Keith Downing

Early career

Downing was a junior player at Chelsea but left Stamford Bridge at the end of the 1982–83 season. He spent a season with Mile Oak Rovers. He began his professional career in 1984 at Richie Barker's Notts County, who went on to be relegated out of the Second Division at the end of the 1984–85 season. The "Magpies" finished eighth in the Third Division in the 1985–86 season and then seventh in 1986–87 under the stewardship of Jimmy Sirrel.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

He left Meadow Lane and moved on to Graham Turner's Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1987. Wolves won promotion as champions of the Fourth Division in 1987–88, and Downing also played in the 1988 Football League Trophy final victory over Burnley at Wembley Stadium. Wolves won a second-successive promotion in the 1988–89 season, winning the Third Division title by an eight-point margin. The club made a push for promotion out of the Second Division in 1989–90 but ended up in tenth place, seven points outside of the play-off places. Downing appeared 35 times in both the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons, as Wolves finished in 12th and then 11th position. He played 37 times in the 1992–93 campaign before leaving Molineux in the summer.

Later career

In July 1993, Downing moved to Birmingham City. However, he featured only twice for Blues in the 1993–94 season and left St Andrew's in the summer. He remained in the Midlands and the First Division for the 1994–95 season, playing 24 games for Stoke…

Cheltenham Town

Downing joined Cheltenham Town as an assistant manager in July 2004, working alongside manager John Ward, who he had met through his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers where Ward had been assistant manager. When Ward left the club to join Carlisle United in October 2007, Downing stepped in as caretaker manager, before being given the position on a full-time basis on 2 November. He endured a difficult start to his management career, but was aided by three loan signings from Bristol City in the January transfer window – Steve Brooker, Alex Russell and Richard Keogh, as well as free agent defender Alan Wright. Cheltenham avoided relegation on the last day of the 2007–08 season with a 2–1 victory over Doncaster Rovers at Whaddon Road. However, they struggled after striker Steven Gillespie was sold to Colchester United for £400,000. Downing left the club by mutual consent on 13 September 2008 with the "Robins" bottom of League One.

Coaching spell

In February 2009, he was appointed assistant manager at League Two side Port Vale. This was a temporary appointment to help manager Dean Glover, and both men left the club in May 2009. In July 2009, Downing was appointed the academy coach at West Bromwich Albion. He served as joint-assistant head coach for the "Baggies" under Steve Clarke and in December 2013 temporarily took over first-team duties at the Premier League club after Clarke was sacked and before Pepe Mel was appointed manager early the…

Playing

Managerial

Downing married in 1993 and has two sons from that marriage. He is a cousin of Judas Priest guitarist K. K. Downing. His nephew, Paul Downing, also played professional football. He has an interest in criminology and history, specifically the history of World War II.