull City. That move also didn't work out and he left the latter club in May 2002.^[3] A further year was spent with Danish club Herfølge BK, before retiring from the professional game at the age of 34.

Hinckley United[link]

Sneekes was convinced to come out of retirement following a chance meeting with Hinckley United manager Dean Thomas, at the Hong Kong Sixes tournament in July 2007. Sneekes initially trained with the Conference North club, but then decided to sign for them. However his debut was put on hold as his International Clearance was sought after last playing in Denmark.^[4] He eventually made his debut in Hinckley's 4-2 FA Cup win over Grantham Town in September 2007. However, a disastrous start for Hinckley United in the league meant that Sneekes was released, after playing only three games for the club, in October 2007.^[5] Sneekes immediately went back into retirement, saying "The fact that I was not really enjoying it meant that it became too much of a chore to do it".^[6]

In October 2007 Sneekes' daughter^{[citation needed]} Melissa won Miss Netherlands, thus qualifying for Miss World 2007.^[7]

Dudley Town[link]

On Monday 27 September 2010, it was revealed in local newspapers that Richard Sneekes had signed for Dudley Town, who play in the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division. Richard Sneekes' son, Giorgio also signed for the club in the 2010/2011 season.^[8] Richard made his debut in Dudley's 2-2 draw at Shifnal Town on 5 October 2010.

Coaching career[link]

Tamworth[link]

On 29 May 2010, Sneekes was announced as an assistant Academy Coach to Dale Belford where he will be developing Tamworth youth talent.^[9]

Hereford United[link]

At 11:15am, 4 July 2011, Sneekes was announced as a First Team Coach at League Two Hereford United, in order to fill the gap left by Dave Kevan who left for Stoke City. It is said that he will look encourage "nice attractive football".^[10] He will leave the club once his contract runs out at the end of June.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Richard Sneekes career stats at Soccerbase