Staff Profile - Liam Watson (20th Mar 2015 - 28th Aug 2016)

As a player, Liam was around the non-league scene for several years as a striker, taking in Maghull, Burscough and Warrington Town. From Warrington Town he signed for Preston North End, smashing’s Warrington’s transfer record fee when they signed him for £60k in 1992. He madehis debut in the 5-2 win over Rotherham in 1993, scoring on his debut from the bench. He scored twice more in his next two matches, but went on to make only six more appearances before a serious injury ended his professional footballing career. It didn’t end his career completely, and in 1994 he joined Marine, before following this with stays at Witton Albion, Runcorn, Accrington Stanley and Runcorn FC Halton in 2000. He was with the Linnets until 2003 as a player manager, proving to be successful on a meagre budget.

His managerial career really took off when he took over from Mike Walsh at Southport in 2003, leading them to Conference North success in the inaugural year of that competition in 2004. Watson only left Southport when the chairman, Gary Brabin, made the move to full time football, and Watson took over the reigns at Burscough, giving them their most successful season in their history, steering them into the Conference North.

When the managerial role at Southport was opened up in 2008, Liam could not resist the lure, and left Burscough to rejoin Southport, and once again led them back into the Conference Premier in 2010. He was nearly relegated the following season, but were reprieved by the demise of Rushden. The following year, he did better, finishing seventh, and winning the manager of the season award after winning eight consecutive away matches.

In 2013, he became the manager of AFC Telford United, where he again won the Conference North in 2014, and though they reached the second round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, they remained rooted in the bottom reaches of the Conference Premier, and Liam and Telford parted company to Celtic’s benefit, as he was tasked with saving Celtic with just eight games left.

Photographer
Career
Position
Manager
Born
21st Oct 1970
Joined
20th Mar 2015
Left
28th Aug 2016