Chris Cornes

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Chris Cornes
Personal information
Full name Christopher Richard Cornes[1]
Date of birth (1986-12-20) 20 December 1986 (age 37)
Place of birth Worcester, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Worcester City (manager)
Youth career
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2006 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
2005 → Port Vale (loan) 10 (4)
2006–2007 Worcester City
2007 → Telford United (loan)
2007–2008 Telford United
2008 Bromsgrove Rovers 15 (0)
2008–2009 Stourport Swifts
2009 Worcester City
2009 → Evesham United (loan)
2009–2010 Stourport Swifts
2010 Redditch United 3 (0)
2010–201? Malvern Town
201?–201? Littleton
Managerial career
2018–2021 Worcester Raiders (co-manager)
2022 Bewdley Town
2022– Worcester City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christopher Richard Cornes (born 20 December 1986) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of Hellenic League Premier Division club Worcester City.

Cornes played as a forward. A former Wolverhampton Wanderers trainee, he enjoyed a successful loan spell to Port Vale in 2005, having signed a professional contract at Wolves the previous year. He tested positive for cocaine in February 2006, and received a six-month ban from the game, before his contract was cancelled in September that year. He then joined Worcester City, before moving on to Telford United the following year. In 2008, he joined Stourport Swifts via Bromsgrove Rovers. The next year he was back at Worcester and Stourport Swifts, also playing on loan for Evesham United, before signing with Malvern Town via Redditch United in summer 2010. He was imprisoned on drug dealing charges in 2015.

He co-managed Worcester Raiders to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One title at the end of the 2018–19 season. He left the club in October 2021 and was appointed Bewdley Town manager in January 2022, before taking charge of Worcester City ten months later.

Playing career[edit]

Wolverhampton Wanderers[edit]

Cornes attended Pershore High School,[3] before beginning his career as a trainee with Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers, turning professional in July 2004. He joined League One side Port Vale on loan in August 2005, making his debut on 28 August in Vale's goalless draw at Milton Keynes Dons – picking up the man of the match award in the process.[4] He scored both goals against Oldham Athletic on 28 September,[5] and followed this by getting goals against Walsall and Swindon Town,[6][7] leaving him with a streak of four goals in three games. He returned to Molineux at the end of November, having scored four times in eleven first team appearances for the "Valiants".

In February 2006 Cornes tested positive for cocaine and was given a six-month ban.[8] Initially Wolves stood by him and allowed him to continue training. However, in September 2006 his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.[8]

"Chris is grateful for the club for supporting him and regrets the embarrassment he has caused."

— Chief executive Jez Moxey explains Cornes' situation in July 2006.[9]

Non-League[edit]

At the end of his ban in October 2006 he joined Conference North side Worcester City, and two months later signed until the end of the season.[3] However, he fell out of favour and joined Northern Premier League Premier Division side AFC Telford United on loan in March 2007, helping Telford to promotion to the Conference North via the play-offs.[10] He turned down interest from a number of league clubs to sign a one-year contract with Telford in May 2007.[10]

He terminated his contract with Telford in January 2008, with the club and Cornes coming towards the end of a club disciplinary process.[11] He joined Bromsgrove Rovers in the Southern League Premier Division later that month,[12] aiming for a fresh start.[13] The club were relegated at the end of the 2007–08 campaign, and Cornes decided to leave when new manager Rod Brown took charge in October 2008.[14] Later that month he joined Stourport Swifts in the Southern League Division One Central, along with his former Bromsgrove manager Duane Darby.[15]

In July 2009, he was released the Swifts, his fitness an issue.[16] He promptly returned to old club Worcester City for pre-season training.[17] Worcester loaned him out to Evesham United in August 2009,[18] before he re-signed with Stourport six weeks into his loan spell.[19][20]

In June 2010 he joined Conference North side Redditch United.[21] Two months later he switched clubs to Midland Football Alliance club Malvern Town.[22] At the end of the 2010–11 campaign Malvern were relegated to the West Midlands (Regional) League. He later played for Littleton in the Midland Combination.

Style of play[edit]

Stourport manager Neil Hunt described him as "a playmaker, he doesn't track back or run around but his quality on the ball is undeniable."[23]

Management career[edit]

Cornes, alongside Karl Gormley, co-managed Worcester Raiders to promotion as champions of the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One in the 2018–19 season.[24] The 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England.[24] He left the club seven games into the 2021–22 campaign, with club captain Danny Flowers suggesting on Twitter that he was "pushed out by the chairman".[24]

On 12 January 2022, Cornes was announced as the new manager of Midland League Premier Division club Bewdley Town, who were then bottom of the table.[25] Bewdley finished second-from-bottom at the end of the 2021–22 season, but were reprieved from relegation.

On 12 November 2022, Cornes was installed as manager at Worcester City, also of the Midland League Premier Division.[26]

Legal troubles[edit]

Cornes was arrested in May 2015 for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and money laundering after £40,000 of high purity cocaine and "a substantial amount of cash" was found in the back of a car in Worcester.[27] He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years and four months in prison.[28]

Career statistics[edit]

Source:[29]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2004–05 Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Port Vale (loan) 2005–06 League One 10 4 0 0 1 0 11 4
Bromsgrove Rovers 2007–08[30] Southern League Premier Division 13 1 0 0 1 0 14 1
2007–08[30] Southern League Division One Midlands 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 17 1 0 0 1 0 18 1
Redditch United 2010–11[31] Conference North 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

Honours[edit]

Playing[edit]

Telford United

Managerial[edit]

Worcester Raiders (co-manager)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Chris Cornes". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ "FootballSquads - Port Vale - 2005/06". footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Cornes signs Worcester extension". BBC Sport. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  4. ^ "MK Dons 0-0 Port Vale". Soccerbase. 29 August 2005. Retrieved 14 January 2009.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Port Vale 2-2 Oldham". BBC Sport. 28 September 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  6. ^ "Port Vale 3-2 Walsall". BBC Sport. 1 October 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Swindon 1-2 Port Vale". BBC Sport. 8 October 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Banned Cornes makes Wolves exit". BBC Sport. 28 September 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  9. ^ "BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Wolves to stand by striker Cornes". BBC Sport. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  10. ^ a b c "Cornes and Lewis sign for Telford". BBC Sport. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  11. ^ "Telford terminate Cornes contract". BBC Sport. 21 January 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  12. ^ "Rovers add Cornes". NonLeagueDaily. 25 January 2008. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  13. ^ Harrison, Dan (30 January 2008). "Fresh start for Cornes". Bromsgrove Advertiser. Retrieved 18 August 2009.[dead link]
  14. ^ "Whild gets rid of five players". BBC Sport. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  15. ^ "Hunt has high hopes for new-look Swifts". NonleagueDaily. 17 October 2008. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  16. ^ "Cornes released by Swifts". Worcester News. 7 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  17. ^ Clarey, Steve (7 July 2009). "Cornes given second shot with Worcester". Worcester News. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  18. ^ "West targets repeat". This is Gloucestershire. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  19. ^ "Evesham on a revenge mission". This is Gloucestershire. 2 October 2009. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  20. ^ Corley, Steve (1 October 2009). "Swifts in swoop to re-sign Cornes". Kidderminster Shuttle. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  21. ^ "Redditch United boss Matt Gardiner signs four players". BBC Sport. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  22. ^ Stanford, Mark (27 August 2010). "Town get Cornes in firepower bid". Malvern Gazette. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  23. ^ "Cornes backed by Swifts boss". Kidderminster Shuttle. 8 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  24. ^ a b c d Cossali-Francis, Marcello (4 October 2021). "Cornes parts company with Worcester Raiders". Worcester News. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  25. ^ Cossali-Francis, Marcello (12 January 2022). "Former Raiders boss returns to management by taking role at Bewdley". Worcester News. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  26. ^ Cossali-Francis, Marcello (13 November 2022). "'Excited and privileged' - City go local as former Raider Cornes is the new boss". Worcester News. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Two charged over £40,000 drugs haul". Worcester News. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  28. ^ "Wolves striker turned drug dealer jailed for four years". Express & Star. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  29. ^ Chris Cornes at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  30. ^ a b "Chris Cornes Profile | Aylesbury United FC". aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  31. ^ Chris Cornes at Soccerway
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