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United Kingdom Andrew Awford is an English football coach and former footballer who has transitioned from a professional playing career to roles in academy management and coaching, and now serves as Director of Football at Mango Football.
Andrew Awford serves as the Director of Football for Mango Football, a start-up company that organizes 'Ultimate Player Experiences' for young players. These experiences provide participants with professional-level training camps and opportunities, including trips to international clubs like Benfica, Parma, and Inter Milan. Awford uses his industry knowledge and contacts to help build the brand and unlock the potential of young players.
Awford maintains involvement with football through roles with the Premier League as an academy auditor and matchday delegate, indicating his continued professional contribution to the sport's development.
Andrew Awford is listed as the Officiating Operations Manager for SAOT, a company involved in football and sports technology.
Andrew Terry Awford, born on July 14, 1972, in Worcester, England, began his football journey at a young age. He set a record as the youngest player to appear in the FA Cup at 15 years and 88 days for his hometown club, Worcester City F.C. In 1989, at the age of 16, Awford signed professional terms with Portsmouth, a club where he would spend the majority of his playing career. He made almost 400 first-team appearances for Portsmouth and was part of the squad that reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1992. His playing career also included ten appearances for the England U21 national team. A series of injuries, including a broken leg in 1994, impacted his career, leading to his retirement from professional football at the age of 28 in 2000.
Following his retirement from playing, Awford transitioned into coaching and management roles. He initially served as chief scout and later reserve team manager at Portsmouth. His coaching career progression included a role as first-team coach at Oxford United from 2006 to 2007, and assistant manager at Bognor Regis Town from 2008 to 2009. In February 2011, Awford returned to Portsmouth as the Academy Manager. He also had stints as caretaker manager for Portsmouth in 2013 and March-May 2014, leading the team to League Two survival in 2014, earning him the League Two Manager of the Month award in April 2014. He was appointed permanent manager in May 2014, receiving another Manager of the Month award in February 2015, before leaving in April 2015.
In June 2015, Awford joined Luton Town as Youth Academy and Development Manager, a role he held for almost seven years. During his time at Luton, he also served as caretaker manager in December 2015. He departed from Luton in April 2022. After a period of reflection away from the daily professional football environment, Awford took on a new challenge as Director of Football for Mango Football, a start-up company focusing on providing unique football experiences for young players. This role allows him to leverage his extensive knowledge and contacts within the game to develop talent and create impactful programs.
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