Pete Wild has done a fantastic job with Barrow, and there’s every reason to believe that he should be on the radar of clubs at a higher level.
And two of those are potentially interesting possibilities for young, up-and-coming coaches as well as for seasoned players, as the management positions at Bristol Rovers and Rotherham United are up for grabs.
After 13 months in leadership at the New York Stadium, the Millers made the decision to fire Matt Taylor earlier this week. United is currently having trouble in the Championship, having won just two of their first 16 games.
Joey Barton, meanwhile, ended his 2.5-year tenure at Memorial Stadium when the Rovers parted ways with him more over three weeks ago.
As one might anticipate for two interesting positions, a number of names have been associated with both openings. However, Pete Wild is one name that has unexpectedly not surfaced yet deserves serious consideration.
Who is Pete Wild and what is his managerial record?
Wild’s first employment was in the sports department of Oldham Council; however, he did not follow the conventional path into full-time coaching or management. Instead, he began his football career as a young development coach in the Oldham Athletic youth system.
He took over as the team’s interim manager at the beginning of 2019, and one of his greatest performances came in the FA Cup away against Premier League team Fulham.
Following a brief stint by Paul Scholes in the Boundary Park dugout, Wild was named the Latics’ permanent manager in March 2019. However, he left the team after just a few months, eventually joining FC Halifax Town of the National League.
Wild was a sought-after player in 2022 after his three seasons at the West Yorkshire team saw the Shaymen place sixth, tenth, and fourth in the English football fifth level—significant gains over their previous two years in the league.
After that, he went into League Two with Barrow, and the team’s ninth-place result in only their third season back in the EFL—having barely made it through the previous two—was evidence of Wild’s skill as a manager and coach.
| Pete Wild’s Managerial Statistics | |||||
| Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win Percentage |
| Oldham Athletic (caretaker) | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 50% |
| Oldham Athletic | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 44.44% |
| FC Halifax Town | 139 | 65 | 28 | 46 | 46.76% |
| Barrow | 75 | 28 | 18 | 29 | 37.33% |
| 231 | 101 | 49 | 81 | 43.72% | |
| Stats Correct As Of November 17, 2023 | |||||
As of this writing, Barrow is presently in sixth place in League Two after 17 games, just outside of the play-off positions. The Cumbrians have not lost in the league in seven games.
At just 39 years old, Wild still has a lot of years ahead of him. Whether Barrow plays for them or not, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him ascend through the ranks before the upcoming season.
Which job would suit Pete Wild more?
A League One position would be a logical progression from his current position with Wild, and Bristol Rovers are a rather interesting team that has new ownership as of this summer.
They have strong offensive players like Anthony Evans and Aaron Collins, while Harvey Vale, a Chelsea loanee, is another attack-minded player who can play left back or on the left side of midfield and is likely to go far in the future.
But Wild has spent his whole life in the north of England, so joining a southern team like Rovers would be a major step outside of his comfort zone.
Though a step up in class, Rotherham would still be a manageable commute for Wild from Greater Manchester and have some talented players that might be developed for a Championship survival fight. That being said, his appointment would be fairly comparable to Taylor’s from October 2022.
Though he may not be on the radar of either team, Wild would likely be a better match for Rotherham, and the Barrow manager definitely should be.
Leave a Reply