Product Code Database
Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently head coach of National League club Hartlepool United.
As a player, he was a right back, but he was also utilised in Midfielder in a career that lasted from 1988 until 2006. Having started his career with Leeds United, he played in the Premier League for Leicester City, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers, before moving into the Football League with Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport County, Notts County, Bradford City and Blackpool. He won promotion twice with Leicester City, both via the playoffs, in 1993–94 and 1995–96, and followed it up with a League Cup win in 1996–97. His next piece of silverware came at Blackpool in 2003–04, when he lifted the EFL Trophy.
He was appointed as player-manager of Blackpool in 2005, and a year later retired from playing to concentrate on the managerial side of his job. He guided the club to promotion, via the playoffs, from League One to the EFL Championship in 2006–07.
In 2008, he was appointed manager of Leeds United, leading them to promotion to the Championship in 2010. Dismissed in February 2012, he moved to Huddersfield Town, where he again gained promotion from League One via the play-offs, beating Sheffield United in the final. In February 2013, Grayson became the new manager of Preston North End, winning promotion from League One to the Championship with them in 2014–15, and later had short spells in charge of Sunderland, Bradford City, Blackpool again and Fleetwood Town.
Grayson moved to Brian Little's Aston Villa in 1997 and made another 49 Premier League appearances at Villa Park, scoring two goals, both of which came in Villa's 1997–98 FA Cup campaign against Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion. He then signed for Blackburn Rovers in July 1999, where he made 34 appearances in his first season. He lost his place in the team the following season and spent most of the next two years on loan, with spells at Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport County, Notts County (where he scored once against Reading) and Bradford City. Grayson signed for Blackpool on a free transfer on 19 July 2002. He made more than 100 appearances for the Seasiders and captained the side. He started his career at Blackpool in the right-back berth, but was moved to midfield by former boss Colin Hendry to bolster an area of weakness. In 2004 he started the final as Blackpool won the 2003–04 Football League Trophy.
In late 2006, he led Blackpool to only one defeat in fourteen league games, a sequence that included five wins out of six, resulting in their appearance in the four play-off positions. The run also brought attendances of more than 7,000 to Bloomfield Road. This led to Grayson being awarded the Manager of the Month award for December.
On 6 January 2007, he guided Blackpool to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 17 years, after beating Aldershot Town 4–2 at Bloomfield Road. They were knocked out by Norwich City, who beat them 3–2 after extra time, in a replay at Carrow Road on 13 February, narrowly missing out on a trip to London to face Chelsea in the last sixteen.
Grayson received his second League One Manager of the Month award of the 2006–07 season in May 2007. Two days later, on 5 May 2007, Grayson guided Blackpool to a final placing of third, and thus a place in the play-offs. Blackpool beat Oldham Athletic 5–2 on aggregate over the two legs of the play-off semi-final. They met Yeovil Town in the final at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium on 27 May and won 2–0, securing promotion to the EFL Championship. It was their tenth consecutive victory, a new club record. This was extended in Blackpool's first game in the Championship with a league win over Leicester City and a victory against Huddersfield Town in the League Cup.
In October 2007, Grayson guided Blackpool to the fourth round of the League Cup for the club's first time in 35 years. They were drawn against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, where Spurs won 2–0. Tottenham 2–0 Blackpool – BBC Sport In December 2007 Grayson signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, following two years working without a formal contract. In May 2008, Blackpool finished nineteenth in the Championship.
Grayson was heavily linked with the vacant managerial post at Leeds United, with whom he started his playing career, following the dismissal of Gary McAllister in December 2008, but Blackpool refused permission for Leeds to speak to Grayson. Despite this Grayson tendered his resignation, which the Blackpool board did not accept, and he was announced as Leeds United's new manager. The two clubs ultimately settled the dispute for an undisclosed fee. "Leeds settle dispute over Grayson" BBC Sport. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
Grayson and Leeds started the 2009–10 season with an unbeaten run in all competitions, which included seven victories and a draw in League One and saw the club progress to the third round of the League Cup, before losing 1–0 to Liverpool. In that season's FA Cup, Grayson led Leeds to a 1–0 victory away to Manchester United, their first win at Old Trafford since 1981. "Man Utd 0 – 1 Leeds United" – BBC Sport Grayson's side also earned Leeds a replay against Premiership opposition Tottenham Hotspur after a 2–2 draw at White Hart Lane.
Grayson's Leeds side was promoted on 8 May 2010 after beating Bristol Rovers 2–1 in their final game coming back from 0–1 with only 10 men. The win saw Leeds finish the season in second place, and earn automatic promotion to The Championship. Grayson reached his 100th game managing Leeds in the 2–1 win against Middlesbrough.
Grayson was rewarded with his first Manager of the Month award while in charge at Leeds United for the month of December 2010. During that month he oversaw his Leeds team unbeaten in the league, winning three games and drawing two, including a 2–0 home win over league leaders QPR. After a dip in form, Leeds dropped out of the playoff places and finished the season in 7th place.
On 1 February 2012, Grayson was dismissed by Leeds United due to lack of results he was getting. A Club Statement said: "We have 18 games to go this season and are still within touching distance of the Play-Offs, but felt with the transfer window now closed we needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new managerial team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players and make the difference". His last result was a 4–1 defeat to Birmingham City on 31 January 2012.
Grayson's first match in charge of Huddersfield in the Championship came on 17 August 2012, a 1–0 defeat away to Cardiff. His first Championship win as the club's manager was on 25 August 2012, a 2–0 home victory against Burnley. On 1 December 2012, Grayson managed Huddersfield against his former side Leeds for the first time, losing 4–2 at home.
He was dismissed by Huddersfield on 24 January 2013, following a run of 12 consecutive matches without victory stretching back to 17 November 2012.
In May 2014 Grayson guided Preston North End into the League One play off semi-final against Rotherham United. However, after drawing the first leg at Deepdale 1–1, North End lost the return leg 3–1 despite taking an early lead through Paul Gallagher.
Twelve months later, Grayson guided Preston back to the second tier of English football after being absent for four years with a victory over Swindon Town in the League One play-off final. It was their first success in the play-offs in 10 attempts and was notable for Jermaine Beckford's three goals, becoming only the third player to ever score a play-off final hat-trick at Wembley.
On 9 December 2023, he mutually agreed to part ways with the club after a 4–0 defeat to Mumbai City.
| + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | |||
| Leeds United | 1987–88 | Second Division | 0 |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 0 | |
| Leicester City | 1991–92 | Second Division | 0 |
| 1992–93 | First Division | 1 | |
| 1993–94 | First Division | 1 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 0 | |
| 1995–96 | First Division | 2 | |
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 2 | |
| Aston Villa | 1997–98 | Premier League | 2 |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 0 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1999–2000 | First Division | 0 |
| 2000–01 | First Division | 0 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 2000–01 | First Division | 0 |
| Stockport County (loan) | 2000–01 | First Division | 0 |
| Notts County (loan) | 2001–02 | Second Division | 1 |
| Bradford City (loan) | 2001–02 | First Division | 0 |
| Blackpool | 2002–03 | Second Division | 3 |
| 2003–04 | Second Division | 1 | |
| 2004–05 | League One | 2 | |
| 2005–06 | League One | 1 | |
| + Managerial record by team and tenure | |||
| Blackpool | 10 November 2005 | 23 December 2008 | |
| Leeds United | 23 December 2008 | 1 February 2012 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 20 February 2012 | 24 January 2013 | |
| Preston North End | 18 February 2013 | 29 June 2017 | |
| Sunderland | 29 June 2017 | 31 October 2017 | |
| Bradford City | 11 February 2018 | 8 May 2018 | |
| Blackpool | 6 July 2019 | 12 February 2020 | |
| Fleetwood Town | 31 January 2021 | 24 November 2021 | |
| Bengaluru FC | 8 June 2022 | 9 December 2023 | |
| Lalitpur City | 2 February 2025 | 12 June 2025 | |
| Hartlepool United | 12 June 2025 | 12 October 2025 | |
Blackpool
Individual
Leeds United
Huddersfield Town
Preston North End
Bengaluru
Lalitpur City Football Club
Individual
|
|
