Dario Gradi
This poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Dario Gradi" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2017) |
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Dario Gradi | ||
Date of birth | 8 July 1941 | ||
Place of birth | Milan, Italy | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1969–1970 | Sutton United | ||
1971 | Tooting & Mitcham United | ||
Managerial career | |||
1976–1977 | Sutton United | ||
1978–1981 | Wimbledon | ||
1981 | Crystal Palace | ||
1983–2007 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
2008 | Crewe Alexandra (caretaker) | ||
2009–2011 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Dario Gradi (born 8 July 1941) is an Italian-English former amateur football player, coach and manager. He was associated for more than 36 years with Crewe Alexandra, where he was variously manager, director of football and director of the Academy, until October 2019.
Gradi played as an amateur for clubs in the London area (and won an England amateur cap); he then took on various coaching roles in the region. His first major managerial success was achieved with Wimbledon after which he briefly managed Crystal Palace in 1981.
Gradi had a 24-year first spell as manager of Crewe between 1983 and 2007. He stepped down from his managerial role in 2007, handing first-team responsibilities to
In late 2016, as the
Early life and playing career
Born to an Italian father (who died when Dario was still a child) and an English mother, Gradi moved to London, aged four, when his mother returned after the Second World War in 1945.[6][7]
He attended
By this time he had already played as an amateur for Sutton United[7] and for Tooting & Mitcham United in the early 1960s.[10] He was later capped once for England's amateur side (playing in the team's British Amateur Championship tie against Scotland in Dundee in September 1967).[11] He later rejoined Sutton United, playing in the FA Amateur Cup Final against North Shields in April 1969,[12] and in the club's FA Cup 4th round tie against Leeds United in January 1970.[13] Gradi also played for Wycombe Wanderers, long before the club became fully professional.[citation needed]
Coaching career
After a period of teaching, Gradi became a London regional coach for the
Managerial career
Sutton United
Gradi managed Sutton United from 1976 to 1977.[15]
Wimbledon
He took over as manager of
Crystal Palace
Gradi's time at
Crewe Alexandra
After a spell coaching at Leyton Orient, Gradi returned to management on 9 June 1983,
In
Shortly after the 1994 promotion, Gradi became the League's longest-serving manager. By 2002 he was one of just two managers, the other being
Gradi's contract with Crewe was one of the most controversial in the Football League; it included a clause giving him a percentage of the profit on any player sold to another club.[19]
Talent spotting
"Dario is honest, diligent and remarkable. He did a great job at Crewe and proved himself to be one of our best managers."
His keen eye for spotting and rearing young talent is what has gained him some recognition in football. He entered into discussions with Portugal's Benfica over the vacant managerial spot in the 1980s, and was linked with the post of FA Technical Director in 1996.[21]
During the 1980s and 1990s Gradi helped launch the careers of many players who went on to play top division and international football. These include
Crewe Alexandra won the PFA Bobby Moore Fair Play trophy 12 times in 15 years during Gradi's reign.[22]
End of managerial career
On 20 April 2007, Gradi announced that with effect from 1 July he would relinquish first-team responsibilities, becoming technical director while gradually handing over to new first-team coach
I didn't want to be a 75-year-old manager working seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. That is not healthy for the future of the club. I will probably drop dead doing the job at some point but I wanted to put that day off a bit. This is a better way to do things, to introduce this gradual transition because it will take some of the workload off me.[23]
On 18 November 2008, Gradi resumed control of Crewe's first team on a caretaker basis after a poor start to the
After returning as manager in 2009, on 10 November 2011 it was announced that Gradi had chosen to step down as manager, returning to his position as Director of Football. Gradi's assistant manager
Gradi announced his retirement from all positions at Crewe Alexandra on 7 October 2019, at the age of 78, ending his 36-year association with the club.[27][28]
Honours and tributes
In January 1998, Gradi was awarded an
In 2004, Gradi won the
UK football sexual abuse scandal
On 16 November 2016, former Crewe defender
- I would like to express sympathy to the victims of Barry Bennell not only at Crewe Alexandra, but at other clubs in the North West. The first I knew of Barry Bennell's crimes was when he was arrested in the United States in 1994. I knew nothing of his crimes before this time when he was employed by us. No-one at the Football Club knew of Bennell's crimes until his arrest in 1994 and his subsequent prosecution in the United Kingdom. The football club also co-operated fully with the authorities in 2003. The club are in the process of a review and I won't be making any further comment until this is finalised."[38]
Also on 24 November, another ex-Crewe academy graduate Danny Murphy talked to the Evening Standard about Gradi:
- He was an amazing, generous, caring guy but he would never cross boundaries. I felt comfortable in his company. I felt safe in his home and under his guardianship. The more time I spent at Crewe, I notice the caution he exercised within his role. ... For example, he wouldn't come into the bedroom to wake you up but he would always shout through the door. ... I hate the fact that he might be doubted in any way or even remotely linked to such negativity and bad things. My experience is totally the opposite. ... I believe that if he had known what Barry Bennell had been doing, he would have put a stop to it.[39]
Similar character references were provided by former Crewe trainee, later Crewe Chronicle (and Cheshire Live) journalist, Peter Morse,[40] and former defender David Wright.[41]
On 3 December, The Independent reported an allegation from a former Chelsea youth player (later named as Eamonn Manners) that Dario Gradi, then Chelsea's assistant manager, visited the player's family's home to "smooth over" a complaint of sexual assault against Chelsea chief scout Eddie Heath in 1974.[42] Gradi responded with a statement:
- Aside from denying any wrongdoing, it would be inappropriate and unfair on all parties to comment piecemeal through the media at this time in connection with historic allegations. Suffice to say, I will do everything within my power to assist all investigatory authorities into what is becoming a wide-ranging and important enquiry into historic sexual abuse.[42]
On 6 December 2016, the
On 7 December, the BBC reported that the mother of a former Crewe youth team player wrote an anonymous letter to Dario Gradi in 1989–90, asking him to investigate "inappropriate" behaviour whereby a member of staff "took lots of boys into his room overnight" during a weekend away in Blackpool.[49]
In February 2017, it was reported that Gradi planned to appeal against his FA suspension from football, feeling he had been left "in limbo",[50] but, a year later, he remained suspended from football. On 27 February 2018, claims were made that, in 2001, a former Crewe Alexandra employee was asked by a senior official at the club to help wipe pornography off Gradi's home computer, which had been viewed by a group of Irish Under-13 players at his house.[51]
In February 2019, The Guardian reported on a nine-page statement from Dario Gradi about what he knew regarding Barry Bennell. Gradi admitted to encouraging a close player-coach culture and to not making detailed background checks about Bennell because Crewe was trying to poach him from Manchester City "on the quiet". Club chairman John Bowler said Crewe had not appreciated the dangers of football being used as a means for a paedophile to prey on young boys ("documented procedures that are now in place for the protection of minors were not in place at that time"), while Gradi had not made detailed inquiries into Bennell's background ("He did not have any specific coaching qualifications but none were required and at the time the FA did not publish any guidance on child protection"). However, former club secretary Gill Palin had been uncomfortable about Bennell.[52]
In August 2019, Chelsea's board apologised "unreservedly" for allowing Eddie Heath, a "prolific and manipulative sexual abuser", to operate "unchallenged". Its inquiry, led by barrister Charles Geekie QC, was also critical of former assistant manager Gradi. He was accused of failing to tell senior club staff about a sexual conduct allegation concerning Heath made by the parent of a young player. Gradi denied trying to "smooth over" the matter in a meeting with the boy's father and said he had reported the allegations to Chelsea manager Ron Suart.[53] Gradi was accused by Geekie of giving "somewhat unlikely and unconvincing" evidence; Geekie also rejected Gradi's claim to have reported the matter to more senior staff, saying "this was a significant personal failure by Mr Gradi. It was a lost opportunity to expose Mr Heath and prevent further abuse."[54]
The FA's 700-page Sheldon report was published on 17 March 2021, identifying failures to act adequately on complaints or rumours of sexual abuse at eight professional clubs including Crewe. Considering whether senior club people knew about Bennell, Sheldon concluded they had not received specific reports of abuse (a conclusion also reached by Cheshire constabulary). However, Norman Rowlinson, John Bowler and Hamilton Smith had discussed concerns about inappropriate behaviour; "... during Bennell's time at the Club, there were rumours circulating about [Bennell] and his sexual interest in children which were heard by some of the Club's staff, including Dario Gradi." The club "should have done more to check on the well-being of the boys", Sheldon said.[55] Regarding the Chelsea allegations, Sheldon could not decide whether Gradi had informed the club's acting manager, Ron Suart, of concerns raised at a meeting with the player's father, but, either way, Sheldon said Gradi's or Suart's responses were inadequate.[55] The FA's CEO Mark Bullingham said Gradi was "effectively banned for life" from football; the FA legal director said it was "for safeguarding reasons" but that was "as far as we can go".[56][57] Child abuse survivors charity The Offside Trust called for Gradi to be stripped of his MBE, and for the Professional Footballers' Association and Football Hall of Fame to revoke other honours.[58][57] Gradi was stripped of his MBE in August 2023,[59][4][5] following a professional disbarment.[60]
On 19 March 2021, Gradi apologised, saying: "I wish to express my deepest sympathy for the survivors and their families. I sincerely and personally regret that the harm being caused to these young people was not discovered at the time. I apologise for not recognising any signs of abuse at the time." He also asserted that he had not been banned from all football-related activity - "this is not the case" he said. "I am suspended indefinitely from certain specified activities with players under the age of 18 years and whilst I do not agree with it, I understand how the decision was arrived at."[61]
Managerial statistics
Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Wimbledon | 5 January 1978 | 1 January 1981 | 171 | 63 | 47 | 61 | 36.8 | [62] |
Crystal Palace | 1 February 1981 | 10 November 1981 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 22.2 | [62] |
Crewe Alexandra | 1 June 1983 | 21 September 20031 | 1,053 | 411 | 251 | 391 | 39.0 | [62] |
18 October 2003 | 1 July 2007 | 188 | 53 | 50 | 85 | 28.2 | [62] | |
18 November 2008 | 29 December 2008 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 37.5 | [62] | |
12 October 2009 | 13 November 2011 | 110 | 38 | 23 | 49 | 34.5 | [62] | |
Crewe total | 1,359 | 505 | 325 | 529 | 37.2 | — | ||
Total | 1,557 | 574 | 375 | 608 | 36.9 | — |
1Gradi was absent from his post between 22 September and 17 October 2003, due to heart surgery. Assistant manager Neil Baker took charge of the team for this period (P6, W0, D1, L5).
Honours
Individual
- League Two Manager of the Month: January 2011[63]
See also
- List of football managers with most games
- List of longest managerial reigns in association football
References
- ^ a b Footballers are greedy says Gradi, BBC Sport, 19 June 2008. Retrieved on 20 June 2008.
- ^ a b Dario Gradi steps down as Crewe Alexandra manager, BBC Sport, 10 November 2011. Retrieved on 10 November 2011.
- ^ a b Dario Gradi MBE Archived 17 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, League Managers Association. Retrieved: 17 April 2015.
- ^ a b c Taylor, Daniel (21 August 2023). "Former Crewe Alexandra manager Dario Gradi stripped of MBE". The Athletic. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ a b c MacInnes, Paul (21 August 2023). "Dario Gradi to lose MBE after failing to protect children from sexual abuse". Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ISBN 9780593076590.
- ^ a b c d Biddle, Stuart. "Dario Gradi, MBE : Public Orator, Professor Stuart Biddle, presented the Honorary Graduand at the Degree Ceremony held on Monday 14 July 2003 at 10.30am". Loughborough University. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ISBN 9781907722486.
- ^ "Loughborough team photo with Barry Hines is a bit of football history | Letters". 29 March 2016 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Isthmian League Division 1 : Season 1961–62". Tooting & Mitcham United F.C. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ "England Matches Amateur 1962–1974". England Football Online. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ "Stock Photo – Amateur Cup Final. North Shields v. Sutton United. Rutherford of North Shields and Dario Gradi of Sutton. 12th April 1969". Alamy. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ Ticher, Mike (January 2017). "Sutton v Leeds in 1970: Full-strength teams and Don Revie's obsessiveness". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ Holt, Sarah (30 March 2004). "Lessons from Senrab's soccer school". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "Dario Gradi – A Brief History (dated Wed 17 Nov 2004)". CreweAlexandra.net. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ISBN 0953887707.
- ^ Thomas, Geoff (2008). Riding Through The Storm: My Fight Back to Fitness on the Tour de France. London: Hachette.
- ^ Conn, D. (2005), p.259.
- ^ Conn, D. (2005), p.257.
- ^ "Dario Gradi Football Hall of Fame profile". English Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- ^ "Gradi stays at Crewe". 15 October 2002. Archived from the original on 26 December 2002 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Crewe Alexandra - We've Won It 12 Times". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
- ^ Times Online and agencies (20 April 2007). "Gradi reaches end of the line at Crewe-Sport-Football-League One-TimesOnline". Times Online. London. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ "Gradi replaces Holland at Crewe". BBC Sport. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ Thordarson appointed Crewe boss Archived 27 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine BBC Sport; 24 December 2008
- ^ Thordarson sacked as Crewe boss BBC Sport; 2 October 2009
- ^ Morse, Peter (7 October 2019). "Dario Gradi retires from positions at Crewe Alex". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "Dario Gradi retires from Crewe Alexandra director of football and board roles". BBC Sport. 7 October 2019.
- ^ McGarry, Graham (2 July 2009). "Dario Gradi – Crewe's longest serving manager". BBC Radio Stoke. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Hall of Fame: Dario Gradi". National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ "The Dario Gradi Trophy U13". Surrey Schools Football Association. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (16 November 2016). "Andy Woodward: 'It was the softer, weaker boys he targeted'". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel; James, Stuart (17 November 2016). "Associate of Barry Bennell also preyed on boys, two former footballers reveal". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ "Former footballer Andy Woodward tells of sexual abuse". BBC News. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (22 November 2016). "Second footballer reveals abuse by serial paedophile Barry Bennell". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ Herbert, Ian (23 November 2016). "As the Crewe sexual abuse scandal develops, it is time for Dario Gradi to tell us what he knows". The Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Gibson, Owen (24 November 2016). "Crewe Alexandra: how a football talent factory has been thrown into turmoil". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "Crewe Alex director of football Dario Gradi: Statement". Crewe Chronicle. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Collomosse, Tom (24 November 2016). "Danny Murphy: 'I heard rumours of abuse but it's only later you piece it together'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Morse, Peter (29 November 2016). "'I declined evil Bennell's invitation to his home but Dario was always honest and proper'". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ Watson, Stuart (1 December 2016). "Ex-Crewe academy player David Wright shocked by child sex abuse allegations centred around his boyhood club". Ipswich Star. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ a b Herbert, Ian; Williams, Richard A L; Pitt-Brooke, Jack (3 December 2016). "Dario Gradi covered up sex abuse complaint, ex-Chelsea youth player claims". The Independent. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ "Harry Redknapp criticises FA over coach claims". BBC News. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (6 December 2016). "FA to question Dario Gradi over claims he 'smoothed over' sex abuse at Chelsea". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Dario Gradi suspended by FA pending investigation into sexual abuse scandal". The Guardian. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Dario Gradi: Crewe Alexandra director suspended pending FA investigation". BBC News. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Belinda (12 December 2016). "Dario Gradi issues statement about his suspension by FA". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (12 December 2016). "Dario Gradi offers to help in football child abuse investigation". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ^ Ray, Louis Lee (7 December 2016). "Football abuse claims: Ex-QPR player speaks out". BBC News. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ^ Conway, Richard (27 February 2017). "Dario Gradi: Crewe director of football to appeal against FA suspension". BBC News. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ Roan, Dan (27 February 2018). "Dario Gradi: Ex-employee claims Crewe asked him to wipe pornography from then-manager's computer". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (25 February 2019). "Revealed: the evidence Crewe supplied on Barry Bennell scandal". Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Roan, Dan; Skelton, Jack (6 August 2019). "Chelsea apology over ex-chief scout Eddie Heath's 'unchallenged' sex abuse". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (6 August 2019). "Revealed: Dario Gradi could have stopped serial sex abuser at Chelsea". Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ a b Conn, David (17 March 2021). "Football sexual abuse report: ignorance and naivety cleared way for scandal". Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ "Football's child sex abuse scandal: Sheldon review finds 'institutional failings'". BBC Sport. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ a b Wallace, Sam (18 March 2021). "Once feted the great talent-spotter, Dario Gradi failed to spot an appalling reality". Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ Roan, Dan (18 March 2021). "Football's child sex abuse scandal: Dario Gradi should lose MBE, says charity". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ "Honours and Awards (22 August 2023)". London Gazette. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "List of individuals who have forfeited their honour - August 2023". Government of the United Kingdom. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "Football's child sex abuse scandal: Ex-Crewe boss Dario Gradi apologises for not recognising abuse". BBC Sport. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Managers: Dario Gradi". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "Manager of the Month". LMA. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- Conn, David (2005). The Beautiful Game?: Searching for the Soul of Football. Random House. ISBN 9780224064361.