Ben Garner

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ben Garner

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Ben Garner

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|5|19|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Pembury, Kent, England

| currentclub = Right to Dream International Academy (head coach)

| manageryears1 = 2019–2020

| managerclubs1 = Bristol Rovers

| manageryears2 = 2021–2022

| managerclubs2 = Swindon Town

| manageryears3 = 2022

| managerclubs3 = Charlton Athletic

| manageryears4 = 2023

| managerclubs4 = Colchester United

}}

Ben Garner (born 19 May 1980) is an English professional football coach who is currently head coach of Right to Dream International Academy.

Garner started his career as a youth coach at Crystal Palace's academy before being promoted to first team coach.

Having been at the club for over a decade, he then went onto to become assistant head coach at West Bromwich Albion.{{cite web |url=https://www.wba.co.uk/teams/coaching-staff/assistant-head-coach/ben-garner/ |title=Ben Garner Biography |publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C. |date=6 June 2017 |accessdate=13 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231531/https://www.wba.co.uk/teams/coaching-staff/assistant-head-coach/ben-garner/ |archive-date=13 September 2017 |url-status=dead }} and then Indian Super League club ATK.

Garner made his first step into senior management at Bristol Rovers before later being appointed manager of Swindon Town. Despite working under an embargo, Garner led the club to a play-off semi-final.

He was then appointed manager of Charlton Athletic but departed the club that same season. Garner was then appointed as head coach of Colchester United in March 2023.

Career

=Crystal Palace=

Garner started his professional coaching career at Crystal Palace in 2004 and spent the first seven years of his time at Selhurst Park as a youth coach within the club's academy.

Initially appointed as head coach of the under-11 team, he progressed through the age groups to become head coach of the under-18s in addition to setting up a full-time school programme in 2011. The players he coached on this programme and in Crystal Palace's academy system included Wilfried Zaha, Victor Moses, Nathaniel Clyne, Jonny Williams and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.{{Cite web |last=Docteur |first=Jérémy |url=https://www.francefootball.fr/news/Portrait-aaron-wan-bissaka-the-spider-l-etoile-montante-de-crystal-palace/1017221 |title=Portrait : Aaron Wan-Bissaka, "The Spider", l'étoile montante de Crystal Palace |trans-title=Portrait: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, "The Spider", the rising star of Crystal Palace |website=France Football |date=29 June 2019 |access-date=5 June 2022 |language=FR}}

He was later promoted to first-team coach in 2012 by manager Ian Holloway where he helped the side secure a play-off spot with a fifth-place finish. Crystal Palace went on to beat rivals Brighton in the play-off semi-finals and then Watford in the final to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Garner remained in his role as first-team coach for the next two seasons working under managers Holloway,Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock, and Alan Pardew.

Garner was part of the backroom team that helped Crystal Palace retain their Premier League status, for the first time in the club's history, the following season as the club finished in 11th position as manager Pulis was awarded the LMA Manager of the Year award. {{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

Crystal Palace ended the next year one place higher in what proved to be Garner's final campaign as part of the backroom staff at Selhurst Park.

Garner left Crystal Palace on 7 July 2015 by mutual consent.

=West Bromwich Albion=

Garner was appointed first-team coach at West Bromwich Albion on 9 October 2015 and was reunited with Tony Pulis.{{Cite web |last=Suart |first=Paul |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-first-team-coach-10464058 |title=West Brom first team coach Ben Garner keen to tackle troubling confidence issue |date=19 November 2015 |work=Birmingham Mail |access-date=13 February 2020}}

The club promoted Garner to assistant head coach less than a year later.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2016/september/garner-moves-up-to-assistant-head-coach/ |title=Garner moves up to Assistant Head Coach |publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C. |access-date=8 February 2018}}

West Bromwich Albion finished the 2016–17 season in 10th position, although Garner departed at the end of the year.

Having been linked with several clubs for a role in senior management, Pulis stated that Garner had the potential to become a manager in the future.{{Cite news |url=https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2017/july/pulis-on-why-he-chose-megson/ |title=Pulis on why he chose Megson |publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C. |access-date=8 February 2018}}

=ATK=

Garner was appointed as assistant head coach under Steve Coppell for the rest of the season at Indian Super League club ATK in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Ex-Albion coach returns to football with coaching role in India |last=Chapman |first=Joseph |work=Birmingham Mail |date=19 January 2019 |accessdate=22 January 2019 |url= https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-west-brom-coach-returns-15705383}}

He helped the team finish sixth in the league and reach the semi-finals of the Super Cup before departing at the end of the campaign following the expiration of his contract.

=Bristol Rovers=

Garner made his first step into senior management when he was appointed head coach of Bristol Rovers on 23 December 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/2019/december/ben-garner-manager/|title=Ben Garner Announced as First-Team Manager|website=www.bristolrovers.co.uk|date=23 December 2019|accessdate=23 December 2019|archive-date=16 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016231557/https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/2019/december/ben-garner-manager/|url-status=dead}}

Following a break in the football calendar during the COVID-19 pandemic and having to manage his new side in accordance with social distancing, Garner was later named Manager of the Week by the EFL and the Football League paper following a 2-1 victory away at Lincoln City on 10 October 2020.

Garner was relieved of his duties at the club on 14 November 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/2020/november/ben-garner-statement/|title=Statement: Ben Garner|website=www.bristolrovers.co.uk|date=14 November 2020|access-date=14 November 2020|archive-date=14 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114181335/https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/2020/november/ben-garner-statement/|url-status=dead}}

=Swindon Town=

Garner was appointed head coach of Swindon Town by new owner Clem Morfuni on 21 July 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2021/july/new-director-of-football-and-head-coach-appointed/|title=New Director of Football and Head Coach Appointed|website=www.swindontownfc.co.uk|date=21 July 2021}}

The club was under a transfer embargo at the time of Garner's appointment and only had seven players available in the senior squad when he joined as manager.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12428930/ben-garner-on-the-rebuilding-of-swindon-town-under-new-ownership-as-they-begin-to-turn-the-club-around|title=Ben Garner on the rebuilding of Swindon Town under new ownership as they begin to turn the club around|publisher=Sky Sports|date=14 October 2021|accessdate=14 May 2022}}

In a campaign where he handed 13 players their professional debuts and reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in a decade, Garner got the club into the play-offs with a sixth-place finish to become the first manager to record such a feat while working under an embargo.

Despite winning the first leg of a play-off semi-final against Port Vale 2-1,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61368138|title=Swindon Town 2–1 Port Vale|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 May 2022|accessdate=8 June 2022}} Garner's side lost the away leg 1–0 before being defeated 6–5 in a penalty shootout.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61417878|title=Port Vale 1–0 Swindon Town (agg 2–2)|publisher=BBC Sport|date=19 May 2022|accessdate=8 June 2022}}

=Charlton Athletic=

Garner was appointed manager of Charlton Athletic on a three-year contract the following season.{{cite web|url=https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/62a0651be44a4/charlton-appoint-ben-garner-as-mens-first-team-manager|title=Charlton appoint Ben Garner as Men's First-Team Manager|publisher=Charlton Athletic Official Website|date=8 June 2022|accessdate=8 June 2022}}

Having been hired to implement a similar attacking, possession-based football as with Swindon Town, Garner recorded just three defeats in his opening 15 league matches for Charlton Athletic.

He went on to take The Addicks to the third round of the Carabao Cup as the last London club in the competition having beaten Queens Park Rangers, Walsall and Stevenage during a run which later ended against Manchester United.

Garner was sacked on 5 December 2022 as the club then entered into a period of exclusivity ahead of a potential takeover.{{cite web|url= https://www.charltonafc.com/news/ben-garner-departs-mens-first-team-manager |title=Ben Garner departs as Men's First-Team Manager|publisher=Charlton Athletic Official Website|date=5 December 2022|accessdate=5 December 2022}}

=Colchester United=

On 2 March 2023, Garner was appointed as the head coach of Colchester United.{{cite web|url=https://www.cu-fc.com/news/2023/march/new-head-coach/|title=Garner Appointed Head Coach|publisher=Colchester United Official Website|date=2 March 2023|accessdate=2 March 2023}} He was relieved of duties on 21 October 2023 after defeat at home to Harrogate Town concluded a run of four consecutive league defeats.{{Cite news |title=Struggling Colchester sack head coach Garner |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67184181 |access-date=2023-10-21}}

=Right to Dream=

In August 2024, Garner was appointed head coach of Right to Dream International Academy. {{cite web|url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-bristol-rovers-manager-named-9484248|title=Former Bristol Rovers manager named head coach of Right to Dream International Academy|publisher=Bristol Post|last=Hargraves|first=Daniel|date=15 August 2024|accessdate=15 August 2024}}

Style of management

Garner began coaching at a young age following a serious injury.

While completing his UEFA Pro Licence in 2014, Garner gained experience and insight from manager José Mourinho at Chelsea,{{Cite web|url=https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/he-was-fantastic-how-jose-mourinho-helped-aspiring-manager-taking-badges/|title='He was fantastic' - How Jose Mourinho helped aspiring manager taking badges|date=2018-10-25|website=Planet Football|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-17}} and also credits Terry Venables as someone who "stood out from anything I had experienced previously."{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballdna.co.uk/ben-garner-my-coaching-journey-so-far/|title=Ben Garner: My Coaching Journey So Far|date=2019-03-08|website=Football DNA|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-28}}

Garner has a reputation for playing attacking, possession-based football and developing young players.

A number of figures throughout the game have spoken highly of Garner with former player Peter Ramage,{{Cite web |url=https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/ramage-sorry-garner-leaving-crystal-palace-4085553 |title=Ramage sorry Garner leaving Crystal Palace |work=Tribal Football |date=9 July 2015 |access-date=2 January 2019}} chairman Stephen Parish{{cite web |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11706/9906121/ben-garner-leaves-role-as-crystal-palace-first-team-coach |title=Ben Garner leaves role as Crystal Palace first-team coach |date=7 July 2015 |access-date=13 February 2021 |website=Sky Sports}} and former England international Rickie Lambert among those to have praised him.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/exclusive-ex-gas-liverpool-striker-2361309 |title=Exclusive: Gas legend Rickie Lambert on who should be next Rovers manager |last=Maggs |first=Neil |date=24 December 2018 |work=Bristol Post |access-date=2 January 2019}}

Managerial statistics

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}}	{{abbr\|L\|Matches lost}}	{{abbr\|Win %\|Win percentage}}
align=left\|Bristol Rovers \|align=left\|23 December 2019 \|align=left\|14 November 2020 {{WDL\|36\|9\|10\|17\|decimals=2}}
align=left\|Swindon Town \|align=left\|21 July 2021 \|align=left\|8 June 2022 {{WDL\|56\|28\|12\|16\|decimals=2}}
align=left\|Charlton Athletic \|align=left\|8 June 2022 \|align=left\|5 December 2022 {{WDL\|29\|9\|12\|8\|decimals=2}}
align=left\|Colchester United \|align=left\|2 March 2023 \|align=left\|21 October 2023 {{WDL\|27\|7\|7\|13\|decimals=2}}
colspan=3\|Total {{WDLtot\|148\|53\|41\|54\|decimals=2}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

|+ Managerial record by team and tenure

rowspan=2|Team

!rowspan=2|From

!rowspan=2|To

!colspan=5|Record

align=left|Bristol Rovers

|align=left|23 December 2019

|align=left|14 November 2020

align=left|Swindon Town

|align=left|21 July 2021

|align=left|8 June 2022