Brian Horton
Encyclopedia
Brian Horton is an English
former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End
.
Horton played for Hednesford Town
, Port Vale
, Brighton & Hove Albion
, Luton Town
and Hull City
as a midfielder
. His most significant spells were with Port Vale and Brighton from 1970 to 1981, making over 200 appearances over the course of around five seasons with each club. He also made over 100 appearances for Luton between 1981 and 1984. He was promoted out of the Second Division
with both Brighton and Luton. During his career he was named on the PFA Team of the Year
three times, and played a total of 610 league games in the Football League
.
He was even more prolific as a manager, taking the reins at Hull City, Oxford United
, Manchester City
, Huddersfield Town
, Brighton & Hove Albion, Port Vale and Macclesfield Town
. His longest spells were at Hull and Vale, where he had previously found success as a player. At all seven clubs he boasted a win ratio of more than 30%. Horton is one of the few managers in English football to have taken charge of teams in more than a thousand games. His successes include taking Hull out of the Third Division
in 1984–85, and winning the Football League Trophy
with Port Vale in 2001
.
, Staffordshire
, Horton was a tough defensive midfielder
who started his career as a member of Walsall
's youth team
. He never played for the Walsall first team and dropped down to his non-League
hometown club Hednesford Town
, before signing for Third Division
Port Vale
in July 1970. Legend has it that his transfer fee was a pint of shandy
, as the cash-strapped potteries
club haggled with the Hednesford Town chairman by plying him with alcohol, therefore his transfer fee was 'a pint of shandy'.
A first team regular from the start under manager Gordon Lee
, Horton played 40 games in 1970–71
, and scored his first competitive goal in a 3–2 win against Bury
at Gigg Lane
. He then found his scoring form in 1971–72
, as he hit eight goals in 47 appearances; he also became the club's penalty taker, with half of his goals coming from the spot. He then hit seven goals in 43 games in 1972–73
, four of his strikes coming from the penalty spot. He missed a period around Christmas during due injury, and during this time his teammates struggled to find results; this ultimately cost the "Valiants", as they finished four points behind promoted Notts County
. Lee changed the team's formation from 4–4–2 to 4–3–3 in 1973–74
, hoping that this would allow Horton more room in the centre of the field. However Vale's form suffered, and Lee was replaced as manager by Roy Sproson
in January. Vale finished the campaign one place above the relegation zone, though were seven points clear of danger. Horton played 46 games, scoring four goals.
Vale missed out on promotion by just four points in 1974–75
, as Horton hit thirteen goals in 47 games, leaving him one goal behind top-scorers Ray Williams
and Terry Bailey
. He hit four goals in 35 games in 1975–76
, as he bagged both of Vale's goals in a win over Millwall
at Vale Park
. Much to the disappointment of Vale supporters, he was sold to league rivals Brighton & Hove Albion
in March 1976 for a fee of £30,000. In total he spent nearly six years with Port Vale, scoring a total of 37 goals in 258 games in league and cup.
Brighton finished fourth in 1975–76, three points shy of promotion, and Peter Taylor departed. For his performances at both Vale and Brighton, Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year
, along with Brighton teammates Graham Cross
and Peter Ward. The "Seagulls" finished second in 1976–77 under Alan Mullery
, and thus were promoted into the Second Division
. They then stormed to a fourth place finish in 1977–78, missing out on promotion to the First Division
only because Tottenham Hotspur
had superior goal difference. Undeterred, Brighton finished as runners-up in 1978–79, one point behind champions Crystal Palace
and point ahead of fourth place Sunderland
. Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year for a second time, alongside teammate Mark Lawrenson
.
In 1979–80, Brighton played top-flight football for the first time in their history
. They finished a respectable sixteenth, some six points clear of the drop. The 1980–81 season was a much narrower affair, but Brighton finished nineteenth, two points clear of relegated Norwich City
. He left Goldstone Ground
having scored 33 goals in 218 league games.
Horton transferred to Luton Town
in 1981, as the club were competing in the Second Division under the stewardship of David Pleat
. He was again promoted into the top-flight, as the "Hatters" topped the Second Division table in 1981–82 by an eight point margin, some eighteen points clear of fourth place Sheffield Wednesday
. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the third time in his career, alongside teammates Kirk Stephens
, Ricky Hill
, and David Moss.
Luton then went on to escape relegation
on the final day of the 1982–83 season at Maine Road
, following a 1–0 over Manchester City
, who took their place in the relegation zone. The match became famous for the images of David Pleat
dancing across the pitch in jubilation. He left Kenilworth Road
at the conclusion of the 1983–84 campaign, as the club secured their top-flight status with a sixteenth place finish. He had played 118 league games for the club, scoring eight goals. His next move was to Hull City
, who appointed him their player-manager.
in 1984, and led his side to promotion to the Second Division
in 1984–85. He quickly built up a reputation as a "strong-minded, tactically-aware coach." He signed former Luton Town
teammate Frankie Bunn
as a replacement for top-scorer Billy Whitehurst
, who he sold to Newcastle United
.
The following season they came very close to earning promotion to the First Division
, finishing a credible sixth place. At the end of the campaign Horton quit playing to concentrate on full-time management. Despite the introduction of the play-off system in 1986–87, the "Tigers" ended the campaign in mid-table obscurity.
The 1987–88 campaign began promisingly, and the club was in the top six and chasing the automatic promotion places by the half-way stage. However, a dreadful run of results in which there was just one win in seventeen games ended any hope of promotion. Their form was not helped by the sale of star playmaker Garry Parker
to Nottingham Forest
for a £260,000 fee. After a 4–1 home defeat to Swindon Town
, chairman Don Robinson was furious and immediately fired Horton. The players took responsibility for the defeat and urged the chairman to re-consider, Robinson obliged, but Horton refused the offer of reinstatement. During his reign he turned down the opportunity to sign apprentice Dean Windass
. Hull went on to finish the season in fifteenth place, as Eddie Gray was announced as his successor.
at Oxford United
. Lawrenson left the club in October 1988 after star player Dean Saunders
was sold to Derby County
without his consent, and the board elected Horton as his replacement; at the time both Derby and Oxford were owned by members of Robert Maxwell
's family. In February 1989, he bought John Durnin
from Liverpool
for a £250,000 fee. He also gave débuts to Joey Beauchamp and Paul Kee
. Under his leadership Oxford finished the 1988–89 Second Division
campaign in seventeenth place.
In preparation for 1989–90, he exploited the relationship between Derby and Oxford to sign Dave Penney for £175,000; he also brought Ceri Evans
and Steve Foster
to the club. On the pitch it was a case of deja-vu, as Oxford finished the season in seventeenth place, again with 54 points. Hoping to build a promotion winning squad for the 1990–91 campaign, he paid Swansea City
£275,000 for Andy Melville
and bought Doncaster Rovers
defender Les Robinson
for £150,000. He also signed young Liverpool
midfielder Jim Magilton
. The "Yellows" finished in tenth place, eight points off the play-off places.
The club faced a financial crisis following the mysterious death of Robert Maxwell, and over the summer Horton was forced to sell striker Martin Foyle
to Port Vale
for £375,000. He made no major signings in Foyle's place, and instead handed débuts to Paul Wanless
, Chris Allen, and Bobby Ford
. He also sold Paul Simpson
to Derby for £500,000 in February 1992. The loss of close to £1 million of talent showed on the pitch, as Oxford finished 1991–92 one place and two points ahead of relegated Plymouth Argyle
. They secured their safety with a final day win over Tranmere Rovers
.
There was less drama in 1992–93, as his side finished fourteenth, seven points above the drop. Over the summer he paid Corby Town
£20,000 for striker Matt Murphy
, and sold Andy Melville on to Sunderland
for £500,000. Horton left the Manor Ground for an even bigger challenge in August 1993. Oxford went on to suffer relegation at the end of the 1993–94 campaign, under the stewardship of Denis Smith.
Premier League campaign, Horton resigned as Oxford manager to replace Peter Reid
as manager of Manchester City
– to the surprise of many supporters
and commentators, who were expecting the appointment of someone more high profile. City's previous three seasons in the top flight had yielded top-ten finishes but Horton struggled with injuries – key striker Niall Quinn
was missing through a cruciate ligament
injury – and City were 20th and bottom in mid-February. He traded eight year club veteran striker David White
to Leeds United
in exchange for David Rocastle
; Rocastle failed to live up to expectations, and scored just two league goals. But then Horton transformed his attack by signing Nicky Summerbee
, Uwe Rösler
, Paul Walsh
and Peter Beagrie
, and City escaped relegation after losing only two of the last fourteen games of the season.
Horton played with two out and out wingers in 1994–95
, Beagrie and Summerbee. This led to Rösler, Walsh and Quinn scoring 47 goals between them, but also to some heavy defeats, such as the 5–0 loss to rivals
Manchester United
. City were sixth on 3 December and there was talk of a much-awaited return to European football, as young talents such as Garry Flitcroft
, Richard Edghill
, and Steve Lomas
came to the fore. However they won only four of their remaining 25 league games, finishing just four points clear of relegation, and Horton was sacked. His sacking was predicted by many, as Francis Lee
had taken over as chairman after Horton's appointment, and wished to have his 'own man' in the dugout at Maine Road
. City went on to suffer relegation in 1995–96
under Alan Ball.
, who had just won promotion to the First Division
under Neil Warnock
, who announced his surprise resignation days after the club's play-off success
. The "Terriers" started 1995–96 positively, and enjoyed a mid-season run of just two defeats in nineteen games. They also reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup
, where they lost to Premier League Wimbledon
in a replay at Plough Lane
. A play-off place beckoned, but a run of just three wins in their final thirteen games left them in eighth place, eight points behind sixth placed Charlton Athletic
.
Horton broke the club's transfer record when he splashed out £1.2 million on Bristol Rovers
striker Marcus Stewart
. However Huddersfield failed to impress in 1996–97, and ended the campaign just two places and eight points ahead of relegated Grimsby Town
. Huddersfield had suffered as both Stewart and defender Andy Morrison
missed much of the campaign due to injury, though £325,000 summer signing Andy Payton
proved to be a revelation, hitting nineteen goals in league and cup.
The club bottom of the table, Horton was sacked in September 1997, two years before the end of his contract, after his side went nine league games without a win. The "Terriers" went on to finish 1997–98 in sixteenth place under Peter Jackson.
. The club were second from bottom in the Third Division
and would have been facing the prospect of Conference
football were bottom club Doncaster Rovers
not so far behind the rest of the pack. He led the club to victory over Chester City
, Brighton's first win in five months. The "Seagulls" secured their Football League status in April after winning a point at league leaders Notts County
. They went on to finish 1997–98 second from bottom, fifteen points clear of relegated Doncaster, yet six points behind third from bottom Hull City
, who were themselves nine points behind Swansea
and Cardiff
in 20th and 21st. He then signed Gary Hart
from Stansted
of the Essex Senior Football League
for £1,000 and a set of kit.
Brighton improved under Horton in 1998–99, though Horton left the club in January 1999 to take charge of another of his old clubs, Port Vale
, after the sacking of long-serving manager John Rudge
. Brighton went on to finish the season in seventeenth place under Micky Adams
.
, Horton brought in Dave Brammer, Tony Butler
, Carl Griffiths
, Alex Smith, and Chris Allen. This spending spree set the club back £590,000, and so Horton first sold off Peter Beadle
to Notts County
for £250,000 in order to raise the cash needed for his new signings. He also brought in two loanees: Alan Lee
from Aston Villa
, and Craig Russell from Manchester City
. A five game unbeaten run in April allowed the Vale to finish above relegated Bury
on goals scored.
In a bid to survive another season in the First Division
, Horton allowed ten players to leave Vale Park
; the most significant departure was Neil Aspin
, as the 34 year dropped down two divisions as his career winded down. To replace these players, Horton signed three players on free transfers: Jeff Minton
from former club Brighton, Tommy Widdrington
from Grimsby Town
, and Steve Rimmer
from Manchester City. He also took goalkeepers Andy Oakes
and Matt Glennon
in on loan, and signed striker Martin Aldridge
on loan from Blackpool
. As the season progressed he released Marcus Bent
, and sold Carl Griffiths back to Leyton Orient
for £100,000. He further sold Anthony Gardner
to Tottenham Hotspur
for £1 million, and sold Tony Butler to West Bromwich Albion
for £140,000. In their place he signed Michael Cummins
, Mark Goodlad
, Sagi Burton
, and Ville Viljanen
; and also took Martin Bullock
, Gareth Taylor
, and David Healy
in on loan. His side finished second from bottom were relegated in his first full season
as manager. At the end of the campaign club legend Martin Foyle
retired, whilst key players Paul Musselwhite
and Ian Bogie
also departed.
In preparation for life in the Second Division
, Horton signed Sincliar Le Geyt, Dean Delany, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson
, and Michael Twiss
. He supplemented these free transfer signings with loanees David Freeman
and David Beresford
. Horton came under pressure from the board at the start of the 2000–01
campaign, as his team went thirteen games without a win, and were knocked out of the FA Cup
by non-league Canvey Island
. He responded to this humiliation by placing five players on the transfer list. He signed Steve Brooker
for £15,000; brought in Onandi Lowe
and Richard Burgess
on free transfers; signed Wayne Gray and Ashley Dodd
on loan; whilst also offloading Jeff Minton to Rotherham United
. Vale's form improved, as they avoided defeat in both Potteries derby
games. Horton was named Manager of the Month
in March, after a good run of results ended fears of a second successive relegation. He also won his first trophy as a manager as Vale lifted the Football League Trophy
, coming from behind to beat
Brentford
at the Millennium Stadium
. Vale also won the Staffordshire Senior Cup
. However more club legends departed, as Tony Naylor
and Allen Tankard
began to show their age. More controversial was the sale of Dave Brammer to Crewe Alexandra
for £500,000.
The club entered a financial crisis following the collapse of ITV Digital
, which cost the club £400,000 in revenue. This meant Horton had to build his squad for 2001–02
entirely on free transfers. Ashley Dodd
, Ian Armstrong
, Phil Hardy
, Rae Ingram
, Alex Gibson
, Chris Killen
, Simon Osborn
, Sean McClare
, Danny Webber
, John Durnin
, and Mvondo Atangana
all would make little impact; however former Coventry City
striker Stephen McPhee
would be a key player for the club over the next few years. Vale beat rivals Stoke City
, but ended 2001–02 in mid-table obscurity. Horton was linked to vacant management position at Preston North End
, but remained at Vale Park
.
Horton signed Jon McCarthy
, Brett Angell
, Ian Brightwell
, Phil Charnock
, Sam Collins, and Mark Boyd
for the 2002–03
campaign. Four straight defeats were followed by five consecutive victories, as he supplemented his squad with the additions of Lee Ashcroft
, Peter Clarke
and Adrian Littlejohn
. Though relegation was avoided, Horton still remained unpopular with some sections of the Vale's supporters. However the season was dominated by off-the-field issues, as Vale entered administration
, and were taken over by Bill Bratt
's fan-based consortium.
Building for the 2003–04
campaign, Horton had to find a replacement for departing defender Matt Carragher
. He found his replacement in Everton
's reliable young George Pilkington
; he also signed goalkeeper Jonny Brain
and Austrian defender Andreas Lipa
. By the start of the campaign Horton had completed the rebuilding of his squad that was necessitated by the financial crisis and the ageing of the highly successful side of the mid 1990s. The Vale were in the play-offs by February, at which point Horton tendered his resignation. In his absence, rookie manager Martin Foyle
led the club to a seventh place finish, as the "Valiants" missed out on the play-offs due to their inferior goal difference.
, Horton was instead appointed as manager of Third Division
strugglers Macclesfield Town
at the start of April 2004, replacing John Askey
. This was initially until the end of the season, but in May he was given the job on a permanent basis. He rejuvenated a demoralised side and kept them in the Football League
, as they finished seven points clear of the drop in 2003–04.
Over the summer he signed Iraqi
international Jassim Swadi
, experienced striker Mike Sheron
, veteran defender Tony Barras
, left-back Mark Bailey
, and Tommy Rooney
(cousin of Wayne Rooney
). He allowed Martin Carruthers
to leave, though extended Tommy Widdrington
's contract, and offered fresh deals to six others. He later added to his squad by signing Mark Boyd
and Simon Weaver
; whilst transfer listing Tommy Widdrington and Michael Welch
. Many pundits were tipping the "Silkmen" to slip out of the newly-named League Two
at the end of 2004–05, but Horton proved the observers wrong as his side were in the top-seven of the division virtually all season long. Horton celebrated his 1000th game as a manager on 3 November 2004, as Macclesfield beat Mansfield 4–0 in the Football League Trophy
. He also won the League Two Manager of the Month
award for February. Macclesfield qualified for the play-offs in sixth place, but their promotion challenge was finally ended by Lincoln City
in the semi-finals, following a 2–1 aggregate defeat. At the end of the season, Horton released nine players, including club captain Matthew Tipton
. In the place of these nine players he signed Kevin Sandwith
, Kevin Townson
, Martin Bullock
, and David Beresford
.
Despite high expectations, Horton's men were not to challenge again in 2005–06. The club were hit by financial troubles after being told they had to pay fines totalling £250,000, and at one point were at risk of being wound up. As a result Horton was forced to cope without assistant John Askey
, after Askey was dismissed to cut costs. Following a poor start to the season he placed four players on the transfer list. He also placed Kevin Townson on the transfer list, before sacking the striker after Townson displayed "serious misconduct". Throughout the campaign, Horton signed goalkeeper Tommy Lee
, striker Clyde Wijnhard
, midfielder Alan Navarro
, forward Allan Russell, and non-league striker Matty McNeil
. The "Silkmen" finished in seventeenth place, five points above the relegation zone.
Horton prepared for the 2006–07 campaign by searching for a new midfield player, and found one in Shrewsbury Town
's Jamie Tolley
. He also signed versatile attacker Colin Heath
, defender Carl Regan
, former Port Vale
goalkeeper Jonny Brain
; whilst releasing five players. Horton was sacked in October 2006, after his team failed to win any of their opening twelve league games, leaving them bottom of the Football League. Paul Ince
was appointed as his replacement, and led the club to a 22nd place finish, as they avoided relegation by two points, after Boston United
were hit with a ten point deduction.
as assistant manager to Phil Brown; this appointment came nineteen years after he resigned as Hull manager. He helped the club win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in May 2008, the first time Hull City were in the top-flight in 104 years.
In October 2008, Manchester United
boss Sir Alex Ferguson
praised Horton for his part in Hull's superb start to the 2008–09 Premier League season, though their early challenge among the top six clubs did not last and they ended the season just one place above the relegation zone. In March 2009, Horton was featured heavily in the press after accusing Arsenal
club captain Cesc Fàbregas
of spitting following an encounter in the FA Cup
. Fàbregas was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
The "Tigers" struggled in 2009–10, and Phil Brown was put on gardening leave on 15 March, as Horton and Steve Parkin
were appointed as the club's joint-caretaker managers. Hull went on to be relegated under Iain Dowie
, who had made Tim Flowers
his assistant.
In January 2011, Phil Brown was appointed manager of Preston North End
, and Horton was appointed as his assistant. Preston were relegated from the Championship
at the end of the 2010–11
campaign.
, near Stockport
, with his family. Horton has two children, twins Matt and Lucy, from a previous marriage.
with Brighton & Hove Albion
with Luton Town
|width="60"|
|valign="top"|
with Hull City
with Port Vale
|}
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
.
Horton played for Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
, Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, 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....
, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
and Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. His most significant spells were with Port Vale and Brighton from 1970 to 1981, making over 200 appearances over the course of around five seasons with each club. He also made over 100 appearances for Luton between 1981 and 1984. He was promoted out of the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
with both Brighton and Luton. During his career he was named on the PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
three times, and played a total of 610 league games in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
.
He was even more prolific as a manager, taking the reins at Hull City, Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, Brighton & Hove Albion, Port Vale and Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
. His longest spells were at Hull and Vale, where he had previously found success as a player. At all seven clubs he boasted a win ratio of more than 30%. Horton is one of the few managers in English football to have taken charge of teams in more than a thousand games. His successes include taking Hull out of the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
in 1984–85, and winning the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
with Port Vale in 2001
2001 Football League Trophy Final
The 2001 Football League Trophy Final was the 18th final of the Football League Trophy, the domestic football cup competition for teams from the Football League Second and Third Divisions...
.
Playing career
Born in HednesfordHednesford
Hednesford is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.-History:...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Horton was a tough defensive midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who started his career as a member of Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
's youth team
Youth system
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...
. He never played for the Walsall first team and dropped down to his non-League
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
hometown club Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
, before signing for Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in July 1970. Legend has it that his transfer fee was a pint of shandy
Shandy
Shandy, or shandygaff, is normally a beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, or cider. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste, normally half-and-half. There are also non-alcoholic shandy mixes known as “rock shandies”...
, as the cash-strapped potteries
The Potteries Urban Area
The Potteries Urban Area is a conurbation in North Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England.It includes the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove....
club haggled with the Hednesford Town chairman by plying him with alcohol, therefore his transfer fee was 'a pint of shandy'.
A first team regular from the start under manager Gordon Lee
Gordon Lee (footballer)
Gordon Francis Lee is a former English footballer and football manager.A right-back during his playing days, he moved from Hednesford Town to Aston Villa in 1955...
, Horton played 40 games in 1970–71
1970–71 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1970–71 season was Port Vale's fifty-ninth season of football in the Football League, and their first season back in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division...
, and scored his first competitive goal in a 3–2 win against Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
at Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:...
. He then found his scoring form in 1971–72
1971–72 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1971–72 season was Port Vale's sixtieth season of football in the Football League, and their second successive season back in the Third Division...
, as he hit eight goals in 47 appearances; he also became the club's penalty taker, with half of his goals coming from the spot. He then hit seven goals in 43 games in 1972–73
1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1972–73 season was Port Vale's sixty-first season of football in the Football League, and their third successive season in the Third Division. Their promotion efforts ended with a sixth place finish, whilst in the two cup competitions they lost out to Newcastle United and West Ham United...
, four of his strikes coming from the penalty spot. He missed a period around Christmas during due injury, and during this time his teammates struggled to find results; this ultimately cost the "Valiants", as they finished four points behind promoted Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. Lee changed the team's formation from 4–4–2 to 4–3–3 in 1973–74
1973–74 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1973–74 season was Port Vale's sixty-second season of football in the Football League, and their fourth successive season in the Third Division. They finished in twentieth spot, though were seven points clear of relegation...
, hoping that this would allow Horton more room in the centre of the field. However Vale's form suffered, and Lee was replaced as manager by Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957...
in January. Vale finished the campaign one place above the relegation zone, though were seven points clear of danger. Horton played 46 games, scoring four goals.
Vale missed out on promotion by just four points in 1974–75
1974–75 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1974–75 season was Port Vale's sixty-third season of football in the Football League, and their fifth successive season in the Third Division. It was Roy Sproson's first full season in charge...
, as Horton hit thirteen goals in 47 games, leaving him one goal behind top-scorers Ray Williams
Ray Williams (footballer)
Raymond "Ray" Williams is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He now works as a commentator at BBC Radio Stoke....
and Terry Bailey
Terry Bailey
Terence "Terry" Bailey is a former English footballer who played as a midfielder. His son Mark Bailey also played professional football.After a brief association with Winsford United, he joined Stafford Rangers in 1968...
. He hit four goals in 35 games in 1975–76
1975–76 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1975–76 season was Port Vale's sixty-fourth season of football in the Football League, and their sixth successive season in the Third Division. Manager Roy Sproson brought Mick Cullerton back to Vale Park, and Cullerton was to become the top-scorer for the season with 21 goals...
, as he bagged both of Vale's goals in a win over Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
. Much to the disappointment of Vale supporters, he was sold to league rivals 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....
in March 1976 for a fee of £30,000. In total he spent nearly six years with Port Vale, scoring a total of 37 goals in 258 games in league and cup.
Brighton finished fourth in 1975–76, three points shy of promotion, and Peter Taylor departed. For his performances at both Vale and Brighton, Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
, along with Brighton teammates Graham Cross
Graham Cross
Graham Frederick Cross is a former professional footballer and cricketer. He is the record appearance holder for Leicester City, making 599 appearances for the club in all competitions....
and Peter Ward. The "Seagulls" finished second in 1976–77 under Alan Mullery
Alan Mullery
Alan Patrick Mullery MBE is a former English football player and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham and in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with several different clubs. He is now employed as a television pundit...
, and thus were promoted into the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. They then stormed to a fourth place finish in 1977–78, missing out on promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
only because Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
had superior goal difference. Undeterred, Brighton finished as runners-up in 1978–79, one point behind champions Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
and point ahead of fourth place Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year for a second time, alongside teammate Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
.
In 1979–80, Brighton played top-flight football for the first time in their history
History of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
- Formation and foundation :Brighton were founded in 1901 and 19 years later, in 1920, they were elected to the Football League's new Third Division — having previously been members of the Southern League...
. They finished a respectable sixteenth, some six points clear of the drop. The 1980–81 season was a much narrower affair, but Brighton finished nineteenth, two points clear of relegated Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. He left Goldstone Ground
Goldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
having scored 33 goals in 218 league games.
Horton transferred to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
in 1981, as the club were competing in the Second Division under the stewardship of David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
. He was again promoted into the top-flight, as the "Hatters" topped the Second Division table in 1981–82 by an eight point margin, some eighteen points clear of fourth place Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the third time in his career, alongside teammates Kirk Stephens
Kirk Stephens
Kirk William Stephens , is an English former football player, best known for his time at Luton Town and Coventry City.-Playing career:...
, Ricky Hill
Ricky Hill
Ricky Hill is a former English footballer and the current head coach for Tampa Bay in the second division North American Soccer League.He was born in Paddington.-Playing career:...
, and David Moss.
Luton then went on to escape relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
on the final day of the 1982–83 season at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
, following a 1–0 over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, who took their place in the relegation zone. The match became famous for the images of David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
dancing across the pitch in jubilation. He left Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth Road Stadium is a football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been home to Luton Town Football Club since 1905, when financial complications forced the club to leave its previous location at Dunstable Road...
at the conclusion of the 1983–84 campaign, as the club secured their top-flight status with a sixteenth place finish. He had played 118 league games for the club, scoring eight goals. His next move was to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, who appointed him their player-manager.
Hull City
Horton became player-manager of Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
in 1984, and led his side to promotion to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 1984–85. He quickly built up a reputation as a "strong-minded, tactically-aware coach." He signed former Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
teammate Frankie Bunn
Frankie Bunn
Frank Stephen Bunn Bunn was a striker who began his career at Luton Town, and later played for Hull City and Oldham Athletic...
as a replacement for top-scorer Billy Whitehurst
Billy Whitehurst
William "Billy" Whitehurst was an English professional footballer during the 1980s-1990s.-Career:...
, who he sold to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
.
The following season they came very close to earning promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, finishing a credible sixth place. At the end of the campaign Horton quit playing to concentrate on full-time management. Despite the introduction of the play-off system in 1986–87, the "Tigers" ended the campaign in mid-table obscurity.
The 1987–88 campaign began promisingly, and the club was in the top six and chasing the automatic promotion places by the half-way stage. However, a dreadful run of results in which there was just one win in seventeen games ended any hope of promotion. Their form was not helped by the sale of star playmaker Garry Parker
Garry Parker
Garry Parker is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Luton Town, Hull City, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Leicester City, mostly in the top division of English football, in the 1980s and 1990s. He was capped by his country at under-21 and B international level...
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...
for a £260,000 fee. After a 4–1 home defeat to Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, chairman Don Robinson was furious and immediately fired Horton. The players took responsibility for the defeat and urged the chairman to re-consider, Robinson obliged, but Horton refused the offer of reinstatement. During his reign he turned down the opportunity to sign apprentice Dean Windass
Dean Windass
Dean Windass is an English footballer, who predominantly played as a striker, and is known for his spells at Bradford City and his hometown team Hull City...
. Hull went on to finish the season in fifteenth place, as Eddie Gray was announced as his successor.
Oxford United
Horton's next move was to become assistant to rookie manager Mark LawrensonMark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
at Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
. Lawrenson left the club in October 1988 after star player Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
was sold to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
without his consent, and the board elected Horton as his replacement; at the time both Derby and Oxford were owned by members of Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
's family. In February 1989, he bought John Durnin
John Durnin
John Paul Durnin is an English footballer, now retired, who scored 100 goals in 475 league appearances over a career spanning close to two decades....
from Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
for a £250,000 fee. He also gave débuts to Joey Beauchamp and Paul Kee
Paul Kee
Paul Kee is a former Northern Irish footballer who played for Oxford United, Ards and Reading. During his spell at Oxford, he played 56 league games...
. Under his leadership Oxford finished the 1988–89 Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
campaign in seventeenth place.
In preparation for 1989–90, he exploited the relationship between Derby and Oxford to sign Dave Penney for £175,000; he also brought Ceri Evans
Ceri Evans
Ceri Evans is a former New Zealand association football player who frequently represented his country as a central defender in the 1980s and 90s. Evans attended Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar, where he studied Experimental Psychology and played for Oxford United FC...
and Steve Foster
Steve Foster
Stephen "Steve" Brian Foster is a former English football player, famed for wearing a headband and having one of the greatest beards in football.-Football career:...
to the club. On the pitch it was a case of deja-vu, as Oxford finished the season in seventeenth place, again with 54 points. Hoping to build a promotion winning squad for the 1990–91 campaign, he paid Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
£275,000 for Andy Melville
Andy Melville
Andrew Roger Melville is a former Wales international footballer. In the early years of his career, he played in midfield. He was later converted into a central defender....
and bought Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
defender Les Robinson
Les Robinson (footballer)
Leslie "Les" Robinson, , is a former English professional footballer who played for Mansfield Town, Stockport County, Doncaster Rovers and Oxford United...
for £150,000. He also signed young Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
midfielder Jim Magilton
Jim Magilton
James "Jim" Magilton is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager, who is currently employed as Football Consultant at Shamrock Rovers F.C. after being appointed on 6 July 2011....
. The "Yellows" finished in tenth place, eight points off the play-off places.
The club faced a financial crisis following the mysterious death of Robert Maxwell, and over the summer Horton was forced to sell striker Martin Foyle
Martin Foyle
Martin John Foyle is an English former footballer, turned football manager. In his 20 year playing career he played 533 League games, scoring 155 goals...
to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for £375,000. He made no major signings in Foyle's place, and instead handed débuts to Paul Wanless
Paul Wanless
Paul Steven Wanless is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder for Oxford United, Lincoln City and Cambridge United.- Playing career :...
, Chris Allen, and Bobby Ford
Bobby Ford
Robert "Bobby" Ford is an English former professional footballer who played for Oxford United and Sheffield United.-Biography:...
. He also sold Paul Simpson
Paul Simpson (footballer)
Paul David Simpson is an English former footballer and manager. His son Jake is also a professional footballer.-Manchester City:...
to Derby for £500,000 in February 1992. The loss of close to £1 million of talent showed on the pitch, as Oxford finished 1991–92 one place and two points ahead of relegated Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
. They secured their safety with a final day win over Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.
There was less drama in 1992–93, as his side finished fourteenth, seven points above the drop. Over the summer he paid Corby Town
Corby Town F.C.
Corby Town F.C. is an English football club based in Corby, Northamptonshire. They will be members of the Conference North for the 2011–12 season. The Steelmen play their home games at the newly built Steel Park, adjacent to their previous ground, Rockingham Triangle Sports Stadium, which is...
£20,000 for striker Matt Murphy
Matt Murphy (English footballer)
Matt Murphy is a footballer who played 270 games in the Football League. In February 2009 he was appointed player/assistant manager of United Counties League side Daventry United.-Club career:...
, and sold Andy Melville on to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for £500,000. Horton left the Manor Ground for an even bigger challenge in August 1993. Oxford went on to suffer relegation at the end of the 1993–94 campaign, under the stewardship of Denis Smith.
Manchester City
In August 1993, four games after the start of the 1993–941993–94 Manchester City F.C. season
The 1993–94 season was Manchester City's fifth consecutive season in the top tier of English football, and their second in the Premier League.-Season summary:...
Premier League campaign, Horton resigned as Oxford manager to replace Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
as manager of Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
– to the surprise of many supporters
Manchester City F.C. supporters
Since their inception in 1880 as St. Mark's , Manchester City F.C have developed a loyal, passionate and dedicated fanbase.Despite finishing 5th in English football's top division, the club were the third best supported team in English football by average league attendance in the 2009–10 season and...
and commentators, who were expecting the appointment of someone more high profile. City's previous three seasons in the top flight had yielded top-ten finishes but Horton struggled with injuries – key striker Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn honorary MBE is a former Irish international footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland AFC. He still works at the club as an overseas manager. He is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing...
was missing through a cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
injury – and City were 20th and bottom in mid-February. He traded eight year club veteran striker David White
David White (English footballer)
David White is a former English footballer, best remembered for his eight-year spell at Manchester City. He also played for Leeds and Sheffield United, and was capped once by England....
to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in exchange for David Rocastle
David Rocastle
David Carlyle Rocastle, nicknamed Rocky, was an English football player, who spent the majority of his career at Arsenal...
; Rocastle failed to live up to expectations, and scored just two league goals. But then Horton transformed his attack by signing Nicky Summerbee
Nicky Summerbee
Nicky Summerbee is an English former professional footballer.Born in Manchester, he had trials at Manchester United, Leicester City, and Norwich City, before joining Swindon Town; where his father, former England international Mike Summerbee, had connections...
, Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler is a German football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Brentford.Rösler was previously a successful player who played for several clubs, most notably Manchester City , where he was the leading goalscorer for three consecutive seasons from 1995–96 to 1997–98, and 1...
, Paul Walsh
Paul Walsh
Paul Anthony Walsh is a retired English footballer.Walsh was a diminutive and pacy centre forward who shot to fame in the 1980s during spells with Charlton, Luton, Liverpool and Tottenham.-Charlton Athletic:...
and Peter Beagrie
Peter Beagrie
Peter Sidney Beagrie is a former English footballer who played as a left-winger. He played for ten different clubs at professional level notably Everton, Manchester City, Bradford City and Scunthorpe United...
, and City escaped relegation after losing only two of the last fourteen games of the season.
Horton played with two out and out wingers in 1994–95
1994–95 Manchester City F.C. season
The 1994–95 season was Manchester City's sixth consecutive season in the top tier of English football, and their third in the Premier League.-Season summary:...
, Beagrie and Summerbee. This led to Rösler, Walsh and Quinn scoring 47 goals between them, but also to some heavy defeats, such as the 5–0 loss to rivals
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. City were sixth on 3 December and there was talk of a much-awaited return to European football, as young talents such as Garry Flitcroft
Garry Flitcroft
Garry William Flitcroft is an English football manager and former footballer. Since May 2010 he has been the manager of Northern Premier League team Chorley.-Playing career:...
, Richard Edghill
Richard Edghill
Richard Edghill is an English footballer who plays as a defender and is currently unattached.-Manchester City:...
, and Steve Lomas
Steve Lomas
Stephen "Steve" Lomas is the football manager of St Johnstone and a former Northern Ireland international player. He played for Manchester City, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers and Gillingham, finishing his playing career at United Counties Football League Premier Division club St Neots Town...
came to the fore. However they won only four of their remaining 25 league games, finishing just four points clear of relegation, and Horton was sacked. His sacking was predicted by many, as Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
had taken over as chairman after Horton's appointment, and wished to have his 'own man' in the dugout at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
. City went on to suffer relegation in 1995–96
1995–96 Manchester City F.C. season
During the 1995–96 English football season, Manchester City F.C. competed in the FA Premier League .-Season summary:...
under Alan Ball.
Huddersfield Town
He made a swift return to management with Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, who had just won promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
under Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
, who announced his surprise resignation days after the club's play-off success
1995 Football League Second Division play-off Final
The 1995 Football League Second Division play-off final was a football match played at on 28 May 1995, to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the Second Division to the First Division of The Football League in the 1994–95 season. Huddersfield Town faced Bristol Rovers...
. The "Terriers" started 1995–96 positively, and enjoyed a mid-season run of just two defeats in nineteen games. They also reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, where they lost to Premier League Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in a replay at Plough Lane
Plough Lane
Plough Lane was a football stadium in Wimbledon, south west London. It was the home ground of Wimbledon Football Club from September 1912 to May 1991, when the club moved their first team home matches to Selhurst Park as part of a groundshare agreement with Crystal Palace. Both clubs' reserve teams...
. A play-off place beckoned, but a run of just three wins in their final thirteen games left them in eighth place, eight points behind sixth placed Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Horton broke the club's transfer record when he splashed out £1.2 million on Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
striker Marcus Stewart
Marcus Stewart
William Marcus Paul Tubb) known as Marcus Stewart is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward from 1991 until 2011...
. However Huddersfield failed to impress in 1996–97, and ended the campaign just two places and eight points ahead of relegated Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
. Huddersfield had suffered as both Stewart and defender Andy Morrison
Andy Morrison
Andrew Charles "Andy" Morrison is a Scottish ex-football player who played at centre half. He is currently Assistant Manager at Northwich Victoria.-Early career:...
missed much of the campaign due to injury, though £325,000 summer signing Andy Payton
Andy Payton
Andrew Paul Payton is an English former professional footballer. A striker, Payton played for seven professional clubs in England and Scotland, scoring 200 goals in over 500 appearances, and gaining the nickname the Padiham Predator....
proved to be a revelation, hitting nineteen goals in league and cup.
The club bottom of the table, Horton was sacked in September 1997, two years before the end of his contract, after his side went nine league games without a win. The "Terriers" went on to finish 1997–98 in sixteenth place under Peter Jackson.
Brighton & Hove Albion
In February 1998, Horton returned to one of his old clubs as a player when he became manager of Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & 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....
. The club were second from bottom in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
and would have been facing the prospect of Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
football were bottom club Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
not so far behind the rest of the pack. He led the club to victory over Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, Brighton's first win in five months. The "Seagulls" secured their Football League status in April after winning a point at league leaders Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. They went on to finish 1997–98 second from bottom, fifteen points clear of relegated Doncaster, yet six points behind third from bottom Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, who were themselves nine points behind Swansea
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
and Cardiff
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in 20th and 21st. He then signed Gary Hart
Gary Hart (footballer)
Gary John Hart is a professional footballer who plays for Eastbourne Borough. Hart spent the majority of his career at Brighton...
from Stansted
Stansted F.C.
Stansted F.C. is an English football club based in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Hargrave Park.-History:...
of the Essex Senior Football League
Essex Senior Football League
The Essex Senior Football League is an English football league covering Essex, northeast Greater London and the eastern part of Hertfordshire. It is a feeder to Division One North of Isthmian League and has a single division which sits at step 5 of the National League System.There is no automatic...
for £1,000 and a set of kit.
Brighton improved under Horton in 1998–99, though Horton left the club in January 1999 to take charge of another of his old clubs, Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, after the sacking of long-serving manager John Rudge
John Rudge
John Robert Rudge is an English former football player and football manager. He is currently working as the director of football at Stoke City....
. Brighton went on to finish the season in seventeenth place under Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
.
Port Vale
In order to help the Vale to avoid relegation in 19991998–99 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1998–99 season was Port Vale's eighty-seventh season of football in the Football League, and fifth successive season in the First Division. It was the end of an era for the club, as manager of sixteen years John Rudge was sacked in January, and was replaced by Brian Horton...
, Horton brought in Dave Brammer, Tony Butler
Tony Butler (footballer)
Anthony Butler is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Alfreton Town.-Playing career:...
, Carl Griffiths
Carl Griffiths
Carl Brian Griffiths is an English-born Welsh footballer, now manager. He is currently manager of Aveley.He started his career with Shrewsbury Town in 1988, and after five years moved on to Manchester City. In 1995 he transferred to Portsmouth, moving on to Peterborough United a year later...
, Alex Smith, and Chris Allen. This spending spree set the club back £590,000, and so Horton first sold off Peter Beadle
Peter Beadle
Peter Clifford William James Beadle is an English former football player and manager. A forward, he scored some 83 goals in 355 league games, mostly for the two Bristol clubs....
to Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
for £250,000 in order to raise the cash needed for his new signings. He also brought in two loanees: Alan Lee
Alan Lee (footballer)
Alan Desmond Lee is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for League One club Huddersfield Town. He has also won ten caps for the Republic of Ireland....
from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, and Craig Russell from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. A five game unbeaten run in April allowed the Vale to finish above relegated Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
on goals scored.
In a bid to survive another season in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, Horton allowed ten players to leave Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
; the most significant departure was Neil Aspin
Neil Aspin
Neil Aspin is an English former professional footballer turned football manager, who is now managing Conference North club F.C. Halifax Town....
, as the 34 year dropped down two divisions as his career winded down. To replace these players, Horton signed three players on free transfers: Jeff Minton
Jeff Minton
Jeffrey "Jeff" Minton is an English former footballer. His career in the Football League, between 1992 and 2002, saw him play for Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, Port Vale, Rotherham United and Leyton Orient.-Playing career:...
from former club Brighton, Tommy Widdrington
Tommy Widdrington
Thomas "Tommy" Widdrington is an English former footballer, turned football manager, who is the manager of Southern Football League side Hemel Hempstead Town...
from Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, and Steve Rimmer
Steve Rimmer
Stephen "Steve" Rimmer is an English former footballer. His career in the Football League was brief but eventful, playing in front of a record low crowd at Maine Road and getting sent off 23 minutes into his Port Vale debut...
from Manchester City. He also took goalkeepers Andy Oakes
Andy Oakes (footballer)
Andrew Mark 'Andy' Oakes is an English former football goalkeeper. His uncle is the legendary Manchester City midfielder Alan Oakes...
and Matt Glennon
Matt Glennon
Matthew William "Matt" Glennon is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Conference National club Stockport County....
in on loan, and signed striker Martin Aldridge
Martin Aldridge
Martin James Aldridge was an English professional footballer.-Playing career:Northampton-born Aldridge joined Coventry City as a schoolboy, but was released in 1990. As a sixteen year old, he then played for Ford Sports Daventry , and joined Braunston Rangers on a Sunday to play with his brother...
on loan from Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
. As the season progressed he released Marcus Bent
Marcus Bent
Marcus Nathan Bent is an English football striker who plays for Indonesian club Mitra Kukar. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker has played for fourteen different clubs, playing over 570 games and scoring 110 goals in the process.A England under-21 international, he...
, and sold Carl Griffiths back to Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
for £100,000. He further sold Anthony Gardner
Anthony Gardner
Anthony Gardner is an England international football defender, who plays for Crystal Palace. A tall centre-back, he has represented England and been bought and sold for millions in the domestic transfer market...
to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for £1 million, and sold Tony Butler to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
for £140,000. In their place he signed Michael Cummins
Michael Cummins
Michael Thomas 'Micky' Cummins is an Irish footballer who plays for Gateshead. He has also appeared for the Republic of Ireland under-21 team....
, Mark Goodlad
Mark Goodlad
Mark Goodlad is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Leaving Nottingham Forest for Port Vale in 2000 , he became the Vale's first choice keeper for a number of seasons until he was forced to retire due to injury in 2008...
, Sagi Burton
Sagi Burton
Osagyefo Lenin Ernesto Burton-Godwin , known commonly as Sagi Burton, is an English-born former Kittitian international football defender...
, and Ville Viljanen
Ville Viljanen
Ville Viljanen is a former Finnish international footballer.-Playing career:Viljanen moved from Sandarna BK to BK Häcken in 1995, he spent three years at the club and scored 15 goals in 71 games before moving on to Västra Frölunda IF...
; and also took Martin Bullock
Martin Bullock
Martin John Bullock is an English football midfielder who plays for New Zealand Premiership champions Waitakere United. He previously played for five league teams over fifteen years, making 452 league appearances. He also won a cap for the England under-21 side in 1996.He began his career at...
, Gareth Taylor
Gareth Taylor
Gareth Keith Taylor is a Welsh former footballer who is now working as a coach at Premier League club Manchester City....
, and David Healy
David Healy (footballer)
David Jonathan Healy, MBE is a Northern Ireland international footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League champions Rangers...
in on loan. His side finished second from bottom were relegated in his first full season
1999–2000 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1999–2000 season was Port Vale's eighty-eighth season of football in the Football League, and sixth successive season in the First Division. Vale suffered relegation in 23rd place, some thirteen points adrift of safety. They also exited the FA Cup at the Third Round, and were knocked out of the...
as manager. At the end of the campaign club legend Martin Foyle
Martin Foyle
Martin John Foyle is an English former footballer, turned football manager. In his 20 year playing career he played 533 League games, scoring 155 goals...
retired, whilst key players Paul Musselwhite
Paul Musselwhite
Paul Stephen Musselwhite is an English footballer who plays for York City as a goalkeeper, where he is also the club's Goalkeeping Coach....
and Ian Bogie
Ian Bogie
Ian Bogie is a former footballer, now football manager. He spent two decades as a professional player, from 1985 up until 2001 he was playing in the Football League, where he made 382 appearances....
also departed.
In preparation for life in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, Horton signed Sincliar Le Geyt, Dean Delany, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson
Marc Bridge-Wilkinson
Marc Bridge-Wilkinson is an English footballer who plays for Conference National club Darlington. He is a left-sided midfielder and also a winger, and is known for his goal-scoring ability....
, and Michael Twiss
Michael Twiss
Michael John Twiss is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Conference North side Altrincham.Beginning his career with Manchester United, he enjoyed a loan spell with Sheffield United, without ever making an appearance for the Red Devils. He signed with Port Vale in 2000, moving on...
. He supplemented these free transfer signings with loanees David Freeman
David Freeman (Irish footballer)
David Freeman is an Irish footballer who last played for League of Ireland Premier Division side Drogheda United...
and David Beresford
David Beresford
David Beresford is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder.-Playing career:After starting his career with Oldham Athletic he was bought by Huddersfield Town for £350,000 in March 1997. He only made 35 league appearances in his four years with the club, loan spells with Preston...
. Horton came under pressure from the board at the start of the 2000–01
2000–01 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2000–01 season was Port Vale's eighty-ninth season of football in the Football League, and first season back in the Second Division. A season of two halves, Vale were struggling at the bottom of the table when Isthmian League minnows Canvey Island knocked the Vale out of the FA Cup with a 2–1...
campaign, as his team went thirteen games without a win, and were knocked out of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
by non-league Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
. He responded to this humiliation by placing five players on the transfer list. He signed Steve Brooker
Steve Brooker
Stephen Michael "Steve" Brooker is an English football striker. In a twelve years professional career he has scored 86 goals in 294 games....
for £15,000; brought in Onandi Lowe
Onandi Lowe
Onandi Lowe is a Jamaican former international footballer. He spent some of his career in the Jamaican National Premier League as well as having stints in North America and England...
and Richard Burgess
Richard Burgess (footballer)
Richard Burgess is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Burgess started his career with Aston Villa, but left for Stoke City in 1998 without having played a first team game for Villa. He had a three months loan at nearby Kidderminster Harriers in February 2000, making three substitute...
on free transfers; signed Wayne Gray and Ashley Dodd
Ashley Dodd
Ashley Dodd Ashley Dodd Ashley Dodd (born 7 January 1982 in Birmingham is an English footballer.-Playing career:Dodd started his career with Manchester United, but in March 2001 he was loaned out to Port Vale. After impressing at Vale the move was made permanent two months later...
on loan; whilst also offloading Jeff Minton to Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
. Vale's form improved, as they avoided defeat in both Potteries derby
Potteries derby
The Potteries derby is the football local derby in Stoke-on-Trent between Port Vale and Stoke City. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches, especially with the rise of football hooliganism and the 'Naughty Forty'...
games. Horton was named Manager of the Month
Football League Second Division Manager of the Month
The Football League Second Division Manager of the Month award was a monthly prize of recognition given to association football managers in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of English football from 1992 to 2004. The award was announced in the first week of the following month...
in March, after a good run of results ended fears of a second successive relegation. He also won his first trophy as a manager as Vale lifted the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
, coming from behind to beat
2001 Football League Trophy Final
The 2001 Football League Trophy Final was the 18th final of the Football League Trophy, the domestic football cup competition for teams from the Football League Second and Third Divisions...
Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
. Vale also won the Staffordshire Senior Cup
Staffordshire Senior Cup
The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877-78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. Both...
. However more club legends departed, as Tony Naylor
Tony Naylor
Anthony Joseph Naylor is an English former football player. He is best known for his spells at Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra in the 1990s....
and Allen Tankard
Allen Tankard
Allen John Tankard is an English former footballer. Noted for his eight years with Port Vale, overall he played 519 games in the Football League.-Playing career:...
began to show their age. More controversial was the sale of Dave Brammer to Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
for £500,000.
The club entered a financial crisis following the collapse of ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
, which cost the club £400,000 in revenue. This meant Horton had to build his squad for 2001–02
2001–02 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2001–02 season was Port Vale's ninetieth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in the Second Division. On the pitch Vale finished in mid-table, whilst exiting both the FA Cup and the League Cup at the Second Round, and the League Trophy at the Area...
entirely on free transfers. Ashley Dodd
Ashley Dodd
Ashley Dodd Ashley Dodd Ashley Dodd (born 7 January 1982 in Birmingham is an English footballer.-Playing career:Dodd started his career with Manchester United, but in March 2001 he was loaned out to Port Vale. After impressing at Vale the move was made permanent two months later...
, Ian Armstrong
Ian Armstrong (footballer)
Ian Armstrong was an English footballer who played mainly as a winger or an attacking midfielder. He played 101 league and cup games for Port Vale between 2002 and 2005, before injury forced his early retirement, at the age of 23...
, Phil Hardy
Phil Hardy
Philip "Phil" Hardy is an English-born former Ireland under-21 footballer who played as a left-back. With Welsh club Wrexham from 1990 to 2001, he played more than 450 games under manager Brian Flynn. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the 1991–92 Fourth Division campaign...
, Rae Ingram
Rae Ingram
Rae Ingram is an English football defender.-Playing career:Ingram started his career at Manchester City, after signing professional forms in July 1993 he went on to play 21 league games for City , before joining Macclesfield Town in March 1998...
, Alex Gibson
Alex Gibson (footballer)
Alexander Jonathan Gibson is an English footballer.-Playing career:Gibson started his career with Stoke City, but moved onto local rivals Port Vale in June 2001, where he made his senior debut on 10 October that year, in a League One score draw at Chesterfield...
, Chris Killen
Chris Killen
Christopher John "Chris" Killen is a New Zealand international footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen Ruby. Killen grew up in Wellington and played his club football for Miramar Rangers. After a trial with Manchester City, he joined City's youth academy...
, Simon Osborn
Simon Osborn
Simon Osborn is an English footballer who played as a midfielder.-Playing career:A central midfielder, Osborn started his career as a trainee at Crystal Palace in 1988, turning professional for the 1989-90 season, when his performances for a newly promoted Palace side secured their First Division...
, Sean McClare
Sean McClare
Sean McClare is an English former footballer.-Playing career:McClare began his career with Barnsley, making over fifty first team appearances between 1993 and 2001. During this time he also had a loan spell with Rochdale in April 2000 and Port Vale in November 2001...
, Danny Webber
Danny Webber
Daniel Vaughn "Danny" Webber is an English football striker who is a free agent following his release from Portsmouth....
, John Durnin
John Durnin
John Paul Durnin is an English footballer, now retired, who scored 100 goals in 475 league appearances over a career spanning close to two decades....
, and Mvondo Atangana
Mvondo Atangana
Simon Pierre Mvondo Atangana is a former Cameroonian international footballer.After spells in his native country with Fougre, Olympic Mvolyé and Tonnerre Yaoundé, as well as a short period in Saudi Arabia with Al-Fat'h, he moved into Scottish Premier League football with Dundee United in 2000...
all would make little impact; however former Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
striker Stephen McPhee
Stephen McPhee
Stephen McPhee is a Scottish former footballer. In a ten year career he has played for clubs in Scotland, England and Portugal. And has been capped for his country at under-21 level. A forward, he scored 55 goals in 249 games in all competitions.Starting his career at Coventry City, following a...
would be a key player for the club over the next few years. Vale beat rivals Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, but ended 2001–02 in mid-table obscurity. Horton was linked to vacant management position at Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, but remained at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
.
Horton signed Jon McCarthy
Jon McCarthy
Jonathan David "Jon" McCarthy is a former footballer who played over 500 games in his career, many of which were in the Football League....
, Brett Angell
Brett Angell
Brett Ashley Mark Angell is an English association football coach and former player, now coaching in New Zealand. His brother Darren also played football professionally....
, Ian Brightwell
Ian Brightwell
Ian Robert Brightwell is an English former footballer, he played for six clubs, most notably spending twelve years with Manchester City...
, Phil Charnock
Phil Charnock
Philip Anthony Charnock is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Charnock began his career with Liverpool, and made his debut in 1992 in a Cup Winners' Cup game against Apollon Limassol...
, Sam Collins, and Mark Boyd
Mark Boyd
Mark Edward Boyd is an English football midfielder who plays for Conference North side Workington.Beginning his career with Newcastle United, he never made the first team and instead signed with Port Vale in 2002. After two years with the Vale he moved north to Scottish side Gretna via Carlisle...
for the 2002–03
2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Port Vale's ninety-first season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in the Second Division. Another poor season, Brian Horton's side avoided relegation with a seventeenth place finish...
campaign. Four straight defeats were followed by five consecutive victories, as he supplemented his squad with the additions of Lee Ashcroft
Lee Ashcroft
Lee Ashcroft is a former footballer turned manager who is currently managing Northern Premier League side Kendal Town. In his playing career he played as a striker for Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion and Grimsby Town, having also played for Notts County, Wigan Athletic, Port Vale,...
, Peter Clarke
Peter Clarke (footballer)
Peter Michael Clarke is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Huddersfield Town, where he is club captain....
and Adrian Littlejohn
Adrian Littlejohn
Adrian Sylvester Littlejohn is an English former footballer, who played as a midfielder and a striker.-Playing career:...
. Though relegation was avoided, Horton still remained unpopular with some sections of the Vale's supporters. However the season was dominated by off-the-field issues, as Vale entered administration
Administration (British football)
Sports clubs in the United Kingdom, most often in football, sometimes choose to enter administration when they are unable to pay off outstanding debts. Under the Insolvency Act 1986 a business will face a winding up order bringing them to court and if it is shown that a business cannot pay debts as...
, and were taken over by Bill Bratt
Bill Bratt
William Amos "Bill" Bratt MBE is the former chairman of Port Vale Football Club, who served the club in this post from 2003 to 2011....
's fan-based consortium.
Building for the 2003–04
2003–04 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was Port Vale's ninety-second season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in the Second Division. Brian Horton resigned in February, and was replaced by Martin Foyle. Vale fought for promotion, but finished outside the play-off zone on goal difference...
campaign, Horton had to find a replacement for departing defender Matt Carragher
Matt Carragher
Matthew Carragher is a former English footballer who played 362 games over twelve years in the Football League for Wigan Athletic, Port Vale, and Macclesfield Town.-Playing career:...
. He found his replacement in Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
's reliable young George Pilkington
George Pilkington
George Edward Pilkington is an English footballer who captains Conference National club Luton Town, playing as a defender....
; he also signed goalkeeper Jonny Brain
Jonny Brain
Jonathon Robert "Jonny" Brain is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Nantwich Town in the Northern Premier League Premier Division....
and Austrian defender Andreas Lipa
Andreas Lipa
Andreas Lipa is a former Austrian international footballer. After a nineteen year career, some of it spent in England, most of it in Austria, he last played for SV Wienerberger in 2009.-Club career:...
. By the start of the campaign Horton had completed the rebuilding of his squad that was necessitated by the financial crisis and the ageing of the highly successful side of the mid 1990s. The Vale were in the play-offs by February, at which point Horton tendered his resignation. In his absence, rookie manager Martin Foyle
Martin Foyle
Martin John Foyle is an English former footballer, turned football manager. In his 20 year playing career he played 533 League games, scoring 155 goals...
led the club to a seventh place finish, as the "Valiants" missed out on the play-offs due to their inferior goal difference.
Macclesfield Town
Linked with the management position at Swansea CitySwansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, Horton was instead appointed as manager of Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
strugglers Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
at the start of April 2004, replacing John Askey
John Askey
John Askey is a former English footballer and current youth team manager of Macclesfield Town.-Playing career:Askey was a youth player at Port Vale, but despite winning the club's Young Player of the Year award in 1982, he was never handed a first team debut...
. This was initially until the end of the season, but in May he was given the job on a permanent basis. He rejuvenated a demoralised side and kept them in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, as they finished seven points clear of the drop in 2003–04.
Over the summer he signed Iraqi
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
international Jassim Swadi
Jassim Swadi
Jassim Swadi Fayadh is an Iraqi football player who currently plays for Al-Kahraba in Iraq.-External link:**...
, experienced striker Mike Sheron
Mike Sheron
Michael "Mike" Sheron is an English former footballer, born in Liverpool, who made nearly 500 appearances in the Premier League and the Football League playing as a striker for Manchester City, Bury, Norwich City, Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, Barnsley, Blackpool, Macclesfield Town and...
, veteran defender Tony Barras
Tony Barras
Anthony "Tony" Barras is an English footballer who plays for New Mills as a defender.-Career:Born in Billingham, County Durham, Barras started his career with the Hartlepool United youth system, before signing a professional contract in July 1989...
, left-back Mark Bailey
Mark Bailey (footballer)
Mark Bailey is a former professional football defender who played in the Football League for Rochdale, Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town. He is the son of the former Port Vale player Terry Bailey.-Early career:...
, and Tommy Rooney
Tommy Rooney
Tommy Rooney is an English footballer who played for League Two club Macclesfield Town during the 2004–05 season as a striker and is now playing non-league football for Vauxhall Motors.-Career:...
(cousin of Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
). He allowed Martin Carruthers
Martin Carruthers
Martin Carruthers is an English football forward, who currently plays for Arnold Town F.C- As a player :Lincoln City*Coca-Cola League Two Play-Off Final runner-up: 2004–05...
to leave, though extended Tommy Widdrington
Tommy Widdrington
Thomas "Tommy" Widdrington is an English former footballer, turned football manager, who is the manager of Southern Football League side Hemel Hempstead Town...
's contract, and offered fresh deals to six others. He later added to his squad by signing Mark Boyd
Mark Boyd
Mark Edward Boyd is an English football midfielder who plays for Conference North side Workington.Beginning his career with Newcastle United, he never made the first team and instead signed with Port Vale in 2002. After two years with the Vale he moved north to Scottish side Gretna via Carlisle...
and Simon Weaver
Simon Weaver
Simon Daniel Weaver is an English footballer and manager who is currently player-manager at Harrogate Town.-Career:Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Weaver plays as a central defender and began his career as an apprentice with Sheffield Wednesday and made his professional debut during a loan...
; whilst transfer listing Tommy Widdrington and Michael Welch
Michael Welch (footballer)
Michael Welch is an English-born Irish footballer who signed for Altrincham, after he left Northwich Victoria. He is a former Republic of Ireland youth international.-Career:...
. Many pundits were tipping the "Silkmen" to slip out of the newly-named League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
at the end of 2004–05, but Horton proved the observers wrong as his side were in the top-seven of the division virtually all season long. Horton celebrated his 1000th game as a manager on 3 November 2004, as Macclesfield beat Mansfield 4–0 in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. He also won the League Two Manager of the Month
Football League Two Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
award for February. Macclesfield qualified for the play-offs in sixth place, but their promotion challenge was finally ended by Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
in the semi-finals, following a 2–1 aggregate defeat. At the end of the season, Horton released nine players, including club captain Matthew Tipton
Matthew Tipton
Matthew John Tipton is a professional footballer. He is a currently playing for Portadown. He plays as a striker.-Career:...
. In the place of these nine players he signed Kevin Sandwith
Kevin Sandwith
Kevin Sandwith is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender and midfielder for Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity....
, Kevin Townson
Kevin Townson
Kevin Townson in Liverpool, England, is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for AFC Fylde. He has played for Rochdale and Macclesfield Town in the Football League. Townson won the Bill Fleming Media Player of the Year in the Victorian Premier League in 2010 for the Melbourne...
, Martin Bullock
Martin Bullock
Martin John Bullock is an English football midfielder who plays for New Zealand Premiership champions Waitakere United. He previously played for five league teams over fifteen years, making 452 league appearances. He also won a cap for the England under-21 side in 1996.He began his career at...
, and David Beresford
David Beresford
David Beresford is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder.-Playing career:After starting his career with Oldham Athletic he was bought by Huddersfield Town for £350,000 in March 1997. He only made 35 league appearances in his four years with the club, loan spells with Preston...
.
Despite high expectations, Horton's men were not to challenge again in 2005–06. The club were hit by financial troubles after being told they had to pay fines totalling £250,000, and at one point were at risk of being wound up. As a result Horton was forced to cope without assistant John Askey
John Askey
John Askey is a former English footballer and current youth team manager of Macclesfield Town.-Playing career:Askey was a youth player at Port Vale, but despite winning the club's Young Player of the Year award in 1982, he was never handed a first team debut...
, after Askey was dismissed to cut costs. Following a poor start to the season he placed four players on the transfer list. He also placed Kevin Townson on the transfer list, before sacking the striker after Townson displayed "serious misconduct". Throughout the campaign, Horton signed goalkeeper Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee (footballer)
Thomas Edward "Tommy" Lee is an English football goalkeeper, who plays for Chesterfield....
, striker Clyde Wijnhard
Clyde Wijnhard
Clyde Wijnhard is a former Dutch professional football player.In a career spanning over ten years, Wijnhard played for Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic, RKC Waalwijk, Willem II, S.C...
, midfielder Alan Navarro
Alan Navarro
Alan Edward Navarro is an English footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion as a midfielder.-Career:Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Navarro started his career at hometown club Liverpool, coming through the youth system before signing a professional contract with the club in the summer of 2000...
, forward Allan Russell, and non-league striker Matty McNeil
Matty McNeil
Matthew "Matty" McNeil is an English footballer who plays for Chester as a striker.-Non-League:Born in Manchester, McNeil began his career with non-league club Woodley Sports before signing for Stalybridge Celtic in 1999 and also played for Runcorn and Hyde United, where he was Hyde's supporters...
. The "Silkmen" finished in seventeenth place, five points above the relegation zone.
Horton prepared for the 2006–07 campaign by searching for a new midfield player, and found one in Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
's Jamie Tolley
Jamie Tolley
Jamie Christopher Tolley is a footballer who plays for Wrexham. Until October 2005 he was a regular in the Wales under-21 team, having made his first appearance aged 18...
. He also signed versatile attacker Colin Heath
Colin Heath
Colin Heath is an English former footballer who played as a striker or attacking midfielder in the Football League for Cambridge United, Swindon Town, Chesterfield and Macclesfield Town and in the Belgian First Division for Royal Antwerp.-Career:Heath was born in Chesterfield, grew up in...
, defender Carl Regan
Carl Regan
Carl Anthony Regan is an English footballer currently with League Two side Shrewsbury Town.-Career:Regan, who is a right-back, began his career with Everton, but left after being offered a new one-year deal in 2000 without breaking into the first-team...
, former Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
goalkeeper Jonny Brain
Jonny Brain
Jonathon Robert "Jonny" Brain is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Nantwich Town in the Northern Premier League Premier Division....
; whilst releasing five players. Horton was sacked in October 2006, after his team failed to win any of their opening twelve league games, leaving them bottom of the Football League. Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
was appointed as his replacement, and led the club to a 22nd place finish, as they avoided relegation by two points, after Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
were hit with a ten point deduction.
Assistant at Hull and Preston
In May 2007, Horton returned to Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
as assistant manager to Phil Brown; this appointment came nineteen years after he resigned as Hull manager. He helped the club win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in May 2008, the first time Hull City were in the top-flight in 104 years.
In October 2008, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
boss Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
praised Horton for his part in Hull's superb start to the 2008–09 Premier League season, though their early challenge among the top six clubs did not last and they ended the season just one place above the relegation zone. In March 2009, Horton was featured heavily in the press after accusing Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
club captain Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
of spitting following an encounter in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. Fàbregas was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
The "Tigers" struggled in 2009–10, and Phil Brown was put on gardening leave on 15 March, as Horton and Steve Parkin
Steve Parkin
Stephen John "Steve" Parkin is an English former footballer and manager, currently working as assistant manager at Bradford City.-Mansfield Town:...
were appointed as the club's joint-caretaker managers. Hull went on to be relegated under Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie is a former footballer and manager. He is currently without a club. He has previously managed Hull City and Queens Park Rangers and was assistant manager of Newcastle United...
, who had made Tim Flowers
Tim Flowers
Timothy David "Tim" Flowers is an English former football goalkeeper and the former manager of Conference North team Stafford Rangers.-Club career:...
his assistant.
In January 2011, Phil Brown was appointed manager of Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, and Horton was appointed as his assistant. Preston were relegated from the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
at the end of the 2010–11
2010–11 Preston North End F.C. season
-Monthly events:This is a list of the significant events to occur at the club during the 2010-11 season, presented in chronological order. This list does not include transfers, which are listed in the transfers section below, or match results, which are in the results...
campaign.
Personal life
Horton lives in Cheadle HulmeCheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southwest of Stockport and southeast of the city of Manchester. It lies in the Ladybrook Valley on the Cheshire Plain, and the drift consists mostly of boulder clay, sands and gravels...
, near Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, with his family. Horton has two children, twins Matt and Lucy, from a previous marriage.
As a player
Individual- PFA Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 1976–77 - PFA Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 1978–79 & 1981–82
with Brighton & Hove Albion
- Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
runner-up: 1976–77 - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runner-up: 1978–79
with Luton Town
- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
champion: 1981–82
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As a manager
- Football League Second Division Manager of the MonthFootball League Second Division Manager of the MonthThe Football League Second Division Manager of the Month award was a monthly prize of recognition given to association football managers in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of English football from 1992 to 2004. The award was announced in the first week of the following month...
: March 2001 - Football League Two Manager of the MonthFootball League Two Manager of the MonthThe Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
: February 2005
with Hull City
- Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
3rd place promotion winner: 1984–85
with Port Vale
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
winner: 20012001 Football League Trophy FinalThe 2001 Football League Trophy Final was the 18th final of the Football League Trophy, the domestic football cup competition for teams from the Football League Second and Third Divisions... - Staffordshire Senior CupStaffordshire Senior CupThe Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877-78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. Both...
winner: 2001
|}
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nation | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
1 June 1984 | 13 April 1988 |
||||||
| Oxford United Oxford United F.C. Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The... |
25 October 1988 | 27 August 1993 |
||||||
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
28 August 1993 | 16 May 1995 |
||||||
| Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... |
21 June 1995 | 6 October 1997 |
||||||
| 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.... |
26 February 1998 | 22 January 1999 |
||||||
| Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as... |
22 January 1999 | 12 February 2004 |
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| Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town F.C. Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium... |
1 April 2004 | 1 October 2006 |
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| Total |
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