Alan Pardew

Early career

Pardew was born in Wimbledon, London. He started his career as a part-time player in non-League football at Whyteleafe and Epsom & Ewell, while working as a glazier. At one stage, he gave up football for six months while working in the Middle East, but he returned to football at Corinthian Casuals, before later having spells at Dulwich Hamlet and Yeovil Town. Pardew was also in the England semi-professional squad during this time.

Crystal Palace

Pardew moved to Second Division club Crystal Palace in 1987 for a fee of £7,500. In 1989, he helped Palace win promotion to the First Division after beating Blackburn Rovers in the play-offs. The following year, in 1990, he scored the winning goal as Palace beat Liverpool 4–3 after extra time in the FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park. He then played in both the final and the final replay as Palace lost to Manchester United. Palace continued to impress in the First Division, and in 1990–91 secured their highest-ever league finish of third, with Pardew also featuring as Palace beat Everton to win the Full Members' Cup at Wembley Stadium.

Later career

Pardew moved to Charlton Athletic in November 1991, and was Charlton's top scorer in the 1992–93 season with ten goals. In 1995, Pardew appeared four times on loan at Tottenham Hotspur in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He played in the team who suffered the heaviest loss in Spurs' history, when they lost 8–0 away to German side 1. FC Köln. Spurs had…

Player

Manager

As of match played 12 February 2023

Reading

Pardew's first experience as manager came in March 1998 when he was appointed as caretaker after the departure of Bullivant. His first match in charge was against Huddersfield Town on 21 March 1998, which Reading lost 0–2. After the appointment of Tommy Burns, he remained as reserve team manager until the end of the 1998–99 season, when Reading disbanded their reserve team. Nevertheless, he was promoted to manager of the club after a successful spell as caretaker in 1999. He turned the club around from relegation fighters to promotion candidates through players, such as Jamie Cureton, and his régime to increase the fitness of the squad. Pardew's Reading side lost 3–2 to Walsall in a Division Two play-off final at the end of the 2000–01 season, but this was redeemed the next season as the club achieved automatic promotion to Division One. Pardew's first season in the higher division was impressive, as the club finished fourth. They lost in the play-offs again, this time to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

West Ham United

Early into the 2003–04 season, West Ham United asked Reading permission to appoint Pardew as their new manager. Although Reading refused permission, Pardew resigned from his position on 10 September 2003. Eventually, a compromise agreement was reached, allowing Pardew to become manager at West Ham. Pardew's first season at West Ham resulted in a play-off final defeat to his former club Crystal Palace. In the 2004–05 season, West Ham…

Pardew is married to a Swedish woman, Tina. The couple have two daughters.