Ex-Portsmouth winger appointed manager of football club resurrected after 27-year absence
Waterlooville have appointed the former Pompey winger as their new manager
A former Pompey player has been appointed as manager of reformed Waterlooville AFC.
Jack Maloney will spearhead the new-look club, which has been resurrected after an absence of 27 years and play its home matches at AFC Portchester.
Waterlooville will be back on the footballing calendar in 2026-27, although, at this stage, it isn’t clear what division they will be entered in for.
Regardless, owner Lee Stainton has turned to Maloney, putting his faith in the Pompey Academy coach to oversee his ambitions.
The 31-year-old came through Pompey’s Academy to make 11 first-team appearances, before departing in March 2015 and later representing the Rocks, Salisbury and Horndean.
Now the older brother of Hawks winger Leon, who himself made five Blues appearances, has been chosen as Waterlooville boss, representing his first management role.
‘We are bringing in people who want to grow and develop at Waterlooville’
Stainton told The News: ‘From the first moment I met Jack, I just had that feeling: “You’re what I want”.
‘I can bring in people who have names, but I actually want people who are going to grow and learn with the club, like Harvey (Bradbury). He and Jack want to go into that side of things, it’s a great opportunity for them as it is for us.
‘Jack is going to gain a lot of experience through managing, he has a lot of contacts, and he’s a lovely bloke. I was also going to try to tempt him to play for a season or so!
‘We are starting fresh as a club, bringing in new people. Jack, Harvey, the commercial team, they are all new, all fresh, it’s bringing in people who actually want to grow and develop at the club.
‘If another club came in for someone like Jack in a few year’s time and he has done well, that only benefits us as well.
‘He’s genuinely a really lovely kid who really wants to learn, he’s really excited about the challenge and has good contacts and good youth connections. We’re all looking forward to getting underway.’
Pompey first-team debut as a 17-year-old
Maloney made his Pompey debut at the age of 17 in their Capital One Cup clash with Plymouth in August 2012.
Coming off the bench, he was among 11 debutants for Michael Appleton’s youthful side, with the Blues in administration and operating under a registration embargo.
The winger went to feature 10 times in that 2012-13 campaign, including starting a League One fixture against Tranmere in April 2013.
Maloney’s sole appearance in the following season came off the bench against Southend in November 2013, which represented the first match of Andy Awford’s first spell as caretaker boss, following Guy Whittingham’s dismissal.
That season he would spend loan time at Aldershot and Lewes, while, in the 2014-15, had a spell at Poole Town, before his release in March 2015, when he dropped into the non-league game permanently.
‘He wants to build a competitive, organised and progressive team’
Waterlooville’s director of football Harvey Bradbury told the club’s official website: ‘This appointment reflects our commitment to putting the right people in place who genuinely share the club’s values, ambition and long-term vision. Everything we are doing is about building the club the right way, with clear structure and purpose.
‘Jack understands that. He wants to build a competitive, organised and progressive team, and he’ll be fully supported by a strong backroom setup as we prepare for the season ahead.
‘His enthusiasm, football knowledge and desire to grow alongside the club made him the right fit to lead us into this next chapter, and I’m confident he’ll have a real impact both on and off the pitch.
‘The club believes this appointment underlines its commitment to long-term planning and sustainable progress, with clear leadership and shared values at every level of the football operation.
‘Everyone at Waterlooville AFC would like to welcome Jack Maloney to the club and looks forward to working closely with him as we continue to build for the future.’