Andy Spence
{{Short description|English football manager (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| embed =
| name = Andy Spence
| image = London Bees v Everton LFC, 20 May 2017 (007) (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Spence in 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|1|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| currentclub = NJ/NY Gotham FC (assistant)
| manageryears1 = 2004–2012
| managerclubs1 = Everton Ladies (assistant)
| manageryears2 = 2012–2015
| managerclubs2 = Everton Ladies
| manageryears3 = 2016–2018
| managerclubs3 = Everton Ladies
| manageryears4 = 2022–2024
| managerclubs4 = Canada women (assistant)
| manageryears5 = 2025-
| managerclubs5 = NJ/NY Gotham FC (assistant)
}}
Andrew Peter Spence (born 8 January 1983) is an English football manager who currently is an assistant head coach of American professional soccer team NJ/NY Gotham FC.{{cite web |url= https://www.gothamfc.com/news/gotham-fc-announces-2025-technical-staff |title=Gotham FC Announces 2025 Technical Staff|publisher=NJ/NY Gotham FC|access-date=March 29, 2025 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20250329012417/https://www.gothamfc.com/news/gotham-fc-announces-2025-technical-staff |archive-date=March 29, 2025}} He previously managed Everton women's team and the Canada women's national soccer team.{{Cite web|url=https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/11/7/18071976/everton-ladies-manager-andy-spence-fired-sacked-resign-step-down-yeovil-town-loss-bottom-of-wsl|title=Everton Ladies manager Andy Spence steps down|website=Royal Blue Mersey|first=Rachel Rose |last=Gold|date=7 November 2018|accessdate=11 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourgamemag.com/2022/10/15/andy-spence-discusses-his-role-as-an-assistant-coach-with-canada/|title=Andy Spence Discusses His Role as an Assistant Coach with Canada|website=Our Game Magazine|first=Richard|last=Laverty|date=15 October 2022|accessdate=25 July 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/article/canadian-womens-soccer-coach-bev-priestman-out-for-olympic-opener-after-drone-incident/|title=Canadian women's soccer coach Bev Priestman out for Olympic opener after drone incidents|website=Sportsnet|agency=The Canadian Press|date=24 July 2024|accessdate=25 July 2024}}
Education
He is a diploma graduate in football management from the University of Liverpool and has a degree in science and football from the Liverpool John Moores University.
Management career
=First stint with Everton=
The first position Spence held with Everton was a stint as director of the Everton Centre of Excellence, which is an academy program tasked with training girls between the ages of Under-9s through Under-17s.{{Cite web|url=http://sport.bt.com/sport-football/football/wsl-club-profile-everton-ladies-S11363890629482|title=WSL club profile: Everton Ladies|website=www.sport.bt.com|language=en|date=10 April 2014|accessdate=30 December 2017}}
By 2004, Spence began his Everton managing career as an assistant to Mo Marley.{{Cite web|url=http://www.evertonfc.com/content/teams/ladies-coaching-staff/andy-spence|title=Andy Spence|publisher=Everton Football Club|website=EvertonFC.com|accessdate=30 December 2017|archive-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207234720/http://www.evertonfc.com/content/teams/ladies-coaching-staff/andy-spence|url-status=dead}} During his time as an assistant, Spence helped the club win the 2008 League Cup and the 2010 FA Cup.
On 14 November 2012 Marley stepped down at the end of the last campaign, naming Spence as the new first team manager.{{Cite web|url=http://everton.fawsl.com/clubHistory.html#zkp1FS0LCljVhQqa.97|title=Everton Ladies FC Club History|website=www.everton.fawsl.com|accessdate=31 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703095351/http://everton.fawsl.com/clubHistory.html#zkp1FS0LCljVhQqa.97|archive-date=3 July 2015|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/andy-spence-named-new-everton-5172828|title=Andy Spence named as new Everton FC ladies boss |work=Chester Chronicle|date=15 November 2017|accessdate=31 December 2017}} After three seasons with the Blues, Spence stepped down citing the club's need to move forward after being relegated at the conclusion of the 2014 season after 21 seasons in the top flight and struggling form in the FA WSL 2. He would be succeeded by Nicola Anderson and retake his position at the club's Centre of Excellence.{{Cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-ladies-boss-andy-spence-9427234|title=Everton ladies boss Andy Spence quits |work=Liverpool Echo|date=10 June 2015|accessdate=31 December 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/33083116|title=Andy Spence: Everton Ladies manager resigns after three years|work=BBC Sport|date=10 June 2015|accessdate=31 December 2017}}
=Return as Everton manager=
After six months, Spence was re-appointed manager of Everton{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35039176|title=Andy Spence: Everton Ladies boss returns six months after departure|work=BBC Sport|date=8 December 2015|accessdate=31 December 2017}} Spence would lead Everton to back-to-back third place WSL 2 finishes. In 2017, the FA WSL ran an interim season to re-align the season calendars between February and May called the FA WSL Spring Series. This interim season would not compete for promotion or relegation ahead of the 2017–18 season. Under Spence, Everton won the Spring Series with seven wins from nine matches and he was named FA WSL Coach of the Year.
Prior to the 2017–18 season, Notts County of the WSL 1 folded prior to the Spring Series prompting The Football Association to invite FA WSL 2 clubs to apply and fill the vacancy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39934711|title=Women's Super League: WSL 2 clubs invited to apply to replace Notts County Ladies|work=BBC Sport|date=16 May 2015|accessdate=31 December 2017}} Spence's Everton was awarded the invitation back into the top flight on 9 June 2017, and competed in the WSL 1 for the 2017–18 season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fawsl.com/news/everton_have_been_elected_to_fa_womens_super_league_1.html#5mFFqeLTFcbFzXeH.97|title=Everton have been elected to FA Women's Super League 1|publisher=FA WSL|date=9 June 2017|accessdate=31 December 2017|archive-date=24 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524081904/http://www.fawsl.com/news/everton_have_been_elected_to_fa_womens_super_league_1.html#5mFFqeLTFcbFzXeH.97|url-status=dead}}
After going winless through six matches in the FA WSL to open the 2018–19 campaign, Spence left his role as manager with Jennifer Herst being appointed interim manager.
=Canada=
Spence was appointed assistant head coach for Canada women's national team in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.ourgamemag.com/2022/10/15/andy-spence-discusses-his-role-as-an-assistant-coach-with-canada/|title=Andy Spence discusses his role as assistant coach with Canada|publisher=Our Game Magazine|accessdate=26 July 2024}} He took temporary charge of the team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when head coach Bev Priestman was suspended after two members of her backroom staff were sent home for flying a drone over the New Zealand squad's training session in the build-up to the match between the two countries.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c2x0y786rv0o|title=Priestman removed as Olympic boss over drone incident|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=26 July 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/26/canada-spying-drone-scandal-tokyo-football-gold-bev-priestman|title=Canada spying scandal threatens to tarnish their Tokyo football gold|work=The Guardian|accessdate=26 July 2024}}
=Gotham FC=
In 2025, Spence joined American NWSL team Gotham FC as assistant head coach under Juan Carlos Amorós.
=Managerial statistics=
All competitive league games (league and domestic cup) and international matches (not including friendlies) are included.
{{updated|11 November 2018}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | ||||
| rowspan="2" |Team
! rowspan="2" |Nat ! rowspan="2" |Year ! colspan="5" |Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % |
| align="left" |Everton
|{{flagicon|ENG}} |2012–2015 {{WDL|51|16|13|22}} | ||||
| align="left" |Everton
|{{flagicon|ENG}} |2015–2018 {{WDL|45|19|5|21}} | ||||
| colspan=3 | Career total
{{WDLtot|96|35|18|43}} |
Honors
=Manager=
==Everton Ladies==
- FA WSL 2 Spring Series: 2017
==Individual==
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway coach|andy-spence/291196}}
- [https://canadasoccer.com/profile/?id=55768&teamId=2083 Andy Spence coach profile] at CanadaSoccer.com
{{Canada women's football squad 2024 Summer Olympics}}
{{Women's Super League Manager of the Season}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Andy}}
Category:Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University
Category:Women's Super League managers