David Wetherall - Managerial Career

Managerial Career

Wetherall was one of four senior players to act as Bradford City manager for two weeks during November 2003, following the sacking of Nicky Law. He, as well as Peter Atherton, Wayne Jacobs and Dean Windass oversaw training but just one game when Bradford City lost 1–0 to Stoke City with Jacobs taking charge from the touchline. Wetherall took his first full steps into management on a caretaker basis when he was appointed player-manager at Bradford City following the sacking of Colin Todd on 12 February 2007. The side were on a poor run of form but Wetherall, whose role was extended in March, could not reverse the fortunes and the side were relegated to League Two. During Wetherall's short stint in charge the club won just two games and drew another four. During his spell in charge of Bradford, Wetherall appointed his former Leeds teammate Nigel Martyn as goalkeeping coach, a position he kept under McCall. Wetherall returned to concentrate on his playing career after Stuart McCall was named full-time manager during the summer of 2007.

Wetherall holds the UEFA B coaching licence and returned to the Bradford City coaching set up during the summer of 2008. He managed the club's reserves upon his return, and in the summer of 2009, he combined it with the role of youth side management, after Chris Casper left the club. He added he had been put off by senior management because of the day-to-day pressure of the job: "Football is a results-based business first and foremost and that's totally and utterly the case at first-team level." When McCall was sacked as manager, new manager Peter Taylor brought in Junior Lewis to the coaching set-up at Bradford, leaving Wetherall to concentrate on his role as youth team manager. After Taylor left the club in February 2011 and Lewis and assistant manager Jacobs were placed on gardening leave, Wetherall acted as assistant to interim manager Peter Jackson. He stayed with Bradford until the end of the season but then left the club to take up a position as head of youth development with the Football League.

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