Nationality American Other occupation Flight test engineer Selection 1987 NASA Group Name Thomas Akers First space flight STS-41 | Status Retired Time in space 33d 22h 44m Mission insignia Role Astronaut Space agency NASA | |
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Born May 20, 1951 (age 73)
St. Louis, Missouri ( 1951-05-20 ) Space missions STS-61, STS-49, STS-79, STS-41 Education Missouri University of Science and Technology Rank Colonel, United States Air Force Similar People Pierre J Thuot, Richard Hieb, Kathryn C Thornton, Bruce E Melnick, Daniel Brandenstein | ||
Victor David Akers, OBE (born 24 August 1946 in Islington, London) is a former football player and manager. He played as a left back and is currently Arsenal's kit manager. He was also manager of Arsenal Ladies from the club's foundation in 1987 until his retirement from the post in 2009.
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Playing career
Akers started his career in the youth set-up with Fulham but did not sign a professional contract with the club. He moved into non-league football with Tonbridge (where his consistency at left-back meant that the young Malcolm Macdonald was forced to play as a left-footed right back, before converting to striker when he joined Newcastle), before signing for Bexley United in May 1969. In July 1971 he signed for Cambridge United for £5000, and was part of the side that claimed the club's first Football League promotion. He made 129 league appearances for Cambridge before joining Watford in July 1975 for a fee thought to be either £1000 or £2000. He was an ever-present for the first half of the club's first season back in the Fourth Division after relegation, making 22 league appearances as well as a further 4 in cup competitions. In July 1976 he joined Dartford for free, helping them win the Southern League Cup. He went on to play for Hayes in 1978, and had joined Slough Town by October 1980. By March 1984 he was playing for Carshalton Athletic and he joined Arsenal's staff that same year.
Management career
Akers was appointed head of Arsenal's community section in 1986 and in 1987 founded the Arsenal Ladies team. He has managed Arsenal Ladies to every major trophy in English women's football — the FA Women's Cup ten times, the FA Women's Premier League Cup ten times and the FA Women's Premier League eleven times; this included five League and FA Women's Cup Doubles and four domestic Trebles. Akers also won the UEFA Women's Cup with Arsenal in 2007, the first English side to do so. He retired in 2009 from the Arsenal Ladies post having won thirty-two major trophies in total. He is Arsenal's kit manager, where he is assisted by his son Paul.
Akers was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.
