Darren Freeman

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Darren Freeman

|image = Darren Freeman.jpg

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname = Darren Barry Andduet Freeman{{hugman|6824|access-date=17 April 2016}}

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|8|22|df=y}}

|birth_place = Brighton, England

|height =

|position = Winger, striker

|currentclub =

|youthyears1 = 1988–1990

|youthclubs1 = WhitehawkSussex County FA, RUR Charity Cup Final, Peacehaven & Telscombe v Whitehawk, 1991

|years1 = 1990–1992

|clubs1 = Whitehawk

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 = 1992–1993

|clubs2 = WorthingMatchday Programme, Whitehawk v Metropolitan Police, 20 November 2010

|caps2 =

|goals2 =

|years3 = 1993

|clubs3 = Littlehampton TownOfficial match day programme Littlehampton Town v Whitehawk 10 May 1993

|caps3 =

|goals3 =

|years4 = 1994–1995

|clubs4 = Horsham{{hugman|6824|access-date=21 October 2017}}

|caps4 =

|goals4 =

|years5 = 1995–1996

|clubs5 = Gillingham

|caps5 = 12

|goals5 = 0

|years6 = 1995–1996

|clubs6 = → Glenavon (loan)

|caps6 =

|goals6 =

|years7 = 1996–1998

|clubs7 = Fulham

|caps7 = 46

|goals7 = 9

|years8 = 1998–1999

|clubs8 = Brentford

|caps8 = 22

|goals8 = 6

|years9 = 1999–2001

|clubs9 = Brighton & Hove Albion

|caps9 = 54

|goals9 = 12

|years10 = 2002–2003

|clubs10 = Margate

|caps10 =

|goals10 =

|years11 = 2003–2004

|clubs11 = Worthing

|caps11 =

|goals11 =

|years12 = 2004

|clubs12 = Three Bridges

|caps12 =

|goals12 =

|years13 = 2005–2013

|clubs13 = Whitehawk

|caps13 =

|goals13 =

|totalcaps = 134

|totalgoals = 27

|manageryears1 = 2009–2014

|managerclubs1 = Whitehawk

|manageryears2 = 2015

|managerclubs2 = Peacehaven & Telscombe

|manageryears3 = 2015–2019

|managerclubs3 = Lewes

}}

Darren Barry Andduet Freeman (born 22 August 1973) is an English football manager and former professional player who played as a winger and striker, making over 130 appearances in the Football League between 1995 and 2001.

Playing career

Born in Brighton, Freeman played youth football for Whitehawk and Sussex County Youth, making his first team debut at the age of 16. He scored the winner as a 17 year old in the RUR Cup Final against Peacehaven & Telscombe in March 1991Whitehawk v Bexhill Town, Official Matchday Programme, 11 May 1991 while also appearing in the County Youth Cup Final later in the season, earning trials at Portsmouth, Southend United and Maidstone United. After playing for Isthmian League Worthing and Horsham he was signed by Gillingham. Following a successful loan spell at Glenavon,{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/library/1G1-60642577/football-don-t-be-silly-billy-this-pair-are-staying|title=FOOTBALL: DON'T BE SILLY BILLY!; This Pair Are Staying Put, Hamilton Told|publisher=The People|date=18 January 1998|access-date=6 July 2013|author=Gordon Hanna}} he went on to play in the Football League with Fulham, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, making a total of 134 appearances.{{cite web|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/darrenfreeman.html|title=Profile|publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database|access-date=6 July 2013}} He retired from professional football in August 2001 due to an ongoing hernia problem.{{Cite web |url=http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~85815,00.html |title=Brentford {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} FORMER BEE QUITS |website=World.brentfordfc.co.uk |access-date=15 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025232/http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~85815,00.html |archive-date=16 February 2018 |url-status=dead }}

{{quote box|quote=He will always be remembered for two feats with the Seagulls – scoring a hat-trick in Albion's first ever competitive match at Withdean Stadium, when they beat Mansfield Town 6–0, and scoring the first English football league goal of the new millennium when he netted in an early kick-off against Exeter City on January 3, 2000.|width=33%|align=left}}

He returned to non-league football in June 2002 with Margate,{{cite web|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=4526|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220083718/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=4526|archive-date=20 December 2013|title=KINNEAR SIGNS FREEMAN|website=NonLeagueDaily.com|date=21 June 2002|url-status=usurped|access-date=6 July 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5128952.Freeman_plays_again/|title=Freeman plays again|access-date=6 July 2013|date=8 July 2002|publisher=The Argus}} Worthing and Three Bridges, the latter as player-coach,{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/6710486.County_League__Bridges_release_coach_Freeman/|title=County League: Bridges release coach Freeman|access-date=6 July 2013|date=22 October 2004|publisher=The Argus}} before ending his playing career back at his first club Whitehawk, joining in 2005–06, before taking on a player-coaching role in 2008.

Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Shoreham, Sussex County League 1, 12 April 2008

Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Wroxham, FA Vase, 28 March 2010 Freeman made 16 league and cup appearances in the 2007–08 season and a further 12 league and cup appearances in the 2009–10 season.Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Redhill, 1 May 2010 His final ever appearance was from the bench in a Sussex Senior Challenge Cup tie at Horsham on 26 November 2013.Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Sutton United, 26 April 2014.

Coaching career

Freeman was appointed sole manager of Whitehawk in May 2010,{{cite web|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=67123|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201202641/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=67123|archive-date=1 February 2014|title=FREEMAN TAKES SOLE CHARGE OF HAWKS|website=NonLeagueDaily.com|date=26 May 2010|url-status=usurped|access-date=6 July 2013}} having previously been joint-manager of the club alongside George Parris since May 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/4397756.Freeman_joins_Parris_at_Hawks/|title=Freeman joins Parris at Hawks|access-date=6 July 2013|date=26 May 2009|publisher=The Argus|author=Howard Griggs}} Despite taking the club from the Sussex County League to the Conference South League with three promotions in four years,{{cite web|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/10558566.Recognising_heroes_of_sport_around_Sussex_for_achievement_award/|title=Recognising heroes of sport around Sussex for achievement award|date=19 July 2013|access-date=17 April 2016|author=Charlotte Ikonen|publisher=Warrington Guardian}} he was sacked by Whitehawk in January 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10960397.Whitehawk_part_with_Freeman/|title=Whitehawk part with Freeman|access-date=26 January 2014|date=24 January 2014|publisher=The Argus|author=Howard Griggs}}

Freeman was appointed manager of Isthmian League Division One South side Peacehaven & Telscombe in August 2015 {{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/nonleague/13596725.Freeman_appointed_manager_at_Peacehaven/ |title=Freeman appointed manager at Peacehaven |publisher=The Argus |date=13 August 2013 |access-date=2 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001180105/http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/nonleague/13596725.Freeman_appointed_manager_at_Peacehaven/ |archive-date=1 October 2015 |df=dmy }} but left after just two months to take up the manager's position at nearby Lewes.{{cite web |url=http://www.lewesfc.com/lewes-announce-new-first-team-manager/ |title=Lewes announce new First Team Manager |publisher=Lewes F.C. |date=13 October 2015 |access-date=13 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016021009/http://www.lewesfc.com/lewes-announce-new-first-team-manager/ |archive-date=16 October 2015 |df=dmy }} On 2 April 2016, Lewes were relegated from the Isthmian Premier League to the Isthmian Division One South with three games of the season remaining.{{cite web|url=http://www.lewesfc.com/down-but-certainly-not-out/ |title=Down but certainly not out |date=2 April 2016 |access-date=17 April 2016 |publisher=Lewes F.C. |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428080424/http://www.lewesfc.com/down-but-certainly-not-out/ |archive-date=28 April 2016 |df=dmy }} On 13 April 2018, the Rooks won promotion back to the Isthmian Premier League,{{Cite web |url=http://www.lewesfc.com/post/rooks-seal-promotion-with-emphatic-win-over-horsham |title=Rooks seal promotion with emphatic win over Horsham |access-date=8 January 2020 |archive-date=23 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823042017/https://www.lewesfc.com/post/rooks-seal-promotion-with-emphatic-win-over-horsham |url-status=dead }} eventually finishing the 2017-18 Isthmian Division One South season in 2nd place, behind Carshalton Athletic, on 99 points.{{cite web |url=https://www.lewesfc.com/post/chipstead-hold-rooks-but-fail-to-stop-the-promotion-party |publisher=Lewes F.C. |date=28 April 2018 |access-date=22 August 2018 |df=dmy |title=Chipstead hold Rooks but fail to stop the promotion party |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823042034/https://www.lewesfc.com/post/chipstead-hold-rooks-but-fail-to-stop-the-promotion-party |archive-date=23 August 2018 |url-status=dead }} Freeman left Lewes in October 2019 to take up a full-time role with the SportsTotal agency with his former teammate at Brentford, Dirk Hebel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lewesfc.com/article/darren-to-leave-football-management|title=Darren to leave football management|website=Lewesfc.com}} Hebel named his son Darren after Freeman.{{Cite web|url=http://thecowsheds.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:series-i-dirk-hebel&catid=40:where-are-they-now&Itemid=67|title=Series I - Dirk Hebel|date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715225642/http://thecowsheds.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:series-i-dirk-hebel&catid=40:where-are-they-now&Itemid=67|access-date=31 October 2021|archive-date=15 July 2014}}

Personal life

Freeman was educated at Varndean School in Brighton and has two sons, Leighton and Stacey with his partner Lorraine.{{Cite web|url=http://www.surreyschools.com/JobSeekers/RecruiterProfile.aspx?EmpNo=10446|title=Varndean School, Brighton, East Sussex|language=en-GB|access-date=15 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5144637.Tears_of_a_local_hero/|title=Tears of a local hero|date=31 August 2001|publisher=The Argus|access-date=6 July 2013}} Stacey Freeman played in his father's team at Lewes.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/14513708.Stacey_Freeman_delights_dad_by_pledging_future_to_Lewes/|title=Stacey Freeman delights dad by pledging future to Lewes|website=The Argus|language=en|access-date=15 February 2018}} His father Reg died in August 2009 and was cited as an inspiration to Freeman's career.{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/4688138.Freeman_inspired_by_late_father/|title=Freeman inspired by late father|access-date=6 July 2013|date=17 October 2009|publisher=The Argus|author=Howard Griggs}} As a player, Freeman was notable for his long hair, modelled on Braveheart's Mel Gibson.