Mike Newell

Newell played for Liverpool's youth teams as a schoolboy, but was released without being offered terms. He made three league appearances for Crewe Alexandra in 1983 as part of a trial, before signing for Wigan Athletic of the Third Division in October of that year. After scoring 25 goals at this level, Newell moved up to the First Division in January 1986 when he joined Luton Town for £85,000. On 26 October 1986, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 league win over Liverpool – the defending double-winners and the dominant English league side of that time. Early in the 1987–88 season, he dropped down a division to sign for Leicester City, now managed by David Pleat - the man who had signed him for Luton two seasons earlier. He scored a total of 21 Second Division goals at Filbert Street but was unable to secure promotion to the First Division and joined Everton for £1.1million in the summer of 1989. Newell's form at Goodison Park was unremarkable as he formed a three-man strike force with Graeme Sharp and Tony Cottee, and with three strikers in the first eleven there was little pressure on any of them to score 20 or 30 goals a season. However, the three-man strike force was looking like a success as they spearheaded Everton to the top of the league in late autumn of 1989 and were starting to look like serious title contenders for perhaps the first time since Howard Kendall's departure as manager in June 1987, but Everton were unable to maintain this form and dipped to sixth place…

Tranmere Rovers

After retiring, Newell was appointed as the reserve team manager of Tranmere Rovers in October 2001, as well as working alongside the first team manager with all the professionals through the week.

Hartlepool United

After a coaching job at Doncaster Rovers, Newell replaced Chris Turner as manager of Hartlepool United during the 2002–03 season, when Hartlepool were top of Division Three. After horrendous away form, the club lost a 16-point lead it held, though promotion as runners-up was still sealed. After this, and many personal differences between Newell and the board at Hartlepool, Newell's contract was not renewed in the summer of 2003, and he was replaced by Neale Cooper.

Luton Town

Shortly after leaving Hartlepool, he was appointed manager of Luton Town by controversial chairman John Gurney, who, having just purchased the club, sacked the popular management team of Joe Kinnear and Mick Harford. It was reported that Newell won a Pop Idol-style poll to become manager but he was offered and signed a contract before the "results" were announced. Shortly after taking over, the club went into administrative receivership which saw several players leave the club. Despite this, Newell succeeded in taking the club near the play-offs of Division Two. The following season, Luton became the first-ever champions of the newly re-branded League One, winning 98 points and gaining promotion to the Championship. Newell guided Luton to further…

Newell's son George, also a striker, made his first-team debut for Bolton Wanderers in April 2016.

As a player

Wigan Athletic

Associate Members' Cup: 1984–85 Everton

Full Members' Cup runner-up: 1990–91 Blackburn Rovers

Premier League: 1994–95 Football League Second Division play-offs: 1992 Doncaster Rovers

Conference League Cup: 1999–2000

As a manager

Hartlepool United

Football League Third Division second-place promotion: 2002–03 Luton Town

Football League One: 2004–05 Individual

LMA League One Manager of the Year: 2004–05 Football League One Manager of the Month: August 2004, April 2005 LMA League One Manager of the Month: February 2004 LMA League Two Manager of the Month: January 2003