Des Buckingham

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Des Buckingham
DESBUCKINGHAM.jpg
Personal information
Full name Desmond Buckingham
Date of birth (1985-02-07) 7 February 1985 (age 36)
Place of birth Oxford, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Mumbai City (head coach)
Youth career
Years Team
2000–2002 Reading
2002–2004 Oxford United
Teams managed
Years Team
2004–2014 Oxford United (youth coach)
2015 Wellington Phoenix (assistant)
2016 Wellington Phoenix (interim)
2017 Wellington Phoenix
2017–2018 Stoke City U23 (assistant)
2018–2019 New Zealand U20
2018–2019 New Zealand (assistant)
2019–2020 New Zealand U23
2020–2021 Melbourne City (assistant)
2021– Mumbai City

Desmond Buckingham (born 7 February 1985) is an English professional football manager who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Mumbai City.

Buckingham became the youngest head coach in the history of the A-League during the 2016–17 A-League season.[1]

Playing career[]

Born in Oxford, England, Buckingham had spells in the youth and reserve teams of English sides Reading and Oxford United.[2][3] A professional career did not materialise, and Buckingham subsequently joined Oxford & Cherwell Valley College in a full-time coaching and teaching role over a four-year period.[4][5]

Coaching career[]

Oxford United[]

Buckingham began his professional coaching career at Oxford United at the age of 18, initially working through the club's age-group squads. At the start of the 2013–14 Football League Two season, Buckingham progressed as a coach into the first team, under then-manager, Chris Wilder.[6]

In his time at the club, Buckingham was able to support the transition of 24 players from the youth ranks into their first professional contracts.[7]

Wellington Phoenix[]

Buckingham joined the Wellington Phoenix during the 2014–15 A-League season under head coach Ernie Merrick. On 1 January 2017, following the resignation of Merrick, he was appointed as manager until the end of the season.[8] At 31 years of age, he became the youngest manager in A-League history and was able to lift the club off the bottom of the table, finishing one place outside the playoffs at the end of the season.[9][10]

Stoke City[]

In July, 2017 Buckingham was granted permission to leave Wellington Phoenix and take up a role at then-Premier League club Stoke City as an assistant coach with their under-23 team.[11][12]

New Zealand Football[]

A return to New Zealand in 2018 saw Buckingham appointed as head coach of the New Zealand U20 team and assistant manager of the senior national team.[13][14]

In August, 2018 Buckingham led the team to the 2018 OFC U-19 Championship, qualifying for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[15][16] At the World Cup, Buckingham's New Zealand side recorded their highest ever finish at a men's FIFA tournament, eventually being knocked out by Colombia in the round of 16 after a controversial penalty shoot-out.[17][18][19] The team also posted New Zealand's biggest ever win at a FIFA tournament with a 5–0 win over Honduras,[20] becoming the first New Zealand team to win back to back games at a FIFA event, the team also recorded their first ever win over European opposition with a 2–0 win over Norway.[21][22] Buckingham earned plaudits for the team's quality of football and style of play. Former All Whites Ricki Herbert and Wynton Rufer praised the positive and attacking approach to winning games rarely seen before in New Zealand.[23][24][25][26][27][28]

Despite being linked to clubs in the English Football League and A-League, Buckingham accepted the New Zealand U23 managerial position in June 2019, leading the side into the 2019 Pacific Games and OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament.[29][30][31] Buckingham guided New Zealand to its first-ever Gold medal at the 2019 Pacific Games, leading an U-23 side through an otherwise senior international competition undefeated.[32][33]

In September 2019, in the lead up to the OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament the New Zealand U-23 side played out two draws against their Australian counterparts.[34]

On 5 October 2019, Buckingham led New Zealand to its third Olympic Games, qualifying for Tokyo 2020 by winning the OFC U-23 Championship.[35][36] In doing so, the team became the most dominant men's side to have played in an Oceania Football Confederation competition by winning all five games and finishing with a goal difference of +29.[37] The New Zealand U23 side remained unbeaten during his tenure, winning nine and drawing three of 12 games.[38]

New Zealand Football announced that Buckingham would leave his role as coach of the under-23 side in April 2020, despite a large group of players writing to the governing body to retain his services as coach.[39][40][41] Buckingham’s contract was not extended following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics and he was replaced by Danny Hay.[42][43]

Buckingham was named Men’s Coach of the year at New Zealand Football Awards 2020.[44]

Melbourne City[]

In September 2020, Buckingham joined A-League club Melbourne City as Assistant Coach after being identified by the City Football Group.[45] He has managed the team on multiple occasions in the absence of Patrick Kisnorbo, when he has been injured[46] or ill.[47]

In his first season, Melbourne City claimed their maiden A-League trophy in the teams eleven-year history, winning the league to secure the A-League Premiers Plate.[48] The team completed the double a month later, winning their first A-League Grand Final.[49]

Mumbai City[]

On 8 October 2021, Buckingham was appointed as the head coach of Indian Super League club Mumbai City of the City Football Group on a two-year contract.[50]

Personal life[]

Buckingham is a qualified pilot, and holds a Master's degree in advanced performance football coaching through the University of South Wales.

He was inducted into the 2019 edition of the High Performance Sport New Zealand Coach Accelerator Programme, a three-year programme aimed at developing and increasing New Zealand's pool of world-class coaches.[51]

Managerial statistics[]

As of match played 25 January 2022
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref.
M W D L GF GA GD Win %
Wellington Phoenix (interim) 5 December 2016 31 December 2016 4 1 3 0 7 4 +3 025.00 [52]
Wellington Phoenix 1 January 2017 7 June 2017 15 5 3 7 28 28 +0 033.33 [52]
New Zealand U20 23 March 2018 31 December 2019 11 8 1 2 35 7 +28 072.73 [53][54]
New Zealand U23 22 June 2019 30 April 2020 12 9 3 0 57 8 +49 075.00 [55]
Melbourne City (caretaker) 2 March 2021 10 May 2021 3[56][57][58] 3 0 0 8 3 +5 100.00 [59]
Mumbai City 8 October 2021 Present 12 5 3 4 23 21 +2 041.67 [60]
Total 57 31 13 13 158 71 +87 054.39

Honours[]

New Zealand Football

Melbourne City

Individual

  • New Zealand Football Men's Coach of the Year: 2020

References[]

  1. ^ "Former United Coach becomes youngest A-League boss". Oxford Mail. 13 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Meet the mystery man of the Wellington Phoenix interim co-coaching duo". Stuff. 15 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Former Oxford United Coach on his rise to take charge of Wellington Phoenix". Oxford Mail. 10 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Meet the mystery man of the Wellington Phoenix interim cocoaching staff". 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Who is Phoenix Coach Des Buckingham". 5 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Former Oxford United Coach Des Buckingham rise take charge Wellington Phoenix". Oxford Mail. 10 February 2017.
  7. ^ "From Oxford To The Olympics – The British Manager Taking New Zealand To Tokyo". The Sportsman. 14 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Who Phoenix Coach Des Buckingham". A-League. 5 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Former Oxford United Coach Des Buckingham becomes youngest A League boss Wellington Phoenix". Oxford Mail. 13 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Phoenix sign new coach". New Zealand Herald. 19 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Wellington Phoenix coach departs for Premier League club". wellingtonphoenix.com. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  12. ^ "The A-League's youngest manager joins Stoke City". Oceaniafc.com. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  13. ^ "NZ U-17 and U-20 Head Coaches confirmed". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Des Buckingham returning to NZ to coach U20s as Jose Figueira gets U17s nod". Stuff. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  15. ^ "New Zealand win seventh title | Oceania Football Confederation". Oceania Football Confederation. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  16. ^ "U-20 men book berth at World Cup". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Oceania gear up to compete for sole Tokyo 2020 ticket". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  18. ^ "U-20s go out in heart-breaking fashion". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  19. ^ "New Zealand suffers heartbreaking loss to Columbia at FIFA U20 World Cup". NewsHub. 5 April 2019.
  20. ^ "New Zealand make history in Poland 2019 bow". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Stensness screamer seals U-20 passage". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  22. ^ "History in sight for U-20s". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  23. ^ "How a football team of immigrants brings us closer together". Stuff. 2 June 2019.
  24. ^ "NZ under 20s fire". TVNZ. 29 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Progress made as FIFA Under-20 World Cup campaign ends with heartbreak, not history". Stuff. 3 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Ex Oxford United Coach one win Olympic qualification". Oxford Mail. 3 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Ricki Herbert calls for NZ Football to get more games for under-20 tournament stars". Stuff. 5 June 2019.
  28. ^ "Wynton Rufer hails NZ football's future after under-20 team's 'brilliant' effort". Stuff. 4 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Brisbane Roar lose to Sydney FC as club consider head coach options". The Guardian. 30 December 2018.
  30. ^ "The contenders to replacing outgoing Wellington Phoenix coach Mark Rudan". Stuff. 16 April 2019.
  31. ^ "Des Buckingham to coach OlyWhites until end of Tokyo Olympics campaign". Stuff. 27 June 2019.
  32. ^ "New Zealand Men's footballers produce epic comeback to win Pacific Games Gold". Stuff. 20 July 2019.
  33. ^ "U-23s come from behind to claim gold". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  34. ^ "OlyWhites impressive against Olyroos as qualifiers for Tokyo Olympics draw closer". Stuff. 10 September 2019.
  35. ^ "U-23s book ticket to Tokyo". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  36. ^ "New Zealand impress en route to Japan". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  37. ^ "OlyWhites ease past Solomon Islands to book their place at the Tokyo Olympics". Stuff. 5 October 2019.
  38. ^ "Ex-Oxford United coach Des Buckingham: Olympic qualification is career highlight". Stuff. 11 October 2019.
  39. ^ "The Englishman who lost his job after guiding New Zealand to the Olympics". theguardian.com. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  40. ^ "Clayton Lewis glad his Olympic dream is still alive and hopes Des Buckingham can stay". stuff.co.nz. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  41. ^ "Football: New Zealand's Olympic hopefuls pleading coach Des Buckingham remains in charge". newshub.co.nz. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  42. ^ "NZ Football ignores players, dumps coach". ftbl.com.au. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  43. ^ "Departing under-23 New Zealand coach Des Buckingham – 'Something I will never forget'". nzherald.co.nz. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  44. ^ "New Zealand Football Awards 2020: WINNERS". New Zealand Football. 1 October 2020.
  45. ^ "Olympic hopes to City Football Group". Sky Sports. 3 March 2021.
  46. ^ "Buckingham: The new dimension to Maclaren's game turning City striker into different beast". a-league.com.au. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  47. ^ "Club Update: Patrick Kisnorbo". melbournecityfc.com.au. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  48. ^ "Melbourne City FC claim A-League 2020/21 Premiership". a-league.com.au. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  49. ^ "Champions at last: City dominate ten-man Sky Blues in 3-1 Grand Final triumph". a-league.com.au. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  50. ^ "Club Statement: Head Coach". Mumbai City FC. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  51. ^ "Buckingham follows in famous footsteps". nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  52. ^ a b "Wellington Phoenix matches". Soccerway. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  53. ^ "NZ U19 Matches". Flashscore.com. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  54. ^ "NZ U20 Matches". ESPN.com. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  55. ^ "NZF U23 results". Flashscore.com. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  56. ^ "Match Report: WSW 0-2 Melbourne City". A-League.com. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  57. ^ "Match Report: Perth Glory 1-3 Melbourne City". A-League.com. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  58. ^ "Match Report: Melbourne City 3-2 Brisbane Roar". A-League.com. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  59. ^ "Melbourne City results". Flashscore.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  60. ^ "Mumbai City FC » Fixtures & Results 2021/2022". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 22 November 2021.

External links[]

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