Andrew Clifford Warrington (born 10 June 1976) is an English former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
and goalkeeping coach. He played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
for
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...
,
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
,
Bury,
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
,
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...
and
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
. He is currently interim assistant manager of Rotherham United.
After retirement from playing, Warrington became a goalkeeping coach and has worked at
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
,
Lincoln City,
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
and
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
.
Playing career
York City
Warrington's first professional club was
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...
, whom he joined in 1994 as a YTS trainee. Most notably, he was on the bench when they famously beat
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in a
League Cup tie at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
. An injury to York City's then first choice goalkeeper,
Dean Kiely, meant Warrington was required to make his debut for the Minstermen in the return fixture at
Bootham Crescent
Bootham Crescent in York, England, was the home of York City F.C., York City Football Club and York City Knights, York City Knights rugby league club. With a capacity of 8,256, it was near the city centre, just over a mile from York railway sta ...
. While York City eventually lost the game 1–3, to a Manchester United team containing
Schmeichel,
Beckham,
Giggs,
Scholes,
Cole and
Cantona amongst others,
it was enough to see the
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
side into the next round.
The following season saw Warrington involved again as York City pulled off another League Cup shock with a 3–2 victory over
Everton at Bootham Crescent,
after the first game at
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a Association football, football stadium in Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...
ended in a 1–1 draw.
During the five years he spent with the club he made 61 appearances.
Doncaster Rovers
In 1999, Warrington joined another Yorkshire club
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
. Arguably, his best days were spent at Rovers, and Warrington was an ever-present in his first season at the club. Then, after breaking his jaw in a game at
Southport
Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
, the following season, he was forced to spend several months on the sidelines.
He was part of the team that won the
2003 Football Conference Playoff Final held at the
Britannia Stadium
The bet365 Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City. The stadium was previously called the Britannia Stadium but was renamed on 1 June 2016 when the cl ...
, after saving two crucial penalty kicks in the shoot-out against
Chester City to decide the semi-final.
The following year, with Warrington as first choice goalkeeper, Doncaster Rovers went on to win the
2003–04 Third Division title.
On 21 September 2005, during extra time in a League Cup tie against
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
,
Warrington was again seriously injured after a collision with City's
Nedum Onuoha.
While Rovers went on to win the game, Warrington would never play a competitive game again for the
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
side.
He was a fans' favourite
at the club, where he made 196 league appearances during an incredible eight years at
Belle Vue.
Bury
In November 2006,
Bury agreed a loan deal for Warrington from Doncaster Rovers,
however he only made one league appearance. The following year, in January 2007, Bury then signed him on a permanent basis
where he would make a further 19 appearances in the season before moving on from
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is a football ground in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, built for Bury F.C. in 1885. The first match was played on 12 September 1885 between Bury and a team from Wigan. One of the world's oldest professional football stadiums, Gi ...
.
Rotherham United
In 2007,
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
moved in for Warrington. Within the first two years of his arrival at the club, Warrington had already made 97 appearances, firstly at
Millmoor and then at the
Don Valley Stadium
Don Valley Stadium, England, was a stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, completed in 1990, and hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was named after the nearby River Don. The stadium was demolished in 2013.
The stadium and facilities were ...
. Issues off the field at the time, however, meant that Warrington's, and the team's, excellent performances on it were left unrewarded. The club were deducted 10 points during the
2007–08 season and 17 points prior to the start of
2008–09 season, without which playoff qualification would have been achieved.
The culmination of the
2009–10 season, however, saw Warrington and his Rotherham United teammates play at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, as they narrowly missed out on promotion to
League 1, following defeat in the
League 2 Playoff Final.
On 26 January 2013, Warrington made his 200th league appearance for Rotherham United
against his former team
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...
at the
New York Stadium
The New York Stadium, currently known as the AESSEAL New York Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football stadium in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Opened in July 2012, it is the home ground of Rotherham United F. ...
, as he continued to keep summer signing
Scott Shearer out of the team, following his recall earlier in the campaign.
During the
2012–13 season, in what proved to be his last with Rotherham United, Andy made 27 league appearances, as The Millers achieved promotion to League 1, finishing in 2nd place in
League 2.
On 2 May 2013 Rotherham manager Steve Evans announced the club had decided to release the fans' favourite
with immediate effect, describing it as "as tough a decision as I have had to make in my managerial career"
Buxton
On 27 July 2013, Warrington signed a contract with
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...
outfit
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...
for the 2013–14 season,
after featuring for The Bucks during their pre-season fixtures. He began his Northern Premier League career at Silverlands by keeping four clean sheets in his first 10 games.
Coaching career
Warrington completed the
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
'B' football coaching licence in 2013.
It was announced in July 2015 that Andy had accepted the role of full-time Goalkeeping Coach at
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. Manager
Paul Hurst confirmed on Grimsby's 'Mariners World' on 16 July 2015, that Warrington would also be No 2 while youth Callum Bastock continues his rehabilitation from a knee
cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint, wrist joint
and the atlanto-axial joint. In a fashion similar to the cords in ...
injury and deputise for first choice goalkeeper
James McKeown.
Grimsby having already won a play-off spot; Warrington played in the final game of the 2015–16 season against
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ...
.
Warrington was a member of the squad that eventually gained promotion with Grimsby's 3–1 victory over
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
Formed in October 188 ...
in the
2016 National League play-off final at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
, seeing Grimsby
promoted to
League Two after a six-year absence from
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
. On 21 June 2018 Warrington left Grimsby.
On 10 July 2018 Warrington joined
Lincoln City.
In December 2019, Warrington joined
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
as goalkeeping coach. Warrington left Rotherham in September 2022.
On 22 September 2022, Warrington was appointed goalkeeping coach at
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
, working under head coach
Paul Warne, as he did at Rotherham.
Warne left Derby in February 2025, however Warrington stayed at the club as goalkeeping coach under new head coach
John Eustace. Despite this, Warrington steeped down from his role at the club on 17 February 2025.
On 30 March 2025, Warrington returned to Rotherham United as interim assistant manager, assisting
Matt Hamshaw until the end of the season.
[ ]
Honours
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
*
Football Conference
The National League of English Football Clubs is a professional Association football, football league in England that consists of 72 teams, divided equally between the National League (division), National League North and National League South ...
playoff winner:
2002–03
*
Football League Division Three
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the Third Division become the fourth tier of English football. In 2 ...
winner:
2003–04
;
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
*
Football League Two
The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English Football League (EFL ...
runner-up:
2012–13
;
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
*
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
Play-offs Winners (1):
2015–16
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warrington, Andy
1976 births
Living people
Footballers from Sheffield
English men's footballers
Men's association football goalkeepers
Northern Premier League players
National League (English football) players
English Football League players
York City F.C. players
Doncaster Rovers F.C. players
Bury F.C. players
Rotherham United F.C. players
Buxton F.C. players
Grimsby Town F.C. players
Grimsby Town F.C. non-playing staff
Lincoln City F.C. non-playing staff
Rotherham United F.C. non-playing staff
Derby County F.C. non-playing staff
Association football goalkeeping coaches