Paul Jonathan Trollope (born 3 June 1972) is a football coach and former professional footballer, who played as a midfielder.[2] He is currently joint-assistant manager of Luton Town. Born in England, he represents Wales internationally.

Paul Trollope
Trollope with Cardiff City in 2016
Personal information
Full name Paul Jonathan Trollope[1]
Date of birth (1972-06-03) 3 June 1972 (age 52)[1]
Place of birth Swindon, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Luton Town (joint assistant manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1992 Swindon Town 0 (0)
1992Torquay United (loan) 10 (0)
1992–1995 Torquay United 96 (16)
1994Derby County (loan) 3 (1)
1995–1997 Derby County 62 (4)
1996Grimsby Town (loan) 7 (1)
1996Crystal Palace (loan) 10 (0)
1997–2002 Fulham 78 (5)
2002 Coventry City 6 (0)
2002–2004 Northampton Town 84 (8)
2004–2007 Bristol Rovers 30 (2)
Total 386 (37)
International career
1997–2003 Wales 9 (0)
Managerial career
2005 Bristol Rovers (caretaker)
2005–2010 Bristol Rovers
2011–2012 Birmingham City (first team coach)
2012–2014 Norwich City (first team coach)
2015–2016 Cardiff City (head coach)
2015–2016 Wales (coach)
2016 Cardiff City
2016–2019 Brighton & Hove Albion (assistant)
2020–2021 Nottingham Forest (assistant)
2022– Luton Town (joint-assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

As a player, he began his career with Swindon Town in 1989, but made his name at Torquay United between 1992 and 1995. He then transferred to Derby County, before signing with Fulham in 1997. After five years he moved on to Northampton Town via Coventry City. He joined his final club, Bristol Rovers, in 2004, before retiring as a player in 2007. He played for Wales at international level.

While still a player, he was appointed caretaker manager of Bristol Rovers in 2005. Impressing in the position he was handed the job permanently, and took the club to the Football League Trophy final in 2007, as well victory in the League Two play-off final. Stabilizing the club in League One, he took Rovers to the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2008, equalling a club record in the competition. After two more seasons finishing mid-table in League One, he was sacked after a poor start to 2010–11. He was first-team coach at Birmingham City for the 2011–12 season, and then followed manager Chris Hughton to Norwich City until April 2014. On 24 November 2016, Trollope joined Brighton and Hove Albion alongside Chris Hughton's coaching team, as assistant manager.[3]

Playing career

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Club career

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Trollope was born in Swindon, Wiltshire,[1] and is the son of former Swindon Town defender John Trollope.[citation needed] He began his career at Swindon Town as a trainee, turning professional in December 1989, but failed to make the first team.[citation needed] He joined Torquay United on loan in March 1992 and signed on a free transfer for the Plainmoor side that summer.[citation needed] after 106 league games and 16 goals for Torquay, he was a regular under manager Don O'Riordan and started to attract Premier League clubs and moved to Derby County in December 1994 for a fee of £100,000.[citation needed] He had loan spells with Grimsby Town in August 1996 and Crystal Palace in October 1996.[citation needed]

He moved to Fulham in November 1997 for a fee of £600,000.[citation needed] He made ten league appearances during Fulham's 2000–01 season after which they were promoted to the Premier League.[4] However, he left the Cottagers to join Coventry City on a free transfer in March 2002 after losing his place at Craven Cottage.[5] He stayed only a few months at Highfield Road, moving to Northampton Town in July after being released at the end of the season.[citation needed]

International career

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In May 1997, Trollope was called up by then Wales manager, Bobby Gould, and made his debut in a 1–0 victory over Scotland at Kilmarnock.[citation needed] While Trollope was never able to hold down a regular place in the Wales national football team, he made nine appearances for the senior squad over six years, culminating in March 2003 in a 4–0 home victory over Azerbaijan in the ultimately unsuccessful qualifying campaign for Euro 2004.[citation needed]

Management career

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Bristol Rovers

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In June 2004 he moved to Bristol Rovers on a free transfer.[6] In his second season, he became caretaker manager[7] and was then appointed first-team coach in a two-tier managerial structure, alongside Director of Football Lennie Lawrence, in November 2005.[8] His first season in charge ended in a respectable midtable position of 12th place in League Two.[citation needed] The following year Rovers reached the Football League Trophy final but lost to Doncaster Rovers.[9] They made up for this loss by winning promotion to League One via the play-offs.[10]

In the 2007–08 season, Trollope steered Bristol Rovers to mid-table security after a shaky start.[citation needed] Rovers also made the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 50 years.[11] In September 2009, following more success, he signed a rolling one-year contract under which his title changed to manager.[citation needed]

Despite his achievements at the club, he was sacked on 15 December 2010, with Rovers lying in the League One relegation zone.[12] His overall record in charge of the club was 106 wins and 71 draws from 284 games.[13] During his time with the club, Trollope won the EFL League One Manager of the Month award on two occasions, for October 2008 after four wins and one draw from five[14] and September 2009.[15]

Return to coaching

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Trollope with Birmingham City in 2011

In July 2011, Trollope was appointed first-team coach of Championship club Birmingham City to work with manager Chris Hughton.[16] When Hughton left for Premier League club Norwich City at the end of the season, Trollope went with him, again as first-team coach.[17] He left the club when Hughton was dismissed in April 2014.[18]

Trollope was appointed head coach of Championship club Cardiff City in February 2015.[19] On 21 July 2015, Trollope was appointed as a coach for the Wales national team alongside his role at Cardiff City.[20]

Cardiff City

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At the end of the 2015–16 season, Cardiff manager Russell Slade moved into a head of football role and Trollope was named as his successor, his first job in management since departing Bristol Rovers six years previously.[21] Slade later resigned from his role, after just two weeks, on 3 June.[22] After a poor start to the season, winning 2 of his opening 12 matches, Trollope was sacked by the club on 4 October 2016.[23]

Brighton & Hove Albion

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On 24 November 2016, Trollope joined Brighton & Hove Albion as assistant manager.[3] After the sacking of Chris Hughton on 13 May 2019 as Brighton manager, Trollope was also relieved of his duties at the club.

Nottingham Forest

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On 8 October 2020, Trollope again followed former manager Chris Hughton as assistant, joining Nottingham Forest.[24]

Luton Town

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In November 2022, Trollope joined Luton Town as joint-assistant manager to former international teammate Rob Edwards.[25]

Managerial statistics

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As of match played 1 October 2016
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
P W D L Win %
Bristol Rovers 22 September 2005 15 December 2010 284 106 71 107 037.3 [13]
Cardiff City 18 May 2016 4 October 2016 12 2 2 8 016.7 [13]
Total 296 108 73 115 036.5

Honours

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As a player

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Derby County

Fulham

As a manager

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Bristol Rovers

Individual

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2005). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2005/2006. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. p. 407. ISBN 978-1-85291-662-6.
  2. ^ "Trollope joins as assistant manager".
  3. ^ a b "Paul Trollope: Brighton name former Cardiff boss as assistant manager". BBC Sport. 24 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Games played by Paul Trollope in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Trollope joins City". Fulham F.C. 22 March 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. ^ Chronicle, Evening (28 June 2004). "Football round-up". nechronicle. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Bristol Rovers sack boss Atkins". BBC Sport. 22 September 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Rovers unveil Trollope & Lawrence". 7 November 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  9. ^ "Bristol Rovers 2–3 Doncaster AET". BBC Sport. 1 April 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
  10. ^ "Bristol Rovers 3–1 Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  11. ^ "FA Cup quarter-final draw". 27 February 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Manager Paul Trollope sacked by Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  13. ^ a b c "Managers: Paul Trollope". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Trollope is manager of the month". BBC Sport. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  15. ^ "League Managers Association – Manager of the Month". leaguemanagers.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Trollope joins Blues". Birmingham City F.C. 15 July 2011. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  17. ^ "Chris Hughton appointed as new Norwich City manager". BBC Sport. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  18. ^ "Chris Hughton: Norwich sack manager and appoint Neil Adams". BBC Sport. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  19. ^ "Trollope joins Cardiff City coaching team". BBC Sport. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  20. ^ "Cardiff City coach Paul Trollope joins Wales set-up". BBC Sport. 21 July 2015.
  21. ^ "Paul Trollope to succeed Russell Slade as first-team boss". BBC Sport. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Russell Slade: Cardiff City head of football leaves club with immediate effect". BBC Sport. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Club statement". Cardiff City F.C. 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  24. ^ "Trollope joins as assistant manager". nottinghamforest.co.uk. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Richie Kyle and Paul Trollope join as assistant-managers!". www.lutontown.co.uk. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  26. ^ Hughes, Ian (1 April 2007). "Bristol Rovers 2–3 Doncaster Rovers AET". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Trollope is manager of the month". BBC Sport. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  28. ^ "League Managers Association". LMA. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  29. ^ "Trollope earns managerial honour". BBC Sport. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
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