Gerry Sweeney

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gerry Sweeney

| image =

| fullname = Gerald Sweeney{{Hugman|19118|access-date=16 April 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|7|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Renfrew, Scotland

| death_date =

| height =

| position = Midfielder or Right Back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Renfrew

| years1 = 1966–1971 | clubs1 = Morton | caps1 = 137 | goals1 = 16

| years2 = 1971–1982 | clubs2 = Bristol City | caps2 = 500 | goals2 = 22

| years3 = 1982 | clubs3 = York City | caps3 = 12 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1982 | clubs4 =Forest Green Rovers{{NeilBrownPlayers|player1/gerrysweeney}} | caps4 = ? | goals4 = ?

| years5 = 1982–1984 | clubs5 = Gloucester City{{cite book |last1=Clark |first1=Timothy R.D. |last2=Kujawa|first2= Rob |title=The Complete Record of Gloucester City AFC 1883–2009 |year=2009 |publisher=Tiger Timbo Publications |location=Gloucester |isbn=978-0-9557425-1-4}} | caps5 = 68 | goals5 = 4

| nationalyears1 = 1969

| nationalteam1 = Scottish League XI{{Cite web|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/gerrysweeney.html|title=Gerry Sweeney - Scotland Football League Record from 19 Nov 1969 to 19 Nov 1969 clubs - Morton}}

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1997

| managerclubs1 = Bristol City

}}

Gerald Sweeney (born 10 July 1945) is a Scottish former football player and manager. Sweeney was born in Renfrew, but spent the majority of his time in football with Bristol City.

Playing career

Initially with non-league Renfrew, Sweeney signed for Morton in 1966. He played 137 games for the club before moving to England with Bristol City in 1971. Sweeney was a regular in Alan Dicks's City side that won promotion to the First Division during the 1975–76 season.[http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~818837,00.html It was a Night of Nerves – Gerry] Sweeney finally left City in 1982 when he was one of the infamous "Ashton Gate Eight", a group of top-earning players who tore up their contracts in order to save the free-falling club from bankruptcy.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2005/12/02/ashtongate8_feature.shtml Ashton Gate 8] In all he managed 406 league games for the club, placing him near the top in City's appearance records.

After leaving Bristol City Sweeney rounded out his career in the Football League with a brief spell at York City before finishing his playing career in non-league football with Forest Green Rovers.

Management

Following his retirement from playing Sweeney initially remained in football. He served as a coach at Walsall under Tommy Coakley, a former teammate at Morton, and was instrumental in the Saddlers strong showing during the 1986–87 season.{{Cite web |url=http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/SaddlersStory/ |title=History of Walsall FC |access-date=18 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114170539/http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/SaddlersStory |archive-date=14 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Sweeney would later return to Ashton Gate and following the departure of Joe Jordan in 1997 he served a spell as caretaker manager.{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-dalglish-snaps-up-hamilton-for-pounds-25m-1275353.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Alan | last=Nixon | title=Football: Dalglish snaps up Hamilton for pounds 2.5m | date=27 March 1997}} Sweeney had been assistant to Jordan before the latter's departure.{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-hoddle-happy-with-ferguson-1275001.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Mark | last=Burton | title=Football: Hoddle happy with Ferguson | date=25 March 1997}}

Subsequently, Sweeney left football and worked as a postman in Portishead, Somerset.{{cite news | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article2800402.ece | archive-url = https://archive.today/20110524045631/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article2800402.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 24 May 2011 | location=London | work=The Times | first=Greg | last=Struthers | title=Caught in Time | date=4 November 2007}}