Andy Welsh
{{Short description|Footballer (born 1983)}}
{{other people||Andrew Welsh (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Andy Welsh
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Andrew Peter David Welsh
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1983|1|24}}
| birth_place = Manchester, England
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub =
| years1 = 2001–2004 | clubs1 = Stockport County | caps1 = 85 | goals1 = 3
| years2 = 2002 | clubs2 = → Macclesfield Town (loan) | caps2 = 6 | goals2 = 2
| years3 = 2004–2007 | clubs3 = Sunderland | caps3 = 25 | goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2006 | clubs4 = → Leicester City (loan) | caps4 = 10 | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2006–2007 | clubs5 = → Leicester City (loan) | caps5 = 7 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2007 | clubs6 = Toronto | caps6 = 20 | goals6 = 1
| years7 = 2007–2008 | clubs7 = Blackpool | caps7 = 21 | goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2008–2011 | clubs8 = Yeovil Town | caps8 = 113 | goals8 = 6
| years9 = 2011–2013 | clubs9 = Carlisle United | caps9 = 33 | goals9 = 0
| years10 = 2013–2014 | clubs10 = Scunthorpe United | caps10 = 8 | goals10 = 0
| years11 = 2014 | clubs11 = United of Manchester | caps11 = 0 | goals11 = 0
| years12 = 2014–2016 | clubs12 = Farsley Celtic | caps12 = | goals12 =
| years13 = 2017 | clubs13 = Ossett Albion | caps13 = | goals13 =
| totalcaps = 328
| totalgoals = 15
| nationalyears1 = {{0|0000}}
| nationalteam1 = Scotland U19
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| manageryears1 = 2017–2018
| managerclubs1 = Ossett Albion (player-manager)
| manageryears2 = 2018–2019
| managerclubs2 = Ossett United
| manageryears3 = 2020–2023
| managerclubs3 = Bury
| manageryears4 = 2023–2024
| managerclubs4 = Guiseley
}}
Andrew Peter David Welsh (born 24 January 1983) is an English football coach and former player.
Playing career
=Stockport County=
The left-footed Welsh wrote to the club asking for a trial run and made his professional debut for Stockport County in October 2001,{{Soccerbase season|26820|2001|name=Andy Welsh|accessdate=6 February 2017}} going on to make 75 league appearances in his four-year stint at the club.{{Soccerbase season|26820|2003|name=Andy Welsh|accessdate=7 February 2017}} His final match was a 3–0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday in League One.{{Soccerbase season|26820|2004|name=Andy Welsh|accessdate=7 February 2017}} He also made six appearances on loan at Macclesfield Town in 2002.{{Soccerbase season|26820|2002|name=Andy Welsh|accessdate=6 February 2017}}
=Sunderland=
After impressing in a three-day trial with Sunderland in November 2004, Welsh signed with the club for £15,000, and could have included a compensation for amount of time on the field stipulation to £35,000. Upon signing for Sunderland he was assigned the vacant number 11 shirt, and made his club debut on 1 January 2005 in a 3–2 defeat to Preston North End, replacing Marcus Stewart in the 68th minute. He scored two goals in eight appearances during the 2004–05 season for Sunderland.{{cite web|title=Andy Welsh » Club matches|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/andy-welsh/2/|publisher=World Football|access-date=7 February 2017}}
Welsh made his first start for Sunderland a week later on 8 January 2005, scoring a free kick in a 2–1 victory against Crystal Palace. Welsh went on to make eight appearances that season, scoring again, against QPR at Loftus Road on 2 April.
After Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League, Welsh retained the number 11 shirt, starting the season in place of injured defender George McCartney. However, Welsh was controversially sent off in only the second game of the season against Liverpool at Anfield on 20 August 2005, although the decision was later overturned on appeal.
Welsh found himself out of the Sunderland team after Christmas, and many thought he had played his last game for the club after he was loaned to Championship club Leicester on 1 March 2006. Welsh went on to make ten appearances for Leicester, scoring one goal, helping to stave off relegation for the Foxes.
Four days after playing his last game for Leicester, Welsh was back at Sunderland, playing in the club's last two games, against Fulham and Aston Villa, under new caretaker manager Kevin Ball. Following the transfer of popular midfielder Julio Arca to Middlesbrough in the summer, Welsh was expected to start the season as first choice winger, however injury hit early on in pre-season.
Welsh picked up an injury during a pre-season win against League of Ireland club, Shelbourne, prompting Quinn and new manager Roy Keane to sign Swedish winger Tobias Hysen and Celtic midfielder Ross Wallace to fill the left-midfield role. Welsh subsequently re-joined Leicester on loan when he regained fitness, although he managed only four league starts for them, and returned to Sunderland in the New Year. Coincidentally, Sunderland's next game was against Leicester at the Walkers Stadium, where Welsh was named as an unused substitute.
=Toronto=
After failing to break back into Sunderland's first team, it was announced in March 2007, that Welsh would be heading to Canada for a medical before signing a contract with Major League Soccer (MLS) club, Toronto, after the clubs agreed a deal to end his contract at Sunderland.
{{cite news
| last = McKenzie
| first = Andrew
| title = Sunderland winger heading for MLS
| publisher = BBC Sport
| date = 19 March 2007
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/6468427.stm
| access-date = 2007-04-01 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070322173320/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/6468427.stm| archive-date= 22 March 2007 | url-status= live}}
On 16 May 2007, Welsh scored his first goal for Toronto in a rain soaked 1–0 home win over defending MLS champions, Houston Dynamo.
{{cite news
|last=Polishuk
|first=Mark
|title=Toronto claim second straight win
|publisher=MLS
|date=16 May 2007
|url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070516&content_id=93824&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
|access-date=2007-05-16
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627065522/http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070516&content_id=93824&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
|archive-date=27 June 2007
|url-status=dead
}}
Fans subsequently voted him "Man of the Match" on the club's official website. However, after the first few games Toronto struggled to find points hard to come by, Welsh was in and out of the team and soon decided to return to England.
=Blackpool=
On 30 August 2007, it was reported that Welsh would be leaving Toronto for Blackpool,
{{cite news
| last = Millson
| first = Larry
| title = Welsh Cut Loose
| work = The Globe and Mail
| date = 16 May 2007
| url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070830.TORFC30/TPStory/Sports
| access-date = 2007-08-30 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090109001949/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070830.TORFC30/TPStory/Sports| archive-date=9 January 2009| url-status= live}} whom he signed for the following day.
{{cite web
|title=Transfer Latest
|publisher=Blackpool
|date=31 August 2007
|url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1103698,00.html
|access-date=2007-08-31
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023054155/http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10432~1103698%2C00.html
|archive-date=23 October 2007
}} During the 2007–08 season he made 21 appearances in the Championship, mostly as a substitute. On 7 May 2008 he was released by Blackpool.
{{cite news
|title=Retained List Latest
|publisher=Blackpool
|date=7 May 2008
|url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1307664,00.html
|access-date=2008-05-07
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510105309/http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10432~1307664%2C00.html
|archive-date=10 May 2008
|url-status=dead
}}
=Yeovil Town=
In August 2008 Welsh went on trial at Football League One club Yeovil Town.
{{cite news
|title=Pontins Holiday Comibination
|publisher=Yeovil Town F.C.
|date=18 August 2008
|url=http://www.ytfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10673~1369442,00.html
|access-date=2008-08-19
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016005403/http://www.ytfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10673~1369442%2C00.html
|archive-date=16 October 2008
}} On 3 September, Yeovil manager Russell Slade confirmed that the club had a verbal agreement to sign Welsh with him due to have a medical at the club the following day.
{{cite news
| title = Free agent Welsh heads for Yeovil
| publisher = BBC Sport
| date = 3 September 2008
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/y/yeovil/7595711.stm
| access-date = 2008-09-03 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080906221555/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/y/yeovil/7595711.stm| archive-date= 6 September 2008 | url-status= live}} Welsh signed a contract with the club until the end of the 2008–09 season.
{{cite news|title=Welsh Joins to the End of Season |publisher=Yeovil Town F.C. |date=3 September 2008 |url=http://www.ytfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10673~1382112,00.html |access-date=2008-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915061516/http://www.ytfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10673~1382112%2C00.html |archive-date=15 September 2008 |url-status=live }} Welsh played 38 games for Yeovil in his first season,{{Soccerbase season|26820|2008|name=Andy Welsh|accessdate=7 February 2017}} becoming a fans' favourite when the team went on a four-game winning streak scoring four goals direct from his set pieces. He ended the season with Yeovil's most assists (seven) and most crosses (80) in his 38 appearances.
At the end of the 2008–09 season, Welsh signed a new two-year deal keeping him at the club until the summer of 2011. In the 2009–10 season Welsh started well and was the divisional top goal maker with seven assists. However, formation changes saw him slip out of the side, making most of his appearances from the subs bench. However, he was Yeovil's leading creator for the second consecutive season (10 assists),{{cite web|url=http://www.ytfc.net/page/Assists/0,,10673~200910673,00.html |title=Yeovil Town | Match | Club Statistics | Assists |access-date=2010-05-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520233411/http://www.ytfc.net/page/Assists/0%2C%2C10673~200910673%2C00.html |archive-date=20 May 2011 }} and he scored his first two goals for the club, in a 2–0 win over Brentford and a 4–1 win over Wycombe.
Welsh scored in his second game of the 2010–11 season, against local rivals Exeter City, and against Tranmere Rovers two weeks later. Welsh was again one of Yeovil's outstanding performers, leading the way in assists. He secured Yeovil's league one status for another season with an 85th-minute equaliser at home to Oldham Athletic the day after his first child was born.{{cite news
|title=Welsh Agrees New Contract
|publisher=Yeovil Town F.C.
|date=27 June 2009
|url=http://www.ytfc.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10673~1704640,00.html
|access-date=2009-06-28
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007061711/http://www.ytfc.net/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10673~1704640%2C00.html
|archive-date=7 October 2011
}}
At the end of the 2010–11 season, he and six other Yeovil players were told they would be re-signed.{{cite news
| title = Terry Skiverton offers seven new Yeovil Town deals
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13294659.stm
| publisher = BBC Sport
| date = 5 May 2011
| access-date = 5 May 2011}}
=Carlisle United=
On 1 June 2011, Welsh became Greg Abbott's first signing of the summer when he joined Carlisle United on a two-year deal..{{cite news
|title=Midfielder Andrew Welsh has signed a two-year deal with United
|url=http://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10361~2369953,00.html
|work=Carlisle United
|publisher=Carlisle United F.C
|date=1 June 2011
|access-date=1 June 2011
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611005233/http://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10361~2369953%2C00.html
|archive-date=11 June 2011
}} On 27 May 2013, Welsh was not offered a new contract and would no longer be a Carlisle United player after the end of the 2012/13 season..{{cite news
| title = Wide man to depart
| url = http://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/article/welshdeparts27april13-793949.aspx
| work = Carlisle United
| publisher = Carlisle United F.C
| date = 27 May 2013
| access-date = 27 May 2013}}.
=Scunthorpe United=
On 24 June 2013, Andy Welsh become Scunthorpe United's 5th signing of the summer where he has signed a one-year deal for the League Two club with an option of a further year. After playing all games up to the start of October, Welsh required knee surgery which ruled him out until February 2014. At the end of the season he decided to pursue the remainder of his degree in psychology and coaching.
=Non-League=
On 12 September 2014, Andy Welsh signed for United of Manchester.{{cite web|url=https://fc-utd.co.uk/m_story.php?story_id=5703|title=FC United of Manchester – Opps Page|website=fc-utd.co.uk}} In December 2014, Welsh made the move to Farsley Celtic, closer to his home in Bradford.{{cite web |url=http://www.farsleyafc.co.uk/news/andy-welsh-completes-farsley-move-1342527.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109003326/http://www.farsleyafc.co.uk/news/andy-welsh-completes-farsley-move-1342527.html |archive-date=9 January 2015 |title=Andy Welsh completes Farsley move – Farsley AFC}}
Managerial career
In September 2017, Andy Welsh became player/head coach at Ossett Albion. Welsh led a team that was struggling (second bottom in the league on seven points at Christmas) on an unbeaten run, finishing safely in the league.
He then took over at the newly merged club Ossett United, finishing fourth in the League (making the playoffs) with the league's best defensive record. The club also enjoyed cup success against Guiseley, a team two divisions higher.
On 29 July 2020, Welsh was selected from 750 applicants to become the first manager of Bury AFC,{{cite web |url=https://buryafc.uk/2020/07/bury-afc-appoint-first-team-manager-andy-welsh/ |title=Bury AFC Appoint First Team Manager: Andy Welsh |last=Ingram |first=Adam |work=Bury AFC official site |date=29 July 2020}} but the first season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bury were crowned champions of the NWCFL Division One North in the club's second season. {{cite web|url=https://buryafc.uk/2022/03/partners-celebrate-treasureline-success/|title=Bury AFC: Champions|website=buryafc.uk|date=27 March 2022|accessdate=31 March 2022}} Welsh led Bury to the title; the side finished 11 points clear, winning 27 out of 36 games, boasting the highest goals total and best defensive record in the division.
On 5 June 2023, upon the merger of Bury FC and Bury AFC, the two team's histories were combined — retroactively counting Bury AFC's seasons as seasons for Bury FC and also retroactively counting Welsh as Bury manager since 2020. On 17 September 2023, after a run of form that saw two wins in eight games, Bury parted company with Welsh.{{cite news |title=Bury and Welsh part Ways |url=https://www.nwcfl.com/news-articles.php?id=9206 |access-date=17 September 2023 |work=NWCFL |date=17 September 2023}}
Welsh was appointed Guiseley manager in October 2023.{{cite news |title=Guiseley Appoint Andy Welsh as New Manager |url=https://guiseleyafc.co.uk/lions-appoint-andy-welsh-as-new-manager/ |access-date=24 October 2023 |work=GAFC |date=23 October 2023}}
Welsh departed on April 2, 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://guiseleyafc.co.uk/club-statement-andy-welsh/|title=Club Statement: Andy Welsh|date=31 August 2024}}
Career statistics
| class=wikitable style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|National Cup !colspan=2|League Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan=5|Stockport County
|15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03
|13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=FLT|Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy}} | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2003–04
|Second Division |34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3{{efn|name=FLT}} | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| 2004–05
|13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=FLT}} | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!75||3||2||0||3||0||5||0||85||3 | ||||||||||
| Macclesfield Town (loan)
|6 | 2 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 6 | 2 | ||||
| rowspan=4|Sunderland
|7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06{{soccerbase season|26820|2005|accessdate=1 August 2020}}
|14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07{{soccerbase season|26820|2006|accessdate=1 August 2020}}
|Championship |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!21||1||2||1||2||0||colspan=2|—||25||2 | ||||||||||
| rowspan=3|Leicester City (loan)
|Championship |10 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 10 | 1 | ||||
| 2006–07
|Championship |7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 8 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!17||1||0||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||18||1 | ||||||||||
| Toronto
|2007 |MLS |20 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 20 | 1 | ||||
| Blackpool
|2007–08{{soccerbase season|26820|2007|accessdate=1 August 2020}} |Championship |21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 24 | 0 | ||
| rowspan=4|Yeovil Town
|League One |37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2009–10{{soccerbase season|26820|2009|accessdate=1 August 2020}}
|League One |42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=FLT}} | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| 2010–11{{soccerbase season|26820|2010|accessdate=1 August 2020}}
|League One |34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=FLT}} | 1 | 37 | 5 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!113||6||4||0||1||0||2||1||120||7 | ||||||||||
| rowspan=3|Carlisle United
|2011–12{{soccerbase season|26820|2011|accessdate=1 August 2020}} |League One |21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=FLT}} | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2012–13{{soccerbase season|26820|2012|accessdate=1 August 2020}}
|League One |12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!33||0||2||0||2||0||1||0||38||0 | ||||||||||
| Scunthorpe United
|2013–14{{soccerbase season|26820|2013|accessdate=1 August 2020}} |4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=FLT}} | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| colspan=3|Career total
!310||14||11||1||12||0||9||1||342||16 |
{{notelist}}
Managerial statistics
{{updated|match played 16 September 2023}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure | ||||
| rowspan=2|Team
!rowspan=2|From !rowspan=2|To !colspan=5|Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{abbr|P|Matches played}} | {{abbr|W|Matches won}} | {{abbr|D|Matches drawn}}2 | {{abbr|L|Matches lost}} | {{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}} |
| align=left|Bury1
|align=left|29 July 2020 |align=left|17 September 2023 {{WDL|115|73|25|17|decimals=1}} | ||||
| colspan=3|Total
{{WDL|115|73|25|17|decimals=1}} |
1Upon the merger of Bury FC and Bury AFC, the two team's histories were combined — retroactively counting Bury AFC's seasons as seasons for Bury FC
2Two cup matches drawn; one won on penalties and one lost. Score at 90 minutes counted as drawn game.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090426192103/http://www.ytfc.net/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10673~18832%2C00.html Welsh's profile at Yeovil Town F.C.]
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{Bury F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welsh, Andy}}
Category:Footballers from Manchester
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:Stockport County F.C. players
Category:Macclesfield Town F.C. players
Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players
Category:Leicester City F.C. players
Category:Blackpool F.C. players
Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players
Category:Carlisle United F.C. players
Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players
Category:Premier League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
Category:F.C. United of Manchester players
Category:English men's footballers
Category:English people of Scottish descent
Category:Farsley Celtic F.C. players
Category:Ossett Albion A.F.C. players
Category:Ossett Albion A.F.C. managers
Category:Ossett United F.C. managers
Category:Scotland men's youth international footballers
Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Category:English expatriate men's footballers
Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers
Category:English football managers
Category:Guiseley A.F.C. managers