Chris Cornes Explained

Chris Cornes
Fullname:Christopher Richard Cornes
Birth Date:20 December 1986
Birth Place:Worcester, England
Height:[1]
Position:Forward
Currentclub:Worcester City (manager)
Youthclubs1:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Years1:2004–2006
Clubs1:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:2005
Clubs2:Port Vale (loan)
Caps2:10
Goals2:4
Years3:2006–2007
Clubs3:Worcester City
Years4:2007
Clubs4:Telford United (loan)
Years5:2007–2008
Clubs5:Telford United
Years6:2008
Clubs6:Bromsgrove Rovers
Caps6:15
Goals6:0
Years7:2008–2009
Clubs7:Stourport Swifts
Years8:2009
Clubs8:Worcester City
Years9:2009
Clubs9:Evesham United (loan)
Years10:2009–2010
Clubs10:Stourport Swifts
Years11:2010
Clubs11:Redditch United
Caps11:3
Goals11:0
Years12:2010–201?
Clubs12:Malvern Town
Years13:201?–201?
Clubs13:Littleton
Manageryears1:2018–2021
Managerclubs1:Worcester Raiders (co-manager)
Manageryears2:2022
Managerclubs2:Bewdley Town
Manageryears3:2022–
Managerclubs3:Worcester City

Christopher Richard Cornes (born 20 December 1986) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of 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 of 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

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Cornes attended Pershore High School,[2] 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.[3] He scored both goals against Oldham Athletic on 28 September,[4] and followed this by getting goals against Walsall and Swindon Town,[5] [6] 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.[7] Initially Wolves stood by him and allowed him to continue training. However, in September 2006, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

Non-League

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. 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.[8] He turned down interest from several league clubs to sign a one-year contract with Telford in May 2007.

He terminated his contract with Telford in January 2008, with the club and Cornes coming towards the end of a club disciplinary process.[9] He joined Bromsgrove Rovers in the Southern League Premier Division later that month,[10] aiming for a fresh start.[11] 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.[12] Later that month he joined Stourport Swifts in the Southern League Division One Central, along with his former Bromsgrove manager Duane Darby.[13]

In July 2009, he was released the Swifts, his fitness an issue.[14] He promptly returned to old club Worcester City for pre-season training.[15] Worcester loaned him out to Evesham United in August 2009,[16] before he re-signed with Stourport six weeks into his loan spell.[17] [18]

In June 2010, he joined Conference North side Redditch United.[19] Two months later he switched clubs to Midland Football Alliance club Malvern Town.[20] 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

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."[21]

Management career

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.[22] The 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England.[22] 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".[22]

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.[23] 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.[24]

Legal troubles

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.[25] He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years and four months in prison.[26]

Career statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Wolverhampton Wanderers2004–05Championship00000000
Port Vale (loan)2005–06League One1040010114
Bromsgrove Rovers2007–08[27] Southern League Premier Division1310010141
2007–08Southern League Division One Midlands40000040
Total1710010181
Redditch United2010–11Conference North30000030

Honours

Playing

Telford United

Managerial

Worcester Raiders (co-manager)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FootballSquads - Port Vale - 2005/06 . footballsquads.co.uk . 24 June 2019.
  2. News: Cornes signs Worcester extension. BBC Sport. 8 December 2006. 14 January 2009.
  3. News: MK Dons 0-0 Port Vale. Soccerbase. 29 August 2005. 14 January 2009.
  4. News: Port Vale 2-2 Oldham . 28 September 2005. BBC Sport. 30 June 2011.
  5. News: Port Vale 3-2 Walsall . 1 October 2005. BBC Sport. 30 June 2011.
  6. News: Swindon 1-2 Port Vale . 8 October 2005. BBC Sport. 30 June 2011.
  7. News: Banned Cornes makes Wolves exit. BBC Sport. 28 September 2006. 14 January 2009.
  8. News: Cornes and Lewis sign for Telford. BBC Sport. 16 May 2007. 14 January 2009.
  9. News: Telford terminate Cornes contract. BBC Sport. 21 January 2008. 14 January 2009.
  10. News: Rovers add Cornes. NonLeagueDaily. 25 January 2008. 14 January 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120908232244/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=47813. 8 September 2012.
  11. Web site: Fresh start for Cornes . Harrison . Dan . 30 January 2008 . Bromsgrove Advertiser . 18 August 2009 .
  12. News: Whild gets rid of five players. BBC Sport. 2 October 2008. 14 January 2009.
  13. News: Hunt has high hopes for new-look Swifts. NonleagueDaily. 17 October 2008. 14 January 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120929031334/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=53057. 29 September 2012.
  14. Web site: Cornes released by Swifts. 7 July 2009. Worcester News. 18 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20120404092700/http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/search/4478462.Cornes_released_by_Swifts/. 4 April 2012. dead.
  15. Web site: Cornes given second shot with Worcester. Clarey. Steve. 7 July 2009. Worcester News. 18 August 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120404092712/http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/wcfc/news/4479449.Cornes_given_second_shot_with_Worcester/. 4 April 2012.
  16. News: West targets repeat. 14 August 2009. This is Gloucestershire. 30 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120531072454/http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/West-targets-repeat/story-11897832-detail/story.html. 31 May 2012. dead.
  17. News: Evesham on a revenge mission. 2 October 2009. This is Gloucestershire. 30 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120531072543/http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Evesham-revenge-mission/story-11881885-detail/story.html. 31 May 2012. dead.
  18. News: Swifts in swoop to re-sign Cornes. Corley. Steve. 1 October 2009 . Kidderminster Shuttle. 30 June 2011.
  19. Web site: Redditch United boss Matt Gardiner signs four players. 23 June 2010. BBC Sport. 18 August 2010.
  20. News: Town get Cornes in firepower bid. Stanford. Mark. 27 August 2010. Malvern Gazette. 30 June 2011.
  21. News: Cornes backed by Swifts boss. 8 October 2009. Kidderminster Shuttle. 30 June 2011.
  22. News: Cossali-Francis . Marcello . Cornes parts company with Worcester Raiders . 17 September 2022 . Worcester News . 4 October 2021 . en.
  23. News: Cossali-Francis . Marcello . Former Raiders boss returns to management by taking role at Bewdley . 17 September 2022 . Worcester News . 12 January 2022 . en.
  24. News: Cossali-Francis . Marcello . 'Excited and privileged' - City go local as former Raider Cornes is the new boss . 13 November 2022 . Worcester News . 13 November 2022 . en.
  25. News: Two charged over £40,000 drugs haul. 23 December 2015. Worcester News. 15 May 2015.
  26. News: Wolves striker turned drug dealer jailed for four years. 23 December 2015. Express & Star. 12 December 2015.
  27. Web site: Chris Cornes Profile Aylesbury United FC. aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk. 15 April 2018.