David Flitcroft was appointed as Swindon Town’s new Manager on Monday and we’ve put together a list of facts about our gaffer.
- David John Flitcroft was born in Bolton on January 14th 1974.
- He is the younger brother of former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City midfielder, Garry Flitcroft.
- Beginning his career with Preston North End, David signed professional terms with the club in 1992, making his debut under Sam Allardyce.
- The tough tackling midfielder spent a short spell on loan with Lincoln City before joining Chester City on a permanent deal in 1993, helping the club clinch promotion to Division Two in his first season.
- A move to Rochdale followed in 1999 and David enjoyed great success with The Dale, helping them to qualify for the Division Two Play-Offs in 2001/02, in addition to reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Cup the following season.
- After racking up over 150 appearances at Spotland, Flitcroft went on to have stints with Macclesfield Town and Bury, before hanging up his boots in 2007 whilst on the books of Hyde United.
- Opting to cut his teeth in coaching, David returned to Rochdale midway through the 2006/07 season after being appointed as Keith Hill’s Assistant, a Manager he would go on to establish a successful working relationship with.
- And he was also required to lace up the boots one more time, making a cameo outing against Gillingham on the final day of the 2008/09 campaign.
- Flitcroft decided to follow Keith Hill to Barnsley in June 2011, where he was Hill’s Number Two once more, before being given the top job on a Caretaker basis in 2012/13.
- After picking up some impressive results, he was appointed on a permanent basis and guided The Tykes to Championship safety on the final day of the season.
- However, after parting company with the club in November 2013, Flitcroft’s next move was Bury the following month where he performed heroics once more, steering the club away from the relegation zone and to an impressive 12th-place finish.
- It only got better the following season as, having recruited the likes of Hallam Hope, Danny Mayor, Chris Hussey and Adam El-Abd, The Shakers set a new club record for points picked up in a single season on their way to securing automatic promotion to League One.
- More shrewd recruitment in the transfer market ensured that Bury enjoyed a solid first season in the third tier of English football, finishing 16th in addition to reaching the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.
- Flitcroft departed Bury in November 2016 following a poor run of form but his stock continued to rise and, despite being one of 165 applicants to apply for the England U21 job, he reached the final four of the interview process with only a lack of international experience counting against him.
- Now back in management with Swindon Town, David will be tasked with building a competitive squad that can fight for promotion from the Sky Bet League Two in 2017/18.
