John Askey
John Colin Askey is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Truro City.
Able to play as a winger or as a striker, Askey had pace and intelligence. A former youth team player at Port Vale, he joined Macclesfield Town from Milton United in 1984. During his time at the club, Macclesfield spent six seasons in the Football League and won the Northern Premier League title in 1986–87, the Football Conference title in 1994–95 and 1996–97, and promotion out of the Third Division in 1997–98. Town also won the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, Northern Premier League President's Cup, Bob Lord Challenge Trophy, Cheshire Senior Cup and Staffordshire Senior Cup. In 19 seasons at the club, he scored 155 goals in 679 league and cup appearances, becoming the club's record appearance holder and fourth-highest goalscorer; he was named as the club's PFA Fans' Favourites and was later rewarded with the freedom of Macclesfield in August 2018.
Askey stayed on at Macclesfield Town as a coach after retiring as a player and was appointed as manager in October 2003. He was replaced as manager in April 2004 but stayed on at the club as a coach before he was appointed as manager for a second time in April 2013. He coached Macclesfield to the 2017 FA Trophy final, in which they were beaten by York City. The following season, 2017–18, he led the team back into the Football League as champions of the National League despite having one of the division's lowest budgets. Following this achievement, he managed Shrewsbury Town in June 2018, before his dismissal five months later. He was appointed as Port Vale manager in February 2019 and remained in the job until January 2021. He took up the management position at York City in November 2021 and led the club to promotion out of the National League North via the play-offs at the end of the 2021–22 season. He was appointed as manager of League Two club Hartlepool United in February 2023 but was unable to keep Hartlepool in League Two. He was dismissed as Hartlepool manager in December 2023 and took charge at Truro City six months later. He led Truro into the fifth tier for the first time as 2024–25 champions of the National League South.
Playing career
Early life and career
John Colin Askey was born on 4 November 1964 in Stoke-on-Trent. His father, Colin, made over 200 appearances for Port Vale in the 1950s. Askey was one of five children; Bob, Mark, Steve, and Joanne. He played youth team football for Milton Spurs, Milton schools, Hanley schools and Stoke-on-Trent schoolboys, before joining Port Vale's youth team at the age of 15. He was never handed a first-team debut at Vale Park and rejected manager John McGrath's £5-a-week offer following the conclusion of his six-month Youth Training Scheme contract. After leaving the club he spent a year working as a labourer for a pottery firm in Tunstall, before entering the insurance industry at the age of 19. He also played amateur football for Milton United – managed by his father – and Miners Arms Milton.Macclesfield Town
Askey first joined Macclesfield Town, alongside his brother Bob, to fill a gap when the club were short of players. He scored on his debut during the 1984–85 season, coming on as a substitute away at Morecambe on 29 December. He went on to score one goal in three appearances as Macclesfield finished as runners-up to Stafford Rangers in the Northern Premier League. He featured 13 times in the 1985–86 season, before scoring seven goals in 17 appearances as Macclesfield won the Northern Premier League title in 1986–87. Macclesfield went on to secure a treble after winning the Northern Premier League President's Cup and beating Burton Albion 2–0 in the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup final at Maine Road.Macclesfield played in the Football Conference for the first time in the 1987–88 season, and Askey scored 18 goals in 59 games as Town posted an 11th-place finish. Macclesfield also reached the final of the Cheshire Senior Cup, losing 2–1 to Runcorn at Gresty Road. He scored 13 goals in 51 matches in the 1988–89 season as the club rose to seventh-place; he was named as the club's Player of the Year. In a repeat of the previous year's Cheshire Senior Cup final, they again were beaten finalists by Runcorn. They rose to the fourth spot in 1989–90, with Askey contributing 12 goals from 49 games. He also toured Japan with the Middlesex Wanderers amateurs. Macclesfield also reached the finals of both the Cheshire Senior Cup and Staffordshire Senior Cup, losing out to Hyde United and Northwich Victoria respectively. Askey made his only appearance for the England national semi-pro team on 6 March 1990 in a 0–0 draw with Wales at Penydarren Park in a friendly. His 15 goals in 46 games for Macclesfield in the 1990–91 season left him as the division's joint-13th top-scorer. Macclesfield also finally won the Cheshire Senior Cup, defeating Witton Albion 2–0 in the final at Gresty Road. He reached ten goals in 47 games in the 1991–92 season as Macclesfield dropped down to 13th place; they did, though, retain the Cheshire Senior Cup with another 2–0 win over Witton Albion, this time at Prenton Park.
The decline continued into the 1992–93 season as Macclesfield finished just two points above the relegation zone. Askey scored 13 goals in 53 games in the 1993–94 season, including a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Gateshead on 6 November; Macclesfield improved under new manager Sammy McIlroy, finishing seventh and picking up a cup double, winning the Bob Lord Challenge Trophy after beating Yeovil Town in the final and lifting the Staffordshire Senior Cup for the first time after defeating Wednesfield in the final. He went on to score 12 goals in 41 league games as Macclesfield won the Conference title in 1994–95. Still, the club failed to gain Football League status as Moss Rose failed to meet the required capacity requirements. Askey broke his leg in a pre-season friendly with Winsford United and missed the entire 1995–96 season due to a broken leg, leaving him unable to play in the FA Trophy and Bob Lord Challenge Trophy finals. He marked his return to fitness with 11 goals in 49 league games in the 1996–97 season as Macclesfield won their second Conference title, this time securing a place in the Football League. Town also won the Staffordshire Senior Cup by beating Bilston Town and reached the finals of the Cheshire Senior Cup and Bob Lord Challenge Trophy, losing out to Hyde United and Kidderminster Harriers respectively.
Macclesfield won promotion in their maiden Football League season, finishing runners-up to Notts County and thereby winning promotion out of the Third Division at the end of the 1997–98 season. It was at this point that, at the age of 34, he finally turned fully professional; speaking in 2020, he said,"I just thought, well we are playing teams like Man City, Stoke, Burnley and Preston. I'll just go full time for a year and enjoy myself and get myself really fit. That's what I did and I have been full time ever since." However, they finished bottom of the Second Division in 1998–99, despite Askey contributing seven goals from 46 games. Again consistent back in the Third Division in the 1999–2000 season, Askey was again named the club's Player of the Year after scoring 15 goals from 41 starts and four substitute appearances. The 2000–01 season would prove his last as a key first-team member; however, his three goals in 43 games helped Town to a mid-table finish. He was limited to 19 appearances throughout the 2001–02 season by new manager David Moss and he scored in his final match for the club on the last day of the 2002–03 season, against Rochdale. His total of 155 goals in 679 league and cup appearances made him the club's record appearance holder and fourth highest goalscorer. He was voted as the club's PFA Fans' Favourites and cult hero in 2005.
Style of play
Askey was a pacey winger with a high scoring rate. A skilful and intelligent player, he was also adept as a striker.Management career
Macclesfield Town
Askey worked at Macclesfield Town as reserve-team manager, leading the reserves to the Football Combination Division Two title. He went on to work as assistant manager to David Moss before taking over as caretaker manager on 27 October 2003 when Moss was dismissed with the club in 20th place in the Third Division. He was appointed permanently in December after winning three of his seven matches in caretaker charge. Askey was demoted to assistant manager to new manager Brian Horton on 1 April 2004 with Macclesfield second from bottom of the Third Division. Horton managed to steer the club out of the Third Division relegation zone. Askey stayed on as assistant manager and with the arrival of Paul Ince, moved on to work as youth team manager.After remaining at the club as youth and reserve-team manager, Askey was again given charge of the first-team at Macclesfield on a caretaker basis on 3 April 2013 when manager Steve King was dismissed. His appointment was made permanent on 4 June despite him losing four of his five matches in caretaker charge. He took the club to the third round of the FA Cup and 15th in the Conference Premier in the 2013–14 season, and was given a one-year rolling contract in the summer, though budget cutbacks meant that he lost the services of assistant manager Efe Sodje. Named as Conference Premier Manager of the Month award for January 2015 after his team recorded three victories, he led the club to a sixth-place finish in the 2014–15 season, finishing just one point outside of the play-offs, and signed a new extended contract in the summer. He led the club to a tenth-place finish in 2015–16.
His Macclesfield team beat League One club Walsall in the first round of the 2016–17 FA Cup, becoming the only non-League club to beat an English Football League team in the opening round that season; Askey said "it is massive as it means we can pay the VAT bill this week". Macclesfield finished the season in ninth place and also reached the 2017 FA Trophy final at Wembley Stadium, where they were beaten 3–2 by York City. However, many of the squad left at the end of the season as Macclesfield were unable to compete financially with many of their divisional rivals; George Pilkington, Mitch Hancox and Danny Whitaker being some of the few players who remained. Macclesfield endued a difficult season off the pitch during the 2017–18 season, as financial problems meant that players went unpaid in January despite the wage bill being one of the lowest in the division. Despite these restrictions, Askey managed to guide Macclesfield to promotion back to the Football League as champions of the National League on a budget of £350,000.