Bobby Houghton
Encyclopedia
Robert Douglas Houghton commonly known as either Bob Houghton or Bobby Houghton, is an English
football
manager and former player, Houghton was most recently the head coach of India
. His career has spanned over 30 years and 10 different countries. A tall and powerful striker, he was a prolific goal scorer for all four of his clubs, most notably for Fulham F.C.
. He is most famous for taking Swedish club Malmö FF
to the 1979 European Cup Final
, where they lost to Nottingham Forest
.
(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 23. In the early 1970s he also managed and worked as an assistant to Bobby Robson
at .
in 1974. Houghton guided them to success domestically and internationally, reaching the 1979 European Cup Final
, losing 1–0 against . The team was all based on local players who came from within 60 km 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.
with Ethnikos Piraeus, Houghton returned to his homeland in 1980 to manage . His spell at Ashton Gate
was unsuccessful as the financially stricken club were relegated and Houghton resigned after a defeat to . 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 returning to Sweden
at Örgryte IS
and Malmö FF 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.
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.
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
.
in June 2006 by the All India Football Federation
. His appointment saw a general progress in India's performances crowned by victory in the Nehru Cup
in August 2007. The following year India suffered a huge loss when Maldives
defeated them at the final of SAFF Championship 2008
, despite a 100% record in the group stage, including a victory over the Maldives. However, Houghton led India to the AFC Challenge Cup title as they beat Tajikistan
4-1 in August 2008, which gave India a berth at the Asian cup 2011 in Doha.
He also oversaw the Indian team to its second consecutive Nehru Cup trophy win in 2009. He resigned in 2010 after not being able to reach a new contract deal.
He later confirmed that his contract had been renewed till 2013, but hinted that he might review his decision after the 2011 Asian Cup.
At the Asian Cup, India lost all of their three group matches
. As expected,India's football authorities expressed disappointment over the national team's performance and the All India Football Federation (AIFF)
technical committee urged the executive committee to sack Houghton.
On 23 April 2011, Bob Houghton handed in his immediate resignation as the Indian national team coach, which the AIFF accepted.. Houghtons last assignment as Indian coach was the AFC challenge cup 2012 qualifiers in Malaysia, where India topped Group B which included Pakistan, Chinese Taipei and Turkmenistan..
India
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
manager and former player, Houghton was most recently the head coach of India
India national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
. His career has spanned over 30 years and 10 different countries. A tall and powerful striker, he was a prolific goal scorer for all four of his clubs, most notably for Fulham F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. He is most famous for taking Swedish club Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
to the 1979 European Cup Final
1979 European Cup Final
The 1979 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympiastadion, Munich, on 30 May 1979, that saw Nottingham Forest of England defeat Malmö FF of Sweden 1–0.-Background:...
, where they lost to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
.
Early career
During his brief playing career, Houghton was a midfielder for FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
(1966–69) and Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
(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
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
at only 23. In the early 1970s he also managed and worked as an assistant to Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
at .
Malmö FF
He became the manager of Swedish top flight side Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
in 1974. Houghton guided them to success domestically and internationally, reaching the 1979 European Cup Final
1979 European Cup Final
The 1979 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympiastadion, Munich, on 30 May 1979, that saw Nottingham Forest of England defeat Malmö FF of Sweden 1–0.-Background:...
, losing 1–0 against . The team was all based on local players who came from within 60 km from Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
. 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
Svenska Cupen
Svenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
several times and was runner-up in the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
in 1979 (Nottingham Forest had declined to participate). Along with close friend Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
he is widely regarded as being responsible for the transformation of Swedish football into a relative modern power.
1980s and 90s
After a short spell in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
with Ethnikos Piraeus, Houghton returned to his homeland in 1980 to manage . His spell at Ashton Gate
Ashton Gate
Ashton Gate Stadium is a stadium in Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it has an all-seated capacity of 21,497, with an effective capacity for football matches of around 19,500, with an average...
was unsuccessful as the financially stricken club were relegated and Houghton resigned after a defeat to . Houghton's next job was with North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
side Toronto Blizzard
Toronto Blizzard (NASL)
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League.-History:The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
between 1982 and 1984. He then managed in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
with Al-Ittihad before returning to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
at Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS, also commonly referred to as ÖIS, is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg.-History:The club was founded on 4 December 1887 and participated in the first football match in Sweden on 22 May 1892. Örgryte IS has won 12 national championship titles and one national cup title. After...
and Malmö FF again. After another spell with Al-Ittihad in 1993, he joined Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
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
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
side Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
before being sacked after just one season.
China
Houghton then assumed control of the Chinese national teamChina national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
in late 1997, who had just failed to qualify for the 1998 World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. 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
Dynasty Cup
Dynasty Cup was an East Asian international association football tournament. The tournament was held every 2 or 3 years. It was hosted by Beijing in 1990 and 1992, Hong Kong in 1995, Yokohama and Tokyo in 1998...
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
1998 Asian Games
The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
. After failing to qualify for the 2000 Olympic football tournament
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...
, 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.
Uzbekistan
He had a spell in charge of UzbekistanUzbekistan national football team
The Uzbekistan national football team represents Uzbekistan in association football and is controlled by the Uzbekistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in 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
Bahrain national football team
The Bahrain national football team is the national team of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association; it was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the finals of the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so...
. Uzbekistan won the first match 1–0 but FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
declared the result void after a refereeing mistake, and Uzbekistan were eliminated on the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
.
India
After coaching Chinese side Changsha Ginde for a few months, Houghton was then appointed head coach of IndiaIndia national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
in June 2006 by the All India Football Federation
All India Football Federation
The All India Football Federation is the organisation which manages the game of association football in India. It administers the running of the India national football team and also controls the I-League, India's premier domestic club competition, in addition to various other competitions and...
. His appointment saw a general progress in India's performances crowned by victory in the Nehru Cup
Nehru Cup International Football Tournament 2007
The 2007 Nehru Cup International Football Tournament also known as the ONGC Nehru Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by ONGC, was the 13th edition of the Nehru Cup a tournament organized by the All India Football Federation since 1982...
in August 2007. The following year India suffered a huge loss when Maldives
Maldives national football team
The Maldives national football team is the national team of the Maldives and is controlled by the Football Association of Maldives. A member of the AFC, it qualified for the second stage of Asian qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, where it drew with South Korea at home 0–0.Maldives most significant...
defeated them at the final of SAFF Championship 2008
SAFF Championship 2008
The 2008 SAFF Championship was held in Malé, Maldives and Colombo, Sri Lanka between June 3 and June 14, 2008. '.Initially, the tournament was due to be held in 2007 but was postponed to 2008.-Group A:--------------------...
, despite a 100% record in the group stage, including a victory over the Maldives. However, Houghton led India to the AFC Challenge Cup title as they beat Tajikistan
Tajikistan national football team
The Tajikistan national football team represents Tajikistan in association football and is controlled by the Tajikistan National Football Federation, the governing body for football in Tajikistan. Tajikistan's home ground is Pamir Stadium in Dushanbe....
4-1 in August 2008, which gave India a berth at the Asian cup 2011 in Doha.
He also oversaw the Indian team to its second consecutive Nehru Cup trophy win in 2009. He resigned in 2010 after not being able to reach a new contract deal.
He later confirmed that his contract had been renewed till 2013, but hinted that he might review his decision after the 2011 Asian Cup.
At the Asian Cup, India lost all of their three group matches
2011 AFC Asian Cup Group C
Group C of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches were played on 10 January and its last matches were played on 18 January. All six group matches were played at venues in Doha, Qatar...
. As expected,India's football authorities expressed disappointment over the national team's performance and the All India Football Federation (AIFF)
All India Football Federation
The All India Football Federation is the organisation which manages the game of association football in India. It administers the running of the India national football team and also controls the I-League, India's premier domestic club competition, in addition to various other competitions and...
technical committee urged the executive committee to sack Houghton.
On 23 April 2011, Bob Houghton handed in his immediate resignation as the Indian national team coach, which the AIFF accepted.. Houghtons last assignment as Indian coach was the AFC challenge cup 2012 qualifiers in Malaysia, where India topped Group B which included Pakistan, Chinese Taipei and Turkmenistan..
Honours as manager
Malmö FF- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
(3): 1974, 1975, 1977 - Svenska CupenSvenska CupenSvenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
(4): 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980
India
- AFC Challenge CupAFC Challenge CupThe AFC Challenge Cup is an international football competition for emerging nations that are members of the Asian Football Confederation. The first tournament was hosted by Bangladesh in 2006...
(1): 20082008 AFC Challenge CupThe 2008 AFC Challenge Cup football tournament was hosted by India and played from July 30 to August 13, 2008. India won the final against Tajikistan... - Nehru Cup (2): 2007, 20092009 Nehru CupThe 2009 Nehru Cup International Football Tournament also known as the ONGC Nehru Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by ONGC, was the 14th edition of the Nehru Cup a friendly tournament organized by the All India Football Federation ....