Liverpool-born former England international defender Dave Watson, has just been appointed Newcastle’s Under-18s Coach.
Dave Watson – joins Newcastle from Wigan
While the 49-year-old started his playing career with Liverpool he never played for the first team, and spent his playing career at Norwich City and Everton, where he played a total of 631 times with 34 goals from 1980 through 2001.
Dave also played 12 times for England from 1984 to 1988 under the great Bobby Robson.
Dave had managed Tranmere Rovers for a season before he was sacked and he later became a scout for Birmingham City before joining Wigan Athletic as their Youth Team coach in April of 2008.
Watson starts his new role today after leaving Wigan Athletic.
Indeed when he was Everton Dave played with Newcastle Development Manager Peter Beardsley, and maybe that’s the relationship that brought him to Newcastle.
Dave replaces Frankie Bunn, who left Newcastle in the summer, to became assistant manager at Rochdale, and he will work with Academy Manager Joe Joyce in bringing through Newcastle’s top young talent, which is a very important part of the Tyneside club’s future.
Joe Joyce talked about the appointment:
“Dave will be a great asset. He brings with him a wealth experience as a player and as a coach and we’re delighted to have him with us.”
It’s good to have Dave Watson on board at Newcastle.
Comments welcome.
15 comments so far
Toon_Tom
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Comment #1Can only mean good things for the young lads!
ToonDownSouth
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Comment #2Stuart (;
Lol exactly, I have to put up with the embarrassing excuses for journalists every day. But there’s a lot of praise and respect for what we’re doing.
Only thing that really bugs me is that they all talk like we’re hoping for CL, and will be disappointed if we only finish top 8.
ToonDownSouth
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Comment #3And Match of the Day is, and has been for many years, a joke. If Sky had an equivalent show, Motd would barely get 10 viewers.
Pundits get £40,000 an episode to boast about knowing nothing about the foreign leagues, state the obvious, and talk about how it was in “their day”.
AMEOBI
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Comment #4Yeah, can only be good.. Another good move from Newcastle
This is all scary
Stuart
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Comment #5Its because newcastle fans of old would’ve seen this start to the season and suddenly expect to win the league.
I’ll be very happy this season with a top 8 finish as its an improvement on last season, however I’m hoping for a top 6 finish like.
Stuart
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:14 AM
Comment #6Im sick of Lawro predicting us to lose every week based on what I can only assume is spite like. He doesnt deserve that pundits job.
WWJBD
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:15 AM
Comment #7Any idea of the players he has helped develop? I know very little about Wigans youth set up
Dannyo
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Comment #8Seems a good move. Experience from scouting, coaching and managing. We’ll see of the u-18 is unbeaten from now on then 😉
AshtreeKid
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Comment #9did anyone understand what lawro (the knobber) said about mistakes as the last point on newcastle? I have watched it about 8 times and to me its sounds like he’s drunk?
Dannyo
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:20 AM
Comment #10Btw, i thought Joe Joyce was the U-18 manager. Has there been further re-organization?
ToonDownSouth
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:21 AM
Comment #11WWJBD,
Can’t think of anyone of note Wigan have brought through their academy, but to be fair it’s a rugby town with a small catchment, so they probably have very little to choose from.
I guess it’s more a matter getting some fresh ideas in, and having the personality to fit in at the club
WWJBD
Nov 7, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Comment #12TDS
Very true mate I wasent expecting much but was curious if there were any names I would know
Tbf getting from Wigan is a good idea as they play the kind of football we are currently implimenting so if thats through the whole Wigan system (which I imagine it is) he should slot in very nicely and bring that to the table for our young lads
alec6247toon
Nov 7, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Comment #13Wigan brought through a few of the Hondurans through their academy (well I think they arrived at about 17/18) so Rodallega and Palacios I believe. Leighton Baines was at Wigan until 07. I can’t think of or find any other well known players in recent years who were at Wigan, but with where Wigan is situated (right next to Manchester) and their recent league performances, any half decent youth prospect is going to be at United/City or Bolton before being at Wigan.
I think its a great move by the board, and by AP. The youth side is what is going to continue making the progress the club has made in the last 18 months, at the end of the day, they are our side of the future. Adam Campbell is one to watch for the future I think. Could well be a future number 9 for us.
alec6247toon
Nov 7, 2011 at 12:38 PM
Comment #14Sorry Leighton Baines was at Wigan from 16 until 22 so he came through their youth system.
LEROI
Nov 7, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Comment #15Wasn’t it Dave Watson that captained Everton to that famous F.A cup winning final against manure in 94/95?