Dean in Sky Blue action

It was a year ago last July when we welcomed Dean Holdsworth to the Association as our latest recruit. Now there is another cause for celebration as today is Dean's 55th birthday. A Londoner Dean was born in Walthamstow on 8th November 1968. Congrats Dean!

Dean is a well travelled football player and now manager and, after an initial loan spell with the Sky Blues, the striker went on to make twenty appearances netting once for CCFC in season 2002-03. Though Dean was not too prolific during his spell at Highfield Road, he netted 193 goals in 610 Football League games and 260 goals in all his 733 games over a 22-year career. This involved nineteen periods with sixteen clubs between starting out with Division One Watford in 1986 (having been a youth player there) and finishing off his career with Conference South club Newport County during 2006-07

Dean had started off his professional career after coming through the youth ranks at Watford and in three seasons finished with a modest three goals in twenty outings there plus another four goal in a total of fifteen appearances out on loan at successively Carlisle United, Port Vale and Swansea Town.

Dean in more Sky Blue action

After impressing at a fourth loan club, Third Division Brentford, he signed full time for the Bees in September 1989 and became a prolific marksman over three seasons at Griffin Park knocking in a remarkable 76 goals in just 145 appearances and winning an England 'B' Cap! This earned him a chance to try his skills in the Premier League with Wimbledon where he became a fixture over more than five top flight seasons contributing 76 goals in 208 games. The Wombles Premier League rivals Bolton Wanderers snapped him up in October 1997 forking out a record for them of PS3.5m! Though he suffered both relegation and promotion with the Trotters Dean continued to find the net over the next six seasons before his Sky Blue sojourn contributing 49 goals in 186 games for the Burnden Park outfit.

Gary McAllister- Sky Blue 'gaffer'

Sky Blue 'gaffer' (now fellow CCFPA member) Gary McAllister signed Dean on loan from the Wanderers at the back end of 2002 hoping to bolster the Sky Blues Division One attack. He made his debut in a 2-1 home defeat to Preston North End on 30th November 2002 signing permanently in January 2003. However, despite starting every game, he failed to find the net in all his league games and scored his only goal in his second F.A.Cup outing (and tenth game) in a 3-0 third round replay home win over Cardiff City. He subsequently dropped down two divisions to play for Rushden & Diamonds in March 2003 finding his goal-touch again with two in seven before returning to the Wombles for the following season as they relocated to Milton Keynes and knocked in three in 31 appearances for the First Division side.

Dean opens his Sky Blues account

From 2004-05 to 2006-07 (apart from a short emergency four game spell with Championship side Derby County whilst assistant manager in 2006) Dean saw out his playing career at non league clubs, successively Havant & Waterlooville (2004 & 2006), Weymouth and also Heybridge Swifts (both 2005), and both Cambridge United and finally Newport County (2007).

Dean's full management career then began with Redbridge in 2007-09 and continued with three seasons at Newport County (2008-11), two at League Two Aldershot Town (Jan 2011- Feb.2013). five months with Chelmsford City from May to November 2013 and a similar time at Brentwood Town from June to November 2015. A former Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association (and founder of the Non League Footballers Association.

Dean Holdsworth (left) -Stratford Town

Dean's growing commitments outside football has led, for example, various reality TV appearances and also joining Sport Shield Consultancy which sought to buy an interest in old club Bolton Wanderers in March 2016.

Between May and September 2022, Dean was 'gaffer' at the Sky Blues' near neighbours Southern League Premier Central side Stratford Town and as all Sky Blues fans are aware the two sides played a pre-season friendly earlier that year. He resigned to concentrate on his business commitments.

We look forward to seeing Dean at a Sky Blues game during this Championship season and/or at a CCFPA event whenever he has no other commitments. In the meantime have a very 'Happy Birthday' today, Dean!

Thanks to CCFPA's Mike Young for sourcing the images. Share Post