Bob Houghton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bobby Houghton | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Houghton | |
| Date of birth | 13 October 1947 | |
| Place of birth | England | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | India (head coach) | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1966–1969 1969–1970 1970–1971 1971–1975 |
Fulham Brighton & Hove Albion Hastings United Maidstone United |
? (?) ? (?) ? (?) ? (?) |
| Teams managed | ||
| 1970–1971 1971–1975 1974–1980 1980 1980–1982 1982–1984 1984–1986 1987–1989 1990–1992 1993 1994–1995 1996 1997–1999 2005 2006– |
Hastings United Maidstone United Malmö FF Ethnikos Piraeus Bristol City Toronto Blizzard Al-Ittihad Örgryte IS Malmö FF Al-Ittihad FC Zürich Colorado Rapids China Uzbekistan India |
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1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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Robert Houghton (born 13 October 1947), commonly known as either Bob Houghton or Bobby Houghton, is an English football manager and former player, currently the head coach of the Indian national team. His career has spanned over 30 years and 10 different countries.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Early career
During his brief playing career, Houghton was a midfielder for Fulham (1966–69) and Brighton & Hove Albion (1969–70). Houghton was one of the youngest coaches ever to manage in English senior football, being appointed player manager of Hastings United in the Southern League at only 21. In the early 1970s he also managed Maidstone United and worked as an assistant to Bobby Robson at Ipswich Town.[1]
[edit] Malmö FF
He became the manager of Swedish top flight side Malmö FF in 1974. Then a provincal, amateur side, he guided them to success domestically and internationally, reaching the European Cup final against Nottingham Forest in 1979, narrowly losing 1–0. The team was all based on local players who came from within 60km from Malmö. It was the first and so far only time a Swedish team has reached the European Cup final.
He also won the Swedish championship and Svenska Cupen several times and was runner-up in the Intercontinental Cup in 1979 (Nottingham Forest had declined to participate). Along with close friend Roy Hodgson he is widely regarded as being responsible for the transformation of Swedish football into a relative modern power.[2]
[edit] 1980s and 90s
After a short spell in Greece with Ethnikos Piraeus, Houghton returned to his homeland in 1980 to manage Bristol City. His spell at Ashton Gate was unsuccessful as the financially stricken club were relegated and Houghton resigned after a defeat to Wimbledon. Houghton's next job was with North American Soccer League side Toronto Blizzard between 1982 and 1984. He then managed in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad before returing to Sweden at Örgryte IS and Malmö again. After another spell with Al-Ittihad in 1993, he joined Swiss side FC Zürich in April 1994 and remained in charge for just over a year before leaving in March 1995. In 1996 he became the first ever coach of Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids before being sacked after just one season.
[edit] International management
[edit] China
Houghton then assumed control of the Chinese national team in late 1997, who had just failed to qualify for the 1998 World Cup. Within weeks, Houghton was able to memorise the names of all his players, a rare feat in foreign coaches, and helped build the team's confidence and self-belief. China were placed second in the Dynasty Cup very shortly after Houghton took over, and he developed a reputation for being able to implement an effective technical football program for struggling teams. They also attained a bronze medal at the 1998 Asian Games. After failing to qualify for the 2000 Olympic football tournament, Houghton left as manager of the Chinese national team in 1999. He later had several spells as a club manager in China and was also a coaching instructor.
[edit] Uzbekistan
He had a spell in charge of Uzbekistan in 2005 when he was charged with qualifying for the 2006 World Cup though his attempt failed after losing a controversial play-off tie against Bahrain. Uzbekistan won the first match 1–0 but FIFA declared the result void after a refereeing mistake, and Uzbekistan were eliminated on the away goals rule.
[edit] India
Houghton was then appointed head coach of India in June 2006 by the All India Football Federation. His appointment saw a general progress in India's performances[3] crowned by victory in the Nehru Cup in August 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ [http://www.canadakicks.com/blizzard/profiles/b_houghton.htm Houghton the new troubleshooter for the Blizzard], Soccer Illustrated Magazine.
- ^ Lagerback faces familiar foes, The Guardian, 18 June 2006.
- ^ Valiant India go down to Syria, Rediff News, 23 August 2007.
[edit] External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dave Turner |
Toronto Blizzard head coach 1982–1984 |
League defunct |
| Preceded by Vanderlei Luxemburgo |
Al-Ittihad (Jeddah) manager 1984–1986 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
| Preceded by Roy Hodgson |
Malmö FF manager 1990–1992 |
Succeeded by Viggo Jensen |
| Preceded by Kurt Jara |
FC Zürich manager 1994–1995 |
Succeeded by Raimondo Ponte |
| New creation | Colorado Rapids head coach 1996 |
Succeeded by Roy Wegerle |
| Preceded by Qi Wusheng |
China national football team coach 1998–1999 |
Succeeded by Bora Milutinović |
| Preceded by Syed Nayeemuddin |
India national football team head coach 2006– |
Incumbent |
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