Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
![]() Wheeldon in 2022 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas Wheeldon Jr. | ||
Date of birth | (1979-05-03) 3 May 1979 (age 45) | ||
Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Cavalry FC (head coach) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Swindon Town | |||
Torquay United | |||
Yeovil Town | |||
2002–2004 | Calgary Storm | 28 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2014–2016 | Canada U17 (assistant) | ||
2015–2018 | Calgary Foothills | ||
2018– | Cavalry FC | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Thomas Wheeldon Jr. (born 3 May 1979) is an English former professional footballer and current head coach of Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League.
Playing career
Wheeldon began his playing career in England with Swindon Town before moving to Torquay United.[1]
In May 2002, Wheeldon joined the Calgary Storm of the A-League to play under the management of his father, Tommy Wheeldon Sr.[2] He went on to make 28 appearances for the club across two seasons.[3] During his time as a player, he also worked as a full-time academy coach and soccer camp director for the club.[4]
Coaching career
Calgary Foothills
After the Calgary Storm folded, Wheeldon decided to remain in Canada and help develop grassroots football. After four years as a director for a local soccer academy, he joined the Calgary Foothills as assistant technical director in 2007 and was promoted to technical director a year later. In 2015, Wheeldon was named as head coach as the club joined the Premier Development League. In his second season as head coach, Wheeldon guided the team to an appearance in the PDL Championship Final before losing to the Michigan Bucks.[5] In 2016, Wheeldon received the Jack Buckler Award for outstanding contribution to the sport of soccer within Calgary and area.[6]
After having accepted the role as head coach and general manager of Cavalry FC, Wheeldon led Calgary Foothills to the 2018 PDL Championship, defeating Reading United AC 4-2.[7]
Canada Soccer
In April 2014, Wheeldon began a two-year spell as assistant coach for the Canada U17 men's national team.[8]
Cavalry FC
On 18 May 2018, Wheeldon was announced as the first head coach and general manager of Canadian Premier League club Cavalry FC.[9] Wheeldon signed 12 players from the Foothills to Cavalry, including captain Nik Ledgerwood and goalkeeper Marco Carducci.[10] Under Wheeldon's coaching, Cavalry won both the spring and fall seasons in the 2019 Canadian Premier League season.[11] Cavalry also made it to the semifinals of the 2019 Canadian Championship, where they lost to the Major League Soccer team Montreal Impact.[12] Along the way, Cavalry had defeated fellow Canadian Premier League sides Pacific FC and Forge FC as well as the Vancouver Whitecaps in the quarterfinals, becoming the only CPL team to win against an MLS team.[13] Wheeldon would win the CPL coach of the year for the 2019 season.[14]
During the 2023 CPL campaign, Wheeldon led Cavalry to the victory of the regular season, and won his second Coach of the Year Award as a result.[15][16]
Personal life
Wheeldon was born in Liverpool, England.[17] His father, Tommy Wheeldon Sr, was a professional footballer who represented Everton and England Under-18s.[18]
He attended the University of Surrey to study sports science and coaching.[4]
Wheeldon is a lifelong Everton supporter.[19]
Career statistics
Player
Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Calgary Storm | 2002[3] | A-League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
2003[3] | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
Total | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
Career total | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
Manager
- As of 29 October 2023
Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
Calgary Foothills | 17 May 2015 | 4 August 2018 | 64 | 38 | 16 | 10 | 106 | 60 | +46 | 059.38 |
Cavalry FC | 17 May 2018 | present | 143 | 75 | 29 | 39 | 207 | 143 | +64 | 052.45 |
Total | 207 | 113 | 45 | 49 | 313 | 203 | +110 | 054.59 |
Honours
Calgary Foothills
- USL League Two
- Champions: 2018
- Western Conference Champions: 2016, 2018
- Northwest Division Champions: 2016, 2018
Cavalry
- CPL Shield:
- Canadian Premier League Finals
- Runners-up: 2019
Individual
References
- ^ "Tommy Wheeldon Jr. – Technical Director". www.calgaryfoothillssoccer.com. Calgary Foothills FC. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ Wilson, Jock (19 May 2018). "Cavalry head coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr". omny.fm. Global News Radio. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ a b c "Thomas Wheeldon". soccerstats.us. Soccer Stats. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ a b Wheeldon Jr, Tommy. "Tommy Wheeldon Jr on LinkedIn". www.linkedin.com. LinkedIn. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ Kostanuick, Adam (13 April 2018). "Tommy Wheeldon Jr. leads Calgary Foothills FC into 2018 PDL season". Northern Starting XI. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ 2017 Annual Report (PDF). Calgary United Soccer Association. 2017. p. 12.
- ^ "Calgary Foothills FC win 2018 PDL championship". Total Soccer Project. 4 August 2018.
- ^ "Tommy Wheeldon". canadasoccer.com. Canada Soccer. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ Austin, Daniel (18 May 2018). "'Cavalry FC' the Canadian Premier League team in Calgary". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "Cavalry FC's success stems from Foothills FC's band of brothers". Calgary Sun. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "'Today, we celebrate': Cavalry clinches Fall title with Al Classico win". Canadian Premier League. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Impact down Cavalry to advance to Canadian Championship final - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Cavalry bounce Whitecaps from Canadian Championship - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ John Molinaro (26 November 2019). "Cavalry FC's Tommy Wheeldon Jr. named CPL's Coach of the Year".
- ^ "Cavalry FC's Tommy Wheeldon Jr. wins 2023 CPL Coach of the Year Award". Canadian Premier League. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Jacques, John (27 October 2023). "2023 CPL Awards Round Up: Cavalry Dominates The Show". Northern Tribune. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Jeffrey, Andrew (30 October 2017). "Tommy Wheeldon, Jr. – Top 40 Under 40". www.avenuecalgary.com. Avenue Calgary. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "Tommy Wheeldon". www.kitsoncoaching.co.uk. Kits On Coaching. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "Owner Profile". cavalryfc.canpl.ca. Cavalry Football Club. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- v
- t
- e
- 1 Carducci
- 3 Montgomery
- 4 Klomp
- 5 Kamdem
- 6 Trafford
- 7 Musse
- 8 Daley
- 9 Warschewski
- 10 Camargo
- 12 Field
- 14 Shaw
- 15 Piepgrass
- 17 Wähling
- 18 Henry
- 19 Akio
- 23 Chanda
- 24 Kobza
- 25 Rogozinski
- 26 Shome
- 27 Gutiérrez
- 28 Myroniuk
- 29 Harms
- 31 Holliday
- 33 Aird
- 80 Wright
- Barrett
- Bevan
- Head coach: Wheeldon
- Technical director: Hapgood
- Assistant coach: Ledgerwood
- Goalkeeping coach: Santiago