COACHING STAFF
Football & Coaching Staff
Steve Bruce, Manager
Eric Black, Assistant Manager
Frank Barlow, 1st Team Coach
John Benson, General Manager
Keith Bertschin, Reserve Team Manager
Joey Gallanagh, First Team Fitness Conditioner
Nigel Spink, Goalkeeping Coach
Dave Watson, Youth Team Manager
Dean Crombie, Centre of Excellence Manager
Alan Jackson, Chief Kit Manager
Fred Sephton, Assistant Kit Manager
Bill Collier, Football In The Community Officer
Medical Staff
Dr. Ansar Zaman, Head of Medicine
Dave Galley, Head of Physiotherapy
Alex Cribley, First Team Physiotherapist
Dave Hallam, First Team Masseur
Mike Ashworth, Club Doctor
Neil Fitzhenry, Reserve Team Physiotherapist
Football & Coaching Staff
| Manager Steve BRUCE 
Bruce, born in Corbridge, near Hexham, Northumberland, began his playing career with Gillingham before going on to play for Norwich City and Manchester United, with whom he achieved great success, winning Three Premier League trophies and becoming the first English player of the twentieth century to captain a team to The Double. Despite his success on the field he was never capped at full international level, and has been described as one of the best players of the 1980s and 1990s never to appear for England. Bruce began his managerial career with Sheffield United and also managed Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace before joining Birmingham City in 2001. He twice led them to promotion to the Premier League during his tenure of nearly six years, before resigning for the Latics in November 2007. |
| Assistant Manager Eric BLACK  Black was previously a manager with Coventry and Motherwell, and was also assistant manager at Celtic. As a player he won the European Cup Winners Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in 1983. He scored 70 goals from 150 starts for The Dons before earning a move to France with Metz but having scored 26 goals in 85 appearances, was unfortunately forced to retire prematurely with a persistent back problem. He played twice for Scotland. He was then on the coaching staff at Celtic where he was assistant to Josef Venglos before taking his first job in management at Motherwell in 2001. He then moved to Coventry as assistant to his former Aberdeen team mate Gordon Strachan, and succeeded him briefly as manager in 2003 before joining Bruce at Birmingham. |
 1st Team CoachFrank BARLOW Experienced manager and coach, Barlow captained England as a schoolboy, and played for Sheffield Utd and Chesterfield.He has managed Nott'm Forest, Scunthorpe and Chesterfield and was Assistant to Gary Megson at Forest,Trevor Francis at Sheffield Wednesday, Danny Wilson at Wednesday and Bristol City and Paul Merson at Walsall. His coaching CV also includes spells at Birmingham, Barnsley and Hull. As caretaker boss in 2005 he steered Forest to an unbeaten run of ten matches including six straight wins and was named Manager of The Month. Back To Top |
 General ManagerJohn BENSON Vastly experienced and knowledgeable football authority. In his long career, he played and managed at Manchester City and Bournemouth and was also a player at Torquay and Norwich, whom he also coached. Has also managed and been Chief Scout at Burnley. First joined Wigan in 1995 as assistant to John Deehan, he managed the side that reached the 2000 Division Two Play-Off final and filled a Director of Football role before teaming up with Steve Bruce at Birmingham City. Rejoined the club in 2006, and has been instrumental in transfer dealings since. |
Reserve Team Manager Keith BERTSCHINReserve Team Coach Keith Bertschin was at Birmingham throughout Steve Bruce's time at St Andrews. He started as a player at non-league Barnet, before enjoying a fine career as a prolific striker in the late 70s and throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He scored 111 career league goals in 462 appearances for Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, Norwich City, Norwich City, Stoke City, Sunderland, Walsall, Chester City and Aldershot Town. He also played in the USA for a time and actually carried on at non-league level until the age of 43, including spells at Stafford Town, Barry Town, Worcester City, Hednesford Town and Tamworth. Back To Top |
 First Team Fitness ConditionerJoey GALLANAGH Highly qualified fitness expert who has spent the last seven years in full-time sports conditioning. Born in Ireland but brought up in Australia, his career has included spells with Wigan Warriors, Salford Reds and Newcastle Knights in Australia. Joined in 2004 and brings with him a huge dynamism and motivational power. Back To Top |
 Goalkeeping CoachNigel SPINK The Chelmsford-born 49 year old enjoyed a playing career that spanned over 30 years. He originally started at West ham United but it was at Aston Villa that he made his name, coming on as a virtual rookie in the 1982 European Cup Final against Bayern Munich after injury to Jimmy Rimmer, and keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win. He went onto play 460 times for Aston Villa, eventually moving to West Bromwich Albion and Millwall and playing on until the age of 39. He also has an England cap and two England B Caps. He has been coaching for the past decade or so at West Brom and at Birmingham. He also had a brief spell in management at Forest Green Rovers. |
 Youth Team CoachDave WATSON Captained Everton to the 1995 FA Cup when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final. Played with Steve Bruce for three years at Norwich City, he also was Norwich City's Player of the Year in 1983. Dave was also capped 12 times for England. He joins the coaching staff after a spell of scouting for Bruce. He was previously manager of the Liverpool School Boys side. Back To Top |
 Centre of Excellence ManagerDean CROMBIE Former defender for Bolton, Grimsby and Lincoln who is now in charge of scouting and incorporating promising young players from the age of nine into the club's youth system. Back To Top |
 Chief Kit ManagerAlan JACKSON Highly experienced kit man who has spent the last 18 years in football and who numbers Halifax Town and Oldham Athletic as his former clubs, along with Bradford City, where he first worked with Paul Jewell and Chris Hutchings. Joined in 2005. Back To Top |
 Assistant Kit ManagerFred SEPHTON Former scout for the club who first joined under Bruce Rioch in 1999 to help with kit management. Back To Top |
 Football In The Community OfficerBill COLLIER Bill started with Wigan Athletic's FITC in 1994 working his way up from trainee coach to Community Officer. Bills qualifications are UEFA 'A' UEFA 'B' UEFA 'C' aswell as FA Tutor for FA Level 1 and 2. Bill has been in charge of the Football Community since 1999 and is the longest serving Commnity Officer at Wigan Athletic. Back To Top |
Medical Staff
 Head of MedicineDr Ansar ZAMAN Highly qualified and experienced physician and plastic surgeon with over 18 years experience of working in professional sport at the highest level, mostly with the England and Great Britain rugby league teams. Is now medically responsible for Wigan's sporting clubs, comprising both Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors. Joined in 2005 and became the club's first ever full-time doctor in 2006. |
 Head of PhysiotherapyDave GALLEY The Stoke-on-Trent born 45 year-old has a wealth of experience from his time at Liverpool, England Under 21s and Under 18s, as well as working in the Premiership and the Football League with Port Vale, Fulham, Luton Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County, and until recently, Bolton Wanderers. Latics manager Steve Bruce welcomed the appointment and said: "We are fortunate that someone of Dave's ability and experience has become available, and as far as I'm concerned, this is another crucial appointment to my backroom staff. |
 First Team PhysiotherapistAlex CRIBLEY Mr Wigan Athletic, the longest serving member of staff who first joined the club as a player from Liverpool in 1980 and went onto play 328 times, before hanging up his boots prematurely at the age of 30 following a bad knee injury. Trained as a physiotherapist but in his time at the club has also been a coach, assistant manager and caretaker manager. A true Wigan legend! |
 First Team MasseurDave HALLAM Highly experienced sports masseur whose role was extended in 2006 to focus specifically on preventing muscle injuries and in soothing muscles following games and training. Was promoted to work exclusively with the first team having previously been with the youth set-up. |
 Club DoctorMike ASHWORTH Longstanding club doctor whose association with the club dates back over four decades. A highly respected figure and very experienced physician with a thorough knowledge of sport medicine issues. |
 Reserve Team PhysiotherapistNeil FITZHENRY Former Young Player of The Year at Wigan whose career was cut short through injury in the late 1990s. Trained as a physiotherapist and has been |
