· 4 July 2025, 19:00
**'Iron' Mike Williamson was a popular figure on Tyneside during his six-year stay at Newcastle United.**
While he was never going to make it into anybody's all-time NUFC XI, the 6'4" centre-back was steady enough at the back during a time when the Magpies weren't exactly known for their defensive prowess.
Williamson ended his playing career on Tyneside with Gateshead, eventually becoming a player-coach and then player-manager.
His stint as Heed gaffer actually went pretty well, getting them back into the National League and even had them in 6th place when he left to join League two side, Milton Keynes Dons.
> [](https://twitter.com/RangersFC/status/1940817943119778052)
Mike Williamson struggled as a manager in League Two
----------------------------------------------------
MK Dons missed out on promotion under Williamson as his side were battered 8-1 over two legs in the play-off semi-finals.
After losing six of their first eight games, Williamson left MK Dons before he was sacked and joined fellow League Two side Carlisle United.
However, things didn't get any better for the former Toon man as he was sacked after just 25 games after picking up just two wins.
Williamson has returned to coaching rather than managing
--------------------------------------------------------
Now it seems that Williamson is turning his back on management and sticking to coaching as he has joined Scottish Premier League side Rangers as part of former Southampton boss Russel Martin's coaching staff.
The wait for a quality former Newcastle player to become a quality manager continues. Scott Parker is probably the closest we have, but he seems to top out at Championship level, always struggling in the Premier League. We'll see how his Burnley side fares this season.
Kevin Nolan is cutting his teeth in the lower leagues, likely with a view to honing his craft before trying to step in at Premier League level. Something the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney probably should have done rather than cashing in on their playing career to land top jobs.