Redfearn leaves Newcastle after six months
Written by Simon Austin — November 5, 2019
NEIL REDFEARN has left Newcastle United after only six months because of irreconcilable differences with his assistant Liam Bramley.
The former Leeds United manager was appointed as the permanent successor to Peter Beardsley as Under-23s boss in May. Bramley had been in place since March, when Ben Dawson was in temporary charge of the U23s, and continued as Redfearn's assistant.
Reports that the duo had a "furious row", as was reported in several newspapers, are untrue, but they had failed to see eye to eye from almost day one together.
It culminated in a complaint being made to Dawson, who is now Head of Academy Coaching, but a subsequent meeting failed to resolve matters and Redfearn handed in his resignation.
That means Newcastle are now looking for their fourth U23 boss in two years. Beardsley exited in March, more than a year after allegations of racism and bullying had been made against him by several of his players.
Redfearn was manager of Leeds United in 2014/15, having previously been Academy Manager at the Yorkshire club. England international Lewis Cook, one of several players to have made the transition from Academy to first team during Redfearn's time at Elland Road, said: “Neil played me in the U18s, U21s and then the first team. He was a great coach and a great person as well.”
Redfearn went on to manage Rotherham, Doncaster Belles and Liverpool Ladies, before helping Dawson with the U23s on a consultancy basis and then took over the side permanently this May.
Bramley worked as a coach educator and tutor for the Football Association for 11 years, before joining Newcastle in August 2009. He was U16s and Youth Development Phase coach before joining the U23s in March.