Andrew Awford

Andy Awford is an English football manager and former player mostly associated with Portsmouth, where he was player and then later manager. Awford was one of the first coaches to complete the FA’s new level 5 qualification, The FA Professional/Elite award, which he was hand selected to take part in by the FA.

Awford’s playing career began promisingly when he became the youngest ever player to appear in the FA Cup, aged just 15. Signing with Portsmouth a year later, he had a memorable 11-year career at the club, appearing nearly 400 times for Pompey and becoming a well-loved player with fans. His high points as a player included the FA Cup semi-final in 1992, when Portsmouth narrowly missed out to Liverpool, and 10 appearances for England Under 21’s.

From 1994 onwards, Awford suffered a series of career-changing injuries including a broken leg, and was forced to retire from playing at the age 28 in 2000. Awford still had a passion for the game, and launched his coaching career back at Portsmouth, where he took up the role of reserve team manager, followed by an appointment as first team coach at Oxford United under his old Portsmouth boss, Jim Smith. After a season as assistant manager at Bognor Regis town in 2008, Awford returned to Portsmouth as Academy Manager in February 2011, taking on various assisting roles until he was named caretaker manager for the end of the 2013–14 season. With Portsmouth on the edge of relegation from The Football League, Awford won his first five matches in charge to save the club and went on to win League Two Manager of the Month for April, securing the role of manager on a permanent basis. Awford left in 2015 and currently lends his coaching skills to Luton’s academy.