Pete Wild

Pete Wild
Wild during his time at Oldham Athletic in 2019
Personal information
Full name Peter Lee Wild
Date of birth (1984-07-20) 20 July 1984 (age 42)
Place of birth Royton, England
Team information
Current team
 Hartlepool United (head coach)
Managerial career
Years Team
2012–2015 England Amputees
2018–2019 Oldham Athletic (caretaker)
Oldham Athletic (caretaker)
2019 Oldham Athletic
2019–2022 FC Halifax Town
2022–2024 Barrow
2024–2026 Fleetwood Town
2026 Tranmere Rovers (interim)
2026– Hartlepool United

Peter Lee Wild (born 20 July 1984) is an English football coach who is the head coach of National League club Hartlepool United.

A former amateur player, Wild progressed as a coach into professional football with Oldham Athletic. After a spell as caretaker manager, he was appointed into the role on a permanent basis in 2019. He then joined FC Halifax Town in the National League before returning to the English Football League with Barrow in 2022. After leaving Barrow after two seasons, Wild was appointed at Fleetwood Town before being sacked in 2026. He then had a short spell with Tranmere Rovers before joining Hartlepool United later that year.

Early and personal life

Wild was born in Royton. He is a lifetime fan of Oldham Athletic, attending his first game at the age of six, on New Year's Day 1991. Prior to becoming a football coach, Wild worked various jobs, such as: a tree surgeon, an apprentice car mechanic and working in his parents' pubs.

Career

Oldham Athletic

Wild played amateur football before taking up coaching at the age of 18. Wild's first job in coaching was with Oldham Council working in their sports department. Before he began coaching in Oldham's academy, Wild worked as a development officer at the Manchester FA. Wild also managed the England Amputee football team between 2012 and 2015.

After working for the club for 10 years, including as their interim academy manager, Wild was appointed as Oldham's caretaker manager on 27 December 2018 following the sacking of Frankie Bunn. He won his first two games in charge. On 6 January 2019 he led the club to a "famous" FA Cup victory against Premier League club Fulham, his third straight win as manager. Following the match he said that he was considering stepping down as caretaker manager, stating that "I've been an academy manager two minutes [...] the fairytale will come to an end at some point, reality will strike. And you've got to be prepared for that. I've got a family to support and a mortgage to pay". After eight matches in charge (four wins, three losses, and one draw) he was replaced as Oldham manager by Paul Scholes on 11 February 2019. Wild's final game in charge was a 3–0 away victory at Crawley Town two days previously.

In March 2019, following the resignation of Scholes, Wild returned as caretaker manager. On 22 March 2019, he was appointed the club's permanent manager, on a contract until the end of the season. He left the club in May 2019, for "personal reasons".

FC Halifax Town

On 24 July 2019, Wild was appointed the manager of National League side FC Halifax Town. In November 2019, he was linked with the vacant Grimsby Town manager's job, but he denied receiving an approach from them. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their final league position was decided on a points per game decision, which meant that Halifax finished in the play-off positions. However, the Shaymen lost 2–1 in the play-offs to Boreham Wood.

In the 2021–22 season, the Shaymen recorded their highest ever league finish of 4th place, qualifying for the play-offs for the second time in Wild's tenure. As a result of their positive form throughout the season, Wild was linked with the vacant job at Bradford City in February 2022. In the play-off eliminator, they lost 2–1 against Chesterfield. Wild said he was "gutted" after the defeat whilst criticising decisions of the officials in the match.

During their play-off campaign, Wild was repeatedly linked with the managerial vacancy at Barrow. On 26 May 2022, Wild resigned from Halifax to pursue a new opportunity.

Barrow

Wild was announced as the new manager of League Two club Barrow, a day after leaving FC Halifax Town. Wild led Barrow to a 9th-place finish in his first season with the club, an improvement from 22nd in the previous season.

An impressive run of form across the early months of the 2023–24 season saw Barrow equal a club record EFL winning run of four matches, climbing into the automatic promotion places. Wild's efforts in his team's achievement saw him awarded the EFL League Two Manager of the Month award for November 2023. He won the award for the second time for March 2024 with fourteen points from six matches as Barrow remained firmly in the play-off places. He left the club on 24 May 2024.

Fleetwood Town

On 24 December 2024, Wild was appointed head coach of League Two side Fleetwood Town, with his contract coming into effect three days later. Wild watched from the stands as caretaker manager Matt Lawlor oversaw a 2–0 victory over Chesterfield on Boxing Day. In his first match at the helm, Fleetwood came back from a goal behind to draw 1–1 with Harrogate Town, their final fixture of the calendar year. Having taken over with the club sat 18th in the league and eight points above the relegation zone, Wild guided them to a 14th-placed finish at the end of the season.

Wild's side made a good start to the 2025–26 campaign, closing in on the play-off places in 9th place after a 2–1 victory over Gillingham on 20 December. However, after a 2–1 defeat to Colchester United, Wild was sacked on 25 January 2026. The decision came after a run of six defeats in seven league games and a winless start to 2026. In the aftermath of his final game, Wild analysed the overwhelming level of injuries within his squad and its impact on their drop in form.

Tranmere Rovers

On 10 March 2026, Wild was appointed head coach of fellow League Two side Tranmere Rovers on an interim basis until the end of the 2025–26 season.

Wild led Tranmere to safety from relegation on the final day of the season after securing a 1–1 draw against Grimsby Town, avoiding the drop by two points. At the conclusion of the season, Tranmere announced that they had begun the process of recruiting a new manager after confirming Wild's departure; they had won just 1 of their 10 games under Wild.

Hartlepool United

On 1 October 2026, Wild was appointed head coach of National League side Hartlepool United. He took charge of his first game two days later but suffered a 1–0 home defeat to Tamworth, their ninth defeat in ten which left the club in the relegation zone. He recorded his first win in the following match, a 4–2 away victory at Forest Green Rovers.

Managerial statistics

As of match played 27 October 2026
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
G W D L Win %
Oldham Athletic (caretaker) 27 December 2018 11 February 2019 8413050.00
Oldham Athletic 22 March 2019 7 May 2019 9423044.44
FC Halifax Town 24 July 2019 26 May 2022 139652846046.76
Barrow 27 May 2022 24 May 2024 105392640037.14
Fleetwood Town 27 December 2024 25 January 2026 61211822034.43
Tranmere Rovers 10 March 2026 2 May 2026 10136010.00
Hartlepool United 1 October 2026 Present 6204033.33
Total 33713578124040.06 —

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Pete Wild at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  2. ↑ "FC Halifax Town: 'We're confident that we're talking to the right people' says Wild on replacements for Byrne and Hyde". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 20 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sneak Peek: From The Changing Room – Pete Wild". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 Alyson Rudd (5 January 2019). "Pete Wild, the Oldham fan in the manager's seat who hopes to shock Claudio Ranieri's Fulham". The Times. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  5. 1 2 "FC Halifax Town: Profile of Town's new manager Pete Wild". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 24 July 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Richard Sutcliffe (24 May 2022). "Pete Wild's managerial journey: From running pubs to pushing Halifax to vie for a most unlikely promotion". The Athletic. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "'It taught me a lot about life' – Halifax boss Pete Wild on his time as manager of the England amputee football team". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 17 December 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Pete Wild: Oldham caretaker manager's journey from fan to FA Cup giant-killer". BBC Sport. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "FC Halifax Town: Pete Wild looks back on the day he toppled Premier League Fulham in the FA Cup". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 17 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "Oldham fan Pete Wild ready to step down as caretaker boss after FA Cup win over Fulham". Sky Sports. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pete Wild management career statistics at Soccerbase
  12. ↑ "Paul Scholes: Oldham Athletic name ex-Man Utd midfielder as manager". BBC Sport. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  13. ↑ Matthew Treadwell (10 February 2019). "Paul Scholes set to become Oldham boss as Pete Wild admits he may have taken final game". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  14. ↑ Jon Chubb (11 February 2019). "Pete Wild signs off with impressive Latics win". Oldham Chronicle. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "Pete Wild's back in the dugout at Boundary Park!". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "Pete Wild: Oldham Athletic appoint caretaker until end of season". BBC Sport. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  17. ↑ "Pete Wild: Oldham Athletic boss leaves for personal reasons". BBC Sport. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  18. ↑ "Pete Wild: FC Halifax Town name former Oldham Athletic boss as manager". BBC Sport. 25 July 2019.
  19. ↑ "Pete Wild the bookies favourite for Grimsby Town job". Grimsbylive. 26 November 2019 – via www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
  20. ↑ "Links with League Two club a compliment, says Pete Wild". Grimsbylive. 28 November 2019 – via www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
  21. ↑ "Coronavirus:National League cancel remaining matches in 2019/20 season amid COVID-19 pandemic". Talksport. 22 April 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "Boreham Wood 2–1 FC Halifax Town". BBC Sport. 17 July 2020. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Club Statistics". FC Halifax Town. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "FC Halifax Town: 'I'll continue to do my job at Halifax,' says Wild as Shaymen boss named among early contenders for vacancy at Bradford City". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 15 February 2022.
  25. ↑ "FC Halifax Town boss Pete Wild refuses to be drawn on Bradford City talk". The 72. 16 February 2022.
  26. ↑ "FC Halifax Town 1–2 Chesterfield". BBC Sport. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  27. ↑ Norcliffe, Liam (25 May 2022). "'Gutted' Halifax boss Pete Wild 'baffled' at refereeing decision in Chesterfield play-off clash". Derbyshire Times. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  28. ↑ "'I'm fully focused on the play-offs,' says Shaymen boss Wild amid speculation linking him with Barrow vacancy". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 17 May 2022.
  29. ↑ "Barrow AFC issue key update in their search for a new manager". The Mail.
  30. ↑ "Barrow AFC fans pick who their next manager should be – and it isn't favourite Pete Wild". The Mail.
  31. ↑ "Pete Wild To Leave The Shaymen". FC Halifax Town. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  32. ↑ "Pete Wild Appointed As Barrow Manager". www.barrowafc.com. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  33. ↑ Ryan Dabbs (1 August 2023). "Barrow season preview 2023/24: How the Bluebirds plan to reach the play-offs". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Table & Standings". Sky Sports. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  35. 1 2 "Sky Bet League Two Player and Manager of the Month for November". www.efl.com. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  36. 1 2 "Sky Bet League Two: Manager & Player of the Month: March winners". www.efl.com. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  37. ↑ "Club Statement: Pete Wild". www.barrowafc.com.
  38. ↑ "Pete Wild: Barrow part with manager following 'post-season review'". BBC Sport. 24 May 2024.
  39. ↑ "Pete Wild: Fleetwood Town appoint ex-Oldham and Barrow boss as head coach". BBC Sport. 24 December 2024.
  40. ↑ "Fleetwood Town 2–0 Chesterfield: New boss Pete Wild sees rare home win". BBC Sport. 26 December 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  41. ↑ "Pete Wild denied win in first game as Fleetwood boss after late penalty miss". BBC Sport. 29 December 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  42. 1 2 3 "Pete Wild: Fleetwood Town boss is dismissed by League Two club". BBC Sport. 25 January 2026.
  43. 1 2 Conrad, Alex (25 January 2026). "EFL manager sacked with immediate effect after six defeats in last seven games". Talksport. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  44. ↑ "Tranmere Rovers appoint Pete Wild as First Team Manager until the end of the season". Tranmere Rovers. 10 March 2026.
  45. ↑ "Tranmere Rovers: Pete Wild named manager until end of season". BBC Sport. 10 March 2026.
  46. ↑ Parr, Louise; Garnett, Richard (2 May 2026). "Tranmere Rovers escape relegation from the EFL in nail-biting finale". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  47. ↑ "Wild exits Tranmere at end of short-term contract". BBC Sport. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  48. ↑ "Hartlepool appoint Wild as head coach". BBC Sport. 2 October 2026. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  49. ↑ "Hartlepool United 0–1 Tamworth". BBC Sport. 3 October 2026. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  50. ↑ "Forest Green Rovers 2–4 Hartlepool United". BBC Sport. 10 October 2026. Retrieved 11 October 2026.