{{short description|English footballer and manager}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{BLP sources|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Mick Gooding | image = | fullname = Michael Charles Gooding<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|7433|access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|4|12|df=y}}<ref name=Hugman/> | birth_place = Newcastle upon Tyne,<ref name=Hugman/> England | height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/314 314] |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/314}}</ref> | position = Midfielder | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1978–1979 | years2 = 1979–1982 | years3 = 1982–1983 | years4 = 1983–1987 | years5 = 1987–1988 | years6 = 1988–1989 | years7 = 1989–1997 | years8 = 1998–1999 | clubs1 = Bishop Auckland | clubs2 = Rotherham United | clubs3 = Chesterfield | clubs4 = Rotherham United | clubs5 = Peterborough United | clubs6 = Wolverhampton Wanderers | clubs7 = Reading | clubs8 = Southend United | caps1 = | caps2 = 102 | caps3 = 12 | caps4 = 156 | caps5 = 47 | caps6 = 44 | caps7 = 314 | caps8 = 25 | goals1 = | goals2 = 10 | goals3 = 0 | goals4 = 33 | goals5 = 21 | goals6 = 4 | goals7 = 26 | goals8 = 0 | totalcaps = 700 | totalgoals = 94 | manageryears1 = 1994–1997 | manageryears2 = 1999 | manageryears3 = 2000 | managerclubs1 = Reading | managerclubs2 = Southend United | managerclubs3 = Southend United }} '''Michael Charles Gooding''' (born 12 April 1959) is a former professional footballer and football manager.
In the twilight of a successful playing career, Gooding was appointed joint player-manager of Reading with Jimmy Quinn when manager Mark McGhee acrimoniously left to take the reins at Leicester City. Under their guidance, Reading finished second in the First Division but was left to battle for a place in the Premier League through the playoffs, as the Premier League was being reduced in size from 22 teams to 20. Reading were beaten 4-3 by Bolton Wanderers in the playoff final at Wembley.
Gooding and Quinn remained in charge at Elm Park for two seasons afterward, until they were replaced by Terry Bullivant after failing to mount any further promotion challenges.
After Reading, Gooding had a short spell at Southend United, before retiring from football. He remained at Roots Hall for a while as a coach.
He has since carved himself a career as a radio commentary pundit, performing such roles as co-commentator for BBC Radio Berkshire's coverage of Reading's league matches, while also working as an estate agent in Tadley.
Despite playing 700 league games in a career stretching 20 years, Gooding never played top-division football – the closest he came to reaching the top flight was with Reading when they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in 1995.
==Honours== '''Team''' Reading FC Division 2 Champions 1993/94
'''Individual''' *PFA Team of the Year: 1987–88 Fourth Division<ref>{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=147}}</ref>
*Reading FC Player of the Year 1991/92, 1992/93 & 1995/96
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase}} *{{soccerbase (manager)|948|Mick Gooding}} *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311064324/http://www.uptheposh.com/people/2952/ Profile]}} at {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205233152/http://www.uptheposh.com/ UpThePosh! The Peterborough United Database]}} {{1987–88 Football League Fourth Division PFA Team of the Year}} {{Reading F.C. Player of the Year}} {{Reading F.C. managers}} {{Reading F.C. Hall of Fame}} {{Southend United F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gooding, Mick}} Category:Living people Category:1959 births Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Bishop Auckland F.C. players Category:Reading F.C. players Category:Rotherham United F.C. players Category:Chesterfield F.C. players Category:Peterborough United F.C. players Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Category:Southend United F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:English football managers Category:Reading F.C. managers Category:Footballers from Newcastle upon Tyne