Donald Park
Encyclopedia
Donald Park is a Scottish association football coach
and a former player. He is currently employed by the Scottish Football Association
as their Head of Coach Education.
as a 16 year old in 1969 from Lochaber. With him, his best mate and also an ex-professional footballer for Aberdeen FC
, George Campbell
, were together aspiring to be footballers since they were young. As a youth Park also played shinty
. Park turned professional when he signed for Heart of Midlothian
in 1972. He spent six seasons at Tynecastle
, initially as a winger then latterly as a central midfielder
. In September 1978 he was transferred to Partick Thistle
, in a swap deal involving Denis McQuade
, and he played an important role for the Maryhill Magyars as they perennially fought relegation from the Premier Division.
It is also worth noting that as a young amateur player with Inverness Caledonian, then in the Highland Football League, Donald Park was capped several times at amateur International level with Scotland.
When the Glasgow
side eventually suffered demotion, Park returned to Hearts in May 1983, winding down his career with short spells at Brechin City
and Meadowbank Thistle.
with George Mackie in 1994, before joining Hibs
as a coach in July of that year. He served as a youth coach under managers Alex Miller
and Alex McLeish
, and became the interim manager when McLeish left for Rangers
in 2001. When Franck Sauzée
was appointed as McLeish's successor, Park was promoted to the position of the assistant manager. Sauzee was sacked by Hibs after only 69 days as manager, and Park left the club at the end of the 2001–02 season. Park was credited with the development of young players including Derek Riordan
, Kenny Miller
, Ian Murray, Tam McManus
and Garry O’Connor.
The departure of Ebbe Skovdahl
from Aberdeen in November 2002 led in turn to the recruitment of the successful Inverness manager Steve Paterson and his assistant Duncan Shearer
, leaving the Inverness post vacant. Following an extensive interview process, Livingston coach John Robertson
was appointed and Park was appointed his assistant. The pair led Inverness to the Scottish First Division title
in 2004 and promotion to the Scottish Premier League
. Following Craig Levein
's move to Leicester City
, Robertson and Park were appointed to be the Hearts
management team.
Robertson and Park's career at Hearts was brief and, despite reaching two cup semi-finals and achieving a fifth place finish in the league, they were sacked and replaced by George Burley
in 2005. Following the departure of Craig Brewster
to Dundee Utd
, Inverness appointed Charlie Christie
to be interim manager. A number of high profile names were linked with the vacancy including Park himself. Christie was appointed on 27 January 2006 with Park as his assistant. At the split in the 2005-06 season
, Inverness narrowly missed out on a spot in the top half of the SPL.
He resigned as Caley assistant manager in August 2007 to move back to the Central Belt
. He initially took a job with Raith Rovers
before being appointed as Mixu Paatelainen
's assistant at Hibernian
in January 2008. Park served in this role for 18 months before being appointed as Head of Coach Education by the SFA
.
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and a former player. He is currently employed by the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
as their Head of Coach Education.
Playing career
Educated at Lochaber High School, Park joined Caledonian F.C.Caledonian F.C.
Caledonian Football Club was a football club from the city of Inverness, Highland, Scotland.-Formation:Caledonian Football Club was formed in 1885 by lads from the 'Big Green' area of Inverness, though some sources quote 1886. They were founder members of the Highland Football League in 1893 and...
as a 16 year old in 1969 from Lochaber. With him, his best mate and also an ex-professional footballer for Aberdeen FC
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, George Campbell
George Campbell (footballer)
George Campbell is a former Scottish professional football player. He was born in the Highland town of Caol near Fort William in Scotland, and played for Aberdeen F.C. in the Scottish Premier League...
, were together aspiring to be footballers since they were young. As a youth Park also played shinty
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
. Park turned professional when he signed for Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
in 1972. He spent six seasons at Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
, initially as a winger then latterly as a central 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...
. In September 1978 he was transferred to Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
, in a swap deal involving Denis McQuade
Denis McQuade
Denis McQuade is a Scottish former footballer, who played for Partick Thistle, Hearts and Hamilton. McQuade scored one of the goals for Partick Thistle in their shock 4–1 victory against Celtic in the 1970 Scottish League Cup Final.- External links :*, Neil Brown...
, and he played an important role for the Maryhill Magyars as they perennially fought relegation from the Premier Division.
It is also worth noting that as a young amateur player with Inverness Caledonian, then in the Highland Football League, Donald Park was capped several times at amateur International level with Scotland.
When the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
side eventually suffered demotion, Park returned to Hearts in May 1983, winding down his career with short spells at Brechin City
Brechin City F.C.
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Brechin, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the Second Division in the 2010–11 season...
and Meadowbank Thistle.
Coaching career
While he was a player at Meadowbank, Park moved into coaching and he was eventually appointed manager of the club in 1992. He left after a year, and then spent a short time as joint-manager of ArbroathArbroath F.C.
Arbroath F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. They were founded in 1878 and currently play their home matches at Gayfield, Arbroath, Angus. They play in maroon strips, and are nicknamed "The Red Lichties" due to the red light that used to guide...
with George Mackie in 1994, before joining Hibs
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
as a coach in July of that year. He served as a youth coach under managers Alex Miller
Alex Miller
Alex Miller is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian...
and Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
, and became the interim manager when McLeish left for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 2001. When Franck Sauzée
Franck Sauzée
Franck Sauzée is a former French international footballer and manager. He played 39 times for the French national team between 1988 and 1993, scoring nine goals and captaining the team several times...
was appointed as McLeish's successor, Park was promoted to the position of the assistant manager. Sauzee was sacked by Hibs after only 69 days as manager, and Park left the club at the end of the 2001–02 season. Park was credited with the development of young players including Derek Riordan
Derek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
, Kenny Miller
Kenny Miller
Kenneth "Kenny" Miller is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Cardiff City and the Scotland national football team...
, Ian Murray, Tam McManus
Tam McManus
Thomas Kelly "Tam" McManus is a Scottish footballer, who is currently playing for First Division club Ayr United. McManus started his career with Hibernian, making over 100 league appearances for the Edinburgh club. During his time there, McManus represented the Scotland national under-21 football...
and Garry O’Connor.
The departure of Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
from Aberdeen in November 2002 led in turn to the recruitment of the successful Inverness manager Steve Paterson and his assistant Duncan Shearer
Duncan Shearer
Duncan Nichol Shearer is a former Scottish footballer and the brother of fellow former player Dave Shearer. He played shinty as well as football as a youth.-Playing career:...
, leaving the Inverness post vacant. Following an extensive interview process, Livingston coach John Robertson
John Grant Robertson
John Robertson is a former professional association football player and is currently the manager of East Fife. His playing career included spells at Newcastle United, Dundee and Livingston but he is best known for his two spells at Heart of Midlothian...
was appointed and Park was appointed his assistant. The pair led Inverness to the Scottish First Division title
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
in 2004 and promotion to the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
. Following Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
's move to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, Robertson and Park were appointed to be the Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
management team.
Robertson and Park's career at Hearts was brief and, despite reaching two cup semi-finals and achieving a fifth place finish in the league, they were sacked and replaced by George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
in 2005. Following the departure of Craig Brewster
Craig Brewster
Craig James Brewster is a Scottish football player and coach. He made his name in a long and successful career playing as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, Dundee United and Dunfermline Athletic...
to Dundee Utd
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
, Inverness appointed Charlie Christie
Charlie Christie
Charlie Christie is a former professional footballer who managed Scottish Premier League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Christie resigned from the Highlands club in August 2007.-Early career:...
to be interim manager. A number of high profile names were linked with the vacancy including Park himself. Christie was appointed on 27 January 2006 with Park as his assistant. At the split in the 2005-06 season
2005-06 in Scottish football
The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill...
, Inverness narrowly missed out on a spot in the top half of the SPL.
He resigned as Caley assistant manager in August 2007 to move back to the Central Belt
Central Belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless situated at the 'waist' of Scotland on a conventional map and the term 'central' is used in many local...
. He initially took a job with Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
before being appointed as Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
's assistant at Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
in January 2008. Park served in this role for 18 months before being appointed as Head of Coach Education by the SFA
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
.