Burnley | Club | Who's Who | Who's Who

Meet The Management

Posted on: Thu 03 May 2012

Eddie Howe - Manager

Eddie Howe arrived at Turf Moor in January, 2011 as one of the rising stars of English football management after transforming the fortunes of AFC Bournemouth.

Having taken charge of his hometown club in January, 2009, Howe led the Cherries away from the threat of relegation out of the Football League, despite the penalty of a 17-point deduction.

Article continues

And 12 months later, despite financial restrictions and a transfer embargo, the former Bournemouth defender took the club up as they finished second in League Two to clinch promotion behind champions Notts County.

The upward curve continued with Bournemouth sitting just a couple of places outside the automatic promotion places in League One when Howe answered the call from Turf Moor.

Amersham-born Howe previously spent virtually all of his career at Dean Court, starting in the club's Centre of Excellence and supporting the club as a boy.

Graduating through Bournemouth's youth ranks, the defender went on to play over 300 games for the Cherries, either side of a brief injury-hit spell at Portsmouth, and was capped at England under-21 level.

Injury prematurely ended Howe's playing career in 2007, but a move onto the coaching staff followed as he took charge of the reserves and worked as first-team coach under Kevin Bond.

When Bond was dismissed Howe also lost his job but was taken back on in Bournemouth's youth set-up.

And when Jimmy Quinn's brief managerial reign on the south coast ended in December, 2008, Howe was asked to step into the breach.

An instant success, Howe was appointed on a permanent basis to become the then youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 32.

His achievements at Dean Court made him one of the most in-demand managers in the game with Peterborough, Southampton, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace all understood to have shown an interest securing his services.

Howe resisted all those overtures to continue Bournemouth's development.

But with Burnley offering him the chance to manage at a highly ambitious and well-placed Championship club, he took the plunge to become the Clarets' new manager.

Assistant manager - Jason Tindall

Jason Tindall joined Eddie Howe as assistant manager at Turf Moor to continue the successful management partnership that had flourished at Bournemouth.

The pair had previously been playing colleagues with the Cherries and joined forces again when Howe was appointed Bournemouth boss in January, 2009.

Tindall had been assistant to former manager Jimmy Quinn and stayed on in the role under Howe as Bournemouth were transformed from relegation candidates at the bottom of League Two to promotion contenders in League One when they duo left to take charge at Burnley in January, 2011.

A former midfielder-turned defender, London-born Tindall started his playing career with Charlton Athletic but left the Valley without playing a senior game.

Signed by Bournemouth in 1998, he defied a number of knee injuries to play over 200 games for the south coast club, completing his total when he returned to Dean Court after a spell as player-manager at Weymouth and re-registering as a member of the squad in 2009.

Jason Blake - Development Squad/Reserve Team Coach

Jason Blake joined the Clarets' coaching staff in June, 2011 to work with the young professionals at Turf Moor.

The move re-united Blake with first-team boss Eddie Howe after the pair previously worked together at AFC Bournemouth.

Blake has spent a career in youth development, previously working for a number of clubs in the south.

Starting his coaching career in the Academy set-up at Southampton, when future Premier League stars Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale were coming through the ranks, he then moved along the coast for a brief stay Portsmouth.

From there, Blake moved to Bournemouth, starting as technical development officer before becoming Centre of Excellence Manager at Dean Court, where the conveyor belt of young talent included Sam Vokes, Brett Pitman, Josh McQoid, Rhoys Wiggins and Jayden Stockley.

Blake then joined the Academy at Reading to work with the club's schoolboy age groups before accepting the offer to join forces again with Howe with the aim of helping to nurture the next generation of first-team players at Turf Moor.

Billy Mercer - Goalkeeping Coach

Goalkeeper Billy Mercer started his career with hometown club Liverpool but after struggling to breakthrough to the first team he joined Rotherham United in 1989, making 138 appearances for the Millers during his five-and -a half -year stay at Millmoor.

In October 1994 he signed for local rivals Sheffield United, spending just over a year at Bramall Lane. After failing to gain a regular slot in the Blades' starting eleven, loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Chesterfield followed.

Mercer made the switch to Saltergate permanent in December 1995 and established himself as first choice between the sticks over the next four seasons, which included a run to the 1997 FA Cup Semi Final against Middlesbrough.

By the 1999/2000 season Mercer had slipped down the packing order and joined Bristol City, making 32 appearances in his first season, remaining on their books until he retired from professional football in January 2003.

Mercer was appointed as a goalkeeping coach at Ashton Gate, where he impressed and was subsequently brought to Hillsborough in summer 2004. Following Paul Sturrock's dismissal in October 2006, Mercer acted as caretaker assistant manager to Sean McAuley, before the arrival of Brian Laws and Russ Wilcox in November 2006.

Alasdair Beattie - Head Physiotherapist

Alasdair Beattie joined Burnley Football Club in July 2010, in time for the Clarets to launch a bid for promotion into the Premier League.

A fully qualified and state registered Physiotherapist, with a degree in Physiotherapy from the Royal London Hospital, Alasdair has previously worked under various different managers.

In a twelve year stay at Tottenham Hotspur he worked his way up through the ranks, from Under 16s to eventually holding the post of first team Physiotherapist from 1998 until 2004.

Subsequently he enjoyed five years at Manchester City, in which he was responsible for all Physiotherapy services provided to all professional players.

Shortly after Mark Hughes arrived at Eastlands, Ally and Manchester City parted company as it was all change for the backroom personnel.

This led Ally to his next post, working as the Senior Physiotherapist at RAF Marham in Norfolk.

Ally has strengthened his CV by participating in many specialist courses and a significant part of his continuing professional career has been spent working alongside the many outside clinical experts involved in the treatment of football players.

Ryan Bailey - Assistant Physiotherapist

Ryan Bailey stepped up from his duties with the development squad in the summer of 2011 to work under head physio Ally Beattie with the first team.

Pablo Sanchez - Physiotherapist

The young Spaniard is physiotherapist for the club's young professionals in the development squad.

Jonathan Dalzell - Fitness and Conditioning Coach

Jon Dalzell followed manager Eddie Howe to Burnley in January, 2011 after previously being an important member of his backroom staff at AFC Bournemouth.

Responsible for the players' fitness and conditioning programmes, Jon previously worked at Portsmouth FC.

Manis Belgcem - Masseur

Another former member of Eddie Howe's backroom team at AFC Bournemouth, Manis came to Turf Moor in January, 2011 with the new management team to help the players with warm-up and recovery.