Chris Wilder

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Wilder started his football career as a trainee at Southampton and was released without making it into the first team. He moved on to Sheffield United in August 1986. In December 1987, defender Wilder was sent off for a crude tackle on Millwall's Jimmy Carter in a season which saw the Sheffield club relegated to the third division. The following season Wilder was on the receiving end, being elbowed in the face. Swansea's Bryan Wade received a three match ban for violent conduct as a result. Wilder was a regular in the team that finished second and therefore clinched promotion back to the second division at the first attempt in the 1988–89 season, and was also part of the squad that gained a further promotion the season after, this time back to the first division, after an absence of fourteen years. Wilder was a regular during the following season back in the first division, but thereafter found appearances harder to come by, hence Wilder left for nearby Rotherham United in 1992, staying for a further four years and amassing his largest number of games and goals for one club. In 1998, Wilder returned to Sheffield United, and a year later he was brought to Brighton & Hove Albion by Micky Adams before joining Halifax Town that same year.

Alfreton Town

Wilder began his career in management at Alfreton Town. He took over at the club in late October 2001 and in the 27 weeks he was in charge won four trophies: the Northern Counties (East) League Premier Division, the League Cup, the President's Cup and the Derbyshire Senior Cup.

Halifax Town

Wilder returned to Halifax Town as manager on 2 July 2002. He replaced caretaker manager Neil Redfearn, who had in turn replaced Alan Little (who left on 8 April after falling ill with appendicitis in March). Halifax had been relegated to the Conference at the end of the season. Wilder was in charge at Halifax for more than 300 games until the club went into liquidation on 30 June 2008, and he decided to join former Halifax defender Alan Knill, as the assistant manager of Bury.

Oxford United

After fewer than six months at Gigg Lane, Wilder was appointed as the manager of Conference National club Oxford United on 21 December 2008 (replacing Jim Smith who had been caretaker manager in the wake of Darren Patterson's dismissal), where he only just missed out on a play-off place in his first season. Wilder's first full season in charge of Oxford began successfully and by mid-season they were top of the Conference table by five points with a game in hand. However, Oxford were overtaken by Stevenage, who would go on to win the title and take the automatic promotion place, consigning the Us to the playoffs with Luton Town, Rushden & Diamonds and York…

Christopher John Wilder was born on 23 September 1967 in Stocksbridge, West Riding of Yorkshire (now South Yorkshire).