 Monday, 10th Jan 2011 08:29 Town have announced a 1pm press conference [delayed to 1.15pm] where Paul Jewell is set to be confirmed as the Blues' new boss. The former Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Derby manager has been the only candidate seriously in the frame since bookies stopped taking bets on him taking over from Roy Keane on Thursday, before the Irishman's exit had even been confirmed. Jewell, 46, was born in Liverpool and began his playing career with the Reds but failed to make a senior appearance at Anfield before moving on to Wigan Athletic in 1984 for £15,000. The 5ft 8in tall frontman spent four years at Springfield Park, scoring 47 goals in 145 starts and 26 sub appearances. In 1988 he joined Bradford for £80,000 and was with the Bantams for a decade, netting 66 times in 253 starts and 55 games from the bench. In 1995 he had had a spell on loan at Grimsby where he scored once in three games. Jewell’s coaching career began on the staff at Bradford while he was still a player and in January 1998 he was made caretaker-manager at Valley Parade, replacing Chris Kamara, having been the current Sky Sports man’s assistant. After an impressive start, Jewell was given a permanent contract by chairman Geoffrey Richmond and in the 1998/99 season his Bradford side held off Town’s challenge to finish second in what’s now the Championship behind Sunderland to reach the top flight for the first time in 77 years. Having been everyone’s favourites to go straight back down, the Bantams secured survival on the final day of the 1999/00 season by beating Liverpool 1-0 at Valley Parade, David Wetherall netting the vital goal. Jewell resigned soon after — assistant Chris Hutchings taking over at the Bantams - to become manager of Sheffield Wednesday, who had been relegated along with Wimbledon and Watford. Jewell's record at Valley Parade was won 46, drew 26 and lost 45 in 117 games in charge. The Liverpudlian was sacked after only eight months at Hillsborough with the club in financial strife which afflicted them for most of the decade and eventually saw them drop into Division Two (now League One) in 2003. Jewell's record in his 38 games with the Owls was won 12, drew five and lost 21. In June 2001 Jewell was appointed as manager at Wigan, then in what's now League One, taking them into the Championship in 2002/03, his second season back with the Latics. Wigan narrowly missed out on a play-off place in their first ever season in the second tier, but a year later Jewell beat the Blues to the Premier League for the second time, Wigan finishing ahead of fellow Scouser Joe Royle’s Town in third with Sunderland again the champions. The Latics finished 10th in their first season in the Premier League with Jewell amongst the names linked with the vacant England manager’s job during the following summer. The following season Wigan escaped relegation on goal difference on the last day of the season. A day later Jewell resigned after 127 wins, 74 draws and 90 defeats in 291 games in charge at the JJB Stadium. Having been mentioned in connection with Leicester and the Republic of Ireland, as well as a possible return to Wigan, Jewell eventually became boss at Derby County in November 2007. The Rams were already well on their way to their record low Premier League points total of 11 and Jewell was unable to stop the rot. Despite this and tabloid stories regarding his personal life Derby kept him in charge for what they hoped would be a promotion challenge during 2008/09. But things went little better in the Championship and after a December 2008 1-0 defeat to the Blues at Pride Park, Jewell resigned with his side in 18th place. His record in his 58 games with the Rams was won 12, drew 15 and lost 31. He has been out of football management since then, although he has become a regular on the media circuit. Married to Ann-Marie with a son Sam, who has played golf for Yorkshire, Jewell, whose late father Billy was a trade unionist in Liverpool, has been living in Menston near Bradford.
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