Darren Freeman

Darren Barry Andduet Freeman (born 22 August 1973) is a former professional footballer who played as a winger and striker, making over 130 appearances in the Football League between 1995 and 2001. After his playing career ended he was an English football manager, most recently at Lewes.

Darren Freeman
Personal information
Full name Darren Barry Andduet Freeman[1]
Date of birth (1973-08-22) 22 August 1973
Place of birth Brighton, England
Playing position(s) Winger, Striker
Youth career
1988–1990 Whitehawk[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1992 Whitehawk[2]
1993–1994 Worthing[3]
1994–1995 Horsham[4]
1995–1996 Gillingham 12 (0)
1995–1996 → Glenavon (loan)
1996–1998 Fulham 46 (9)
1998–1999 Brentford 22 (6)
1999–2001 Brighton & Hove Albion 54 (12)
2002–2003 Margate
2003–2004 Worthing
2004 Three Bridges
2005–2013 Whitehawk
Total 134 (27)
Teams managed
2009–2014 Whitehawk
2015 Peacehaven & Telscombe
2015–2019 Lewes
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Born in Brighton, Freeman played youth football for Whitehawk and Sussex County Youth, making his first team debut at the age of 16. He scored the winner as a 17 year old in the RUR Cup Final against Peacehaven & Telscombe in March 1991[5] while also appearing in the County Youth Cup Final later in the season, earning trials at Portsmouth, Southend United and Maidstone United.[2] After playing for Isthmian League Worthing and Horsham he was signed by Gillingham. Following a successful loan spell at Glenavon,[6] he went on to play in the Football League with Fulham, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, making a total of 134 appearances.[7] He retired from professional football in August 2001 due to an ongoing hernia problem.[8]

He will always be remembered for two feats with the Seagulls – scoring a hat-trick in Albion's first ever competitive match at Withdean Stadium, when they beat Mansfield Town 6–0, and scoring the first English football league goal of the new millennium when he netted in an early kick-off against Exeter City on January 3, 2000.[9]

He returned to non-league football in June 2002 with Margate,[10][11] Worthing and Three Bridges, the latter as player-coach,[12] before ending his playing career back at his first club Whitehawk, joining in 2005–06, before taking on a player-coaching role in 2008. [13] [14] Freeman made 16 league and cup appearances in the 2007–08 season and a further 12 league and cup appearances in the 2009–10 season.[15] His final ever appearance was from the bench in a Sussex Senior Challenge Cup tie at Horsham on 26 November 2013.[16]

Coaching career

Freeman was appointed sole manager of Whitehawk in May 2010,[17] having previously been joint-manager of the club alongside George Parris since May 2009.[9] Despite taking the club from the Sussex County League to the Conference South League with three promotions in four years,[18] he was sacked by Whitehawk in January 2014.[19]

Freeman was appointed manager of Isthmian League Division One South side Peacehaven & Telscombe in August 2015 [20] but left after just two months to take up the manager's position at nearby Lewes.[21] On 2 April 2016, Lewes were relegated from the Isthmian Premier League to the Isthmian Division One South with three games of the season remaining.[22] On 13 April 2018, the Rooks won promotion back to the Isthmian Premier League,[23] eventually finishing the 2017-18 Isthmian Division One South season in 2nd place, behind Carshalton Athletic, on 99 points.[24] Freeman left Lewes in October 2019 to take up a full-time role with the SportsTotal agency with his former teammate at Brentford Dirk Hebel.[25] Hebel named his son Darren after Freeman.[26]

Personal life

Freeman was educated at Varndean School in Brighton and has two sons, Leighton and Stacey with his partner Lorraine.[27][28] Stacey Freeman played in his father's team at Lewes.[29] His father Reg died in August 2009 and was cited as an inspiration to Freeman's career.[30] As a player, Freeman was notable for his long hair, modelled on Braveheart's Mel Gibson.[3]

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References
  1. "Darren Freeman". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. Sussex County FA, RUR Charity Cup Final, Peacehaven & Telscombe v Whitehawk, 1991
  3. Matchday Programme, Whitehawk v Metropolitan Police, 20 November 2010
  4. "Darren Freeman". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  5. Whitehawk v Bexhill Town, Official Matchday Programme, 11 May 1991
  6. Gordon Hanna (18 January 1998). "FOOTBALL: DON'T BE SILLY BILLY!; This Pair Are Staying Put, Hamilton Told". The People. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  7. "Profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  8. "Brentford | News | Latest News | Latest News | FORMER BEE QUITS". world.brentfordfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  9. Howard Griggs (26 May 2009). "Freeman joins Parris at Hawks". The Argus. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  10. "KINNEAR SIGNS FREEMAN". NonLeagueDaily.com. 21 June 2002. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  11. "Freeman plays again". The Argus. 8 July 2002. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  12. "County League: Bridges release coach Freeman". The Argus. 22 October 2004. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  13. Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Shoreham, Sussex County League 1, 12 April 2008
  14. Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Wroxham, FA Vase, 28 March 2010
  15. Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Redhill, 1 May 2010
  16. Matchday programme, Whitehawk v Sutton United, 26 April 2014.
  17. "FREEMAN TAKES SOLE CHARGE OF HAWKS". NonLeagueDaily.com. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  18. Charlotte Ikonen (19 July 2013). "Recognising heroes of sport around Sussex for achievement award". Warrington Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  19. Howard Griggs (24 January 2014). "Whitehawk part with Freeman". The Argus. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  20. "Freeman appointed manager at Peacehaven". The Argus. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  21. "Lewes announce new First Team Manager". Lewes FC. 13 October 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  22. "Down but certainly not out". Lewes F.C. 2 April 2016. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  23. http://www.lewesfc.com/post/rooks-seal-promotion-with-emphatic-win-over-horsham%7Caccessdate
  24. "Archived copy". Lewes FC. 28 April 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. "Darren to leave football management". www.lewesfc.com.
  26. https://web.archive.org/web/20140715225642/http://thecowsheds.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93%3Aseries-i-dirk-hebel&catid=40%3Awhere-are-they-now&Itemid=67
  27. "Varndean School, Brighton, East Sussex". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  28. "Tears of a local hero". The Argus. 31 August 2001. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  29. "Stacey Freeman delights dad by pledging future to Lewes". The Argus. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  30. Howard Griggs (17 October 2009). "Freeman inspired by late father". The Argus. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
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