3/1 To Win
Former Derby County coach and caretaker manager Billy McEwan has sadly passed away at the age of 70.
McEwan spent time on the coaching staff, as well as two separate spells in charge on a brief caretaker basis, from the mid-1990s until his departure in the Autumn of 2004.
Notably, the Scotsman was a member of Jim Smith’s coaching staff as the Rams memorably secured automatic promotion to the Premier League in the 1995/96 campaign at the Baseball Ground.
Derby County’s deepest condolences and thoughts are with the family and friends of Billy McEwan at this difficult time.
Billy McEwan In Profile
Playing Career
McEwan was born on 20th June 1951 in Cleland, a village near Motherwell and Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, in Scotland.
A midfielder by trade, McEwan started his playing career at Hibernian in the late 1960s and was part of their Scottish League Cup winning squad in 1972/73, before moving south to join Blackpool in 1973.
He went on to have spells at Brighton & Hove Albion, Chesterfield, Mansfield Town, Peterborough United and Rotherham United before concluding his playing days in 1983.
His time at Mansfield saw him play a key role in their 1976/77 Third Division championship-winning side.
Coaching Career
McEwan’s first coaching role came in 1986 after he replaced Ian Porterfield as the manager of Sheffield United in 1986, a position he held until 1988.
He went on to manage Rotherham United until 1991 and led the Millers to the Fourth Division title in the 1988/89 season, following their relegation on the final day of the previous season, prior to a spell in charge of Darlington in the early 1990s.
McEwan joined Derby after his departure from Darlington and enjoyed nine years at the club.
His first of two caretaker spells in charge came on the final day of the 1994/95 season in an away fixture after Watford, following Roy McFarland’s departure the previous weekend.
He also had a spell in charge in the 2001/02 Premier League season, for a home fixture against Ipswich Town and a trip to Charlton Athletic, following Colin Todd’s departure and prior to the appointment of John Gregory.
His time with the Rams saw him coach the first-team squad, as well as manage the Reserves.
After leaving Derby in October 2004, McEwan went on to manage York City between 2005 and 2007, followed by a stint in charge of Mansfield Town in 2008.
A new venture saw him appointed as the technical director of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association in March 2010 and he went on to have a spell as manager of Antigua Barracuda, a position he held until March 2011.
