Des Buckingham - Oxford manager
Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:18 am
Looked him up after the game yesterday as some Oxford United supporter was laying into him on the radio and it turns out he has a slightly unusual CV for a league one manager.
Part of the Oxford youth setup as a GK but never made it pro. Went into coaching in England before moving over to New Zealand where he eventually became the youngest manager in the A-League at just 31 (I also learnt that Kiwi teams play in the Ozzie league!). Short stint in England as assistant at Stoke then back to New Zealand into the national team set-up running the U23 team.
Seems like he was then picked up by the Man City group starting at Melbourne City then placed at Mumbai City in India before his current role at Oxford.
He’s also a qualified pilot, and holds a Master's degree in advanced performance football coaching through the University of South Wales. He isn’t even 40 yet.
Sounds like a much more interesting bloke than the bumpkin on BBC Oxfordshire mumbling about how useless a manager he apparently is.
Part of the Oxford youth setup as a GK but never made it pro. Went into coaching in England before moving over to New Zealand where he eventually became the youngest manager in the A-League at just 31 (I also learnt that Kiwi teams play in the Ozzie league!). Short stint in England as assistant at Stoke then back to New Zealand into the national team set-up running the U23 team.
Seems like he was then picked up by the Man City group starting at Melbourne City then placed at Mumbai City in India before his current role at Oxford.
He’s also a qualified pilot, and holds a Master's degree in advanced performance football coaching through the University of South Wales. He isn’t even 40 yet.
Sounds like a much more interesting bloke than the bumpkin on BBC Oxfordshire mumbling about how useless a manager he apparently is.