Gary Thornton

{{short description|English RL coach & former professional rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

| name = Gary Thornton

| fullname = Gary Thornton

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1963|3|9}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| position = {{rlp|WG}}

| club1 = {{nowrap|Wakefield Trinity}}

| year1start = 1986

| year1end = 90

| appearances1 = 18

| tries1 = 3

| goals1 = 0

| fieldgoals1 = 0

| points1 = 12

| club2 = {{nowrap|→ Batley}}

| year2start = 1988{{small|(loan)}}

| year2end =

| appearances2 =

| tries2 =

| goals2 = 0

| fieldgoals2 = 0

| points2 =

| club3 = Batley

| year3start = 1990

| year3end = 02

| appearances3 = 215

| tries3 = 79

| goals3 = 0

| fieldgoals3 = 0

| points3 = 316

| coachteam1 = Batley Bulldogs

| coachyear1start = 2003

| coachyear1end = 09

| coachgames1 = 0

| coachwins1 = 0

| coachdraws1 = 0

| coachlosses1 = 0

| coachteam2 = {{nowrap|York City Knights}}

| coachyear2start = 2012

| coachyear2end = 14

| coachgames2 = 0

| coachwins2 = 0

| coachdraws2 = 0

| coachlosses2 = 0

| coachteam3 = Doncaster RLFC

| coachyear3start = 2015

| coachyear3end = 17

| coachgames3 = 0

| coachwins3 = 0

| coachdraws3 = 0

| coachlosses3 = 0

| coachteam4 = Hunslet RLFC

| coachyear4start = 2018

| coachyear4end = 21

| coachgames4 = 48

| coachwins4 = 25

| coachdraws4 = 3

| coachlosses4 = 20

| coachteam5 = {{nowrap|Rochdale Hornets}}

| coachyear5start = 2023

| coachyear5end = present

| coachgames5 = 62

| coachwins5 = 32

| coachdraws5 = 1

| coachlosses5 = 29

| source = {{Rugby league records |id=3779 |title=Gary Thornton |access-date=27 March 2024}}{{cite web |title=Gary Thornton - Coaching Career |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/gary-thornton/summary.html |website=Rugby League Project |access-date=27 March 2024}}

| retired = no

| updated = 5 May 2025

}}

Gary Thornton is an English rugby league coach, and currently head coach of Rochdale Hornets. He has previously coached at Hunslet RLFC and Castleford Tigers{{cite news|title=Thornton joins Castleford staff.|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/castleford/8245821.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=9 September 2009|accessdate=2009-09-18}} U20s academy side from 2009 to 2012.

in September 2022, he was announced as head-coach of Rochdale Hornets.

Playing career

As a player, he spent 4 seasons at Wakefield Trinity before joining Batley in 1990, after initially having a loan spell at 'The Mount' in the 1988–89 season. He went on to make 215 appearances for the club scoring 79 tries.

Coaching career

Gary spent five and a half years as head coach at Batley from October 2003-April 2009(the longest serving Championship coach at the time), and also spent time as U21s coach at Wakefield Trinity.{{cite news|title=Thornton accepts Wakefield post|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/wakefield/8070527.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=27 May 2009|accessdate=2009-09-18}}

Gary was Head Coach at York between 2012 and 2014, and Doncaster R.L.F.C. from June 2015 to May 2017.{{cite web|title=Thornton Moves On|url=http://www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/article/52442/news--thornton-moves-on|website=Doncaster Rugby League|accessdate=9 May 2017|date=9 May 2017}}

Has won the coach of the year award in respective Championship divisions: