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Trainers & Coaches

Trainers and coaches of the 1st, Reserves, "A" and Youth sides, since the 1930's, in chronological order ...

 

Bob McPherson

1936-38: Trainer

Joined the Ipswich Amateur Club in 1931 and became the first trainer for the professional club five years later. He left in September 1938.

 
 

Stephen Wright

1938: Trainer

Took over from Bob McPherson in August 1938. Wright had played for Leicester Fosse before the 1914-18 war and later went on to play for Bolton Wanderers, Norwich City & Brighton. An injury ended his playing career in 1929. He became manager of Irish club Dundalk and then took over as Trainer/Coach at Lincoln City. His stay at Ipswich was short lived as the management felt he did not fit the bill so in December 1938 he was on his way.

 
 

Bob Thomson

1938-50: First Team Trainer

A right-back in Town's very first professional XI. A broken leg forced him to retire as a player so he was on hand to take over as first team trainer from Stephen Wright, a job he kept until Jimmy Forsyth took up the position in 1950.

 
 

Jock Hutcheson

1938-39: Assistant Coach

Signed as player/assistant coach when Town joined the Football League in 1938, but was not allowed to play League football as he received monies from injury insurance while a player with Chelsea. Left after just one season at Portman Road.

 
 

George Ritchie

1939: Assistant Trainer

Joined the Club in August 1939 as assistant trainer from Colchester United. Within a few weeks war with Germany was declared and when it was over, although he returned to Ipswich, he could not agree terms and joined Leicester City instead.

 
 

Jimmy McLuckie

1945-46: Reserve Team Trainer

The former club captain was appointed reserve team trainer as a temporary measure when the players began to re-assemble following the end of WWII. He was in fact called on to play in an emergency when Geoff Fox was injured in the dressing room before an FA Cup tie against Wisbech.

 
 

Charlie Cowie

1946-65: Reserve Team Trainer

The original centre-half of the new pro-team in 1936 he played his last senior game in March 1939, served in the Army during the war and on de-mob in 1945 returned to become reserve team trainer, a position he held until he was released at the end of the 1964-65 season. Very popular amongst supporters and players, Cowie was known as "the fastest sponge man in the business" for the immaculate and speedy way he would run on to the pitch and tend to the injured. He and his wife looked after apprentices in his residence in Crofton Road when the youth scheme was first launched. He passed away on Christmas Day 1971 aged just 64.

 
 

George Smith

1949: Coach/Assistant Manager

Engaged as a coach and assistant manager, but as Town slipped into the lower reaches of Division Three (South) and re-election loomed on the horizon, he was called upon to play at Centre Half. After only a few months there was some dispute about his status at the Club, an episode that ended in his resignation and a move to Chelmsford City. He was responsible for the introduction of youth training at Portman Road and had floodlights installed on the practice pitch behind the old West Stand for this purpose.

 
 

Jimmy Forsyth

1950-69: First Team Trainer; Reserve Team Trainer 1965; Physiotherapist; Caretaker Manager

Spent more than 40 years in the game, as a player, trainer and physiotherapist. He began as a Wing Half at Portsmouth and Gillingham and finally Millwall where he "hung up his boots" in 1943 to become their assistant trainer. In 1950 he became First Team trainer at Ipswich. As trainer Jimmy received five Championship medals, two Third Division, two second Division and one First Division. He sent up a unique record during that time by never missing a single First Team match from 19th August 1950 until the end of the 1964-65 season. In 1965 when Cyril Lea took over First Team training, he became Reserve Trainer and later turned to physiotherapist until retiring on 9th July 1971.

 
 

Harry Baird

1953-56: "A" Team Trainer

Baird, along with Tommy Parker, were the first pro-player's to have a benefit match played in recognition of their services to the club. Baird, capped by Northern Ireland, started his playing career at Linfield, before moving to Manchester United and then Huddersfield Town. He joined Town at the end of WWII and went on to make almost 250 appearances in blue and white before retiring in 1951. He was "A" team trainer from 1953 to 1956.

 
 

Percy Rozier

1954-56: "A" Team Trainer

 
 

Ray Coe

1957-69: "A" Team Trainer; Youth Team Trainer

In 1957 became trainer to the "A" team with Percy Rozier under Alf Ramsey who sent him on a medical course at Lilleshall in 1962. He continued as a trainer to the Youth team when it was formed under Jackie Milburn and Bobby Robson until appointed Suffolk County FA Youth Coach in 1971.

 
 

Vic Snell

1959-63: "A" Team Trainer

 
 

Ken Malcolm

1963-64: Youth Coach

The former Ipswich player became Youth coach from 1963-64 to 1964-65. Joined the staff of the Ipswich Town Supporters Association in 1967 before returning to Scotland to work in the fish industry.

 
 

Reg Tyrell

1964-69: Manager/Coach Youth Team

 
 

Sammy Chung

1965-68: First Team Trainer

Became First team trainer in August 1965 having previously served in a similar position under Bill McGarry at Watford. A former Norwich player, Chung followed McGarry to Wolves in 1968.

 
 

Roy McCrohan

1969-72: Reserve Coach

Enjoyed a playing career at Reading, Bristol Rovers, Colchester and Norwich City (he was a member of the Norwich team that reached the FA Cup semi final's in 1959). He was with Bobby Robson at Fulham and appointed by him as Reserve coach in March 1969. Left to become head trainer at Luton Town in November 1972.

 
 

Cyril Lea

1969-79: First Team Trainer

A tough tackling left-half he was signed as a player from Leyton Orient later becoming team captain for the Town. Appointed first team trainer in the 1969-70 season and Welsh national trainer in 1972. When Bill McGarry left in 1968 he became caretaker manager until the arrival of Bobby Robson in January 1969. He served as First team trainer under Robson for ten years, until a reorganisation of the training staff in 1979, when he left to work at Stoke City under Alan Durban.

 
 

John Chandler

circa 1970: Youth Team Trainer

 
 

Bobby Ferguson

1971-82: Youth team trainer 1971-72; 1972 Reserve; 1979 First Team Coach; 1982 First Manager

Appointed Youth team trainer for the 1971-72 season. In his playing days was a strong tackling defender for Newcastle, Derby and Cardiff and later became player-manager at Newport. Took over as Reserve trainer in 1972-73 when Roy McCrohan left and as First team trainer when Cyril Lea went to Stoke in 1979. His next promotion came in 1982 when he took over the manager's hot seat following Bobby Robson's appointment as England manager.

 
 

Bobby Houghton

1972: Youth Team

A player with Fulham and Brighton, Houghton became Ipswich Youth team coach early in 1972 but left later that year to take up a management position in South Africa. A return to Europe saw him appointed manager of Swedish side Malmö FF who he guided to the 1979 European Cup final against Nottingham Forest. He has since coached the Colorado Rapids, the Chinese national team, Bristol City, Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, Toronto Blizzard, Örgryte IS, FC Zurich, the Uzbekistan national team, and is currently the All India Football Federation head coach (since June 2006).

 
 

Brian Owen

1979-88 Youth coach; 1982 Reserve

Had spells as a player at Colchester United and Watford, became coach at Wolves under Sammy Chung, then via Peterborough United to the US of A. He was appointed Youth coach at Ipswich in August 1979 when he was 35 years old and promoted to Reserve team coach when Bobby Robson became England manager. Holds an FA Coaching badge and has at one time or another been on the England coaching staff at Youth, "B" and Under 21 levels. Brian was used at Portman Road as an assistant physiotherapist as well as Reserve coach and in 1988 was called up as physio for the England Under 21's. However, at the end of the 1988 season as the then new manager John Duncan reorganized his staff, Brian was not re-engaged. In July 1988 he joined Crystal Palace as a coach.

 
 

Charlie Woods

1973-88: Youth Team; Assistant First Team Manager

A player at Portman Road during the 1960's, he became Youth coach at Blackburn, before returning to Town as youth coach in 1973 following Bob Houghton's departure. Bobby Robson went to great lengths to secure Charlie Woods services, which was quickly repaid as within a month the Ipswich youngsters had won the FA Youth Cup. With the 1979 reorganisation of the training staff, Charlie moved up to Reserve trainer and was promoted again to become First team trainer when Bobby Robson left to become England manager. When John Duncan took over as manager another reorganisation saw Charlie take over the title of Assistant to the Manager. Woods was a top class golfer representing Suffolk on many occasions.

 
 

Peter Trevivian

1982-95: Youth 1982; Reserve 1988; Youth 1990

Became youth coach at the beginning of the 1982-83 campaign. Cornishman Trevivian had played for Southampton & Hereford United but a back injury forced him to hang up his boots at just 21 years of age. Became Activities Directory for Ipswich Borough Council and was in charge of the 257 Junior Blues. An FA qualified coach at age 27, he became Reserve & First team coach in 1988 and in 1990 returned to Youth coaching. When George Burley was appointed manager in 1995 he was offered the position as Youth Development Officer, but was dissatisfied with this and left the Club soon afterwards.

 
 

Bryan Klug

1988-98 Youth Coach, Reserve Team Coach; Academy Manager 1998-06; First Team Coach 2006-08; Head of Football Development 2008-January 2010

A former youth and reserve team player at Ipswich he was also a player under manager John Duncan at Chesterfield. As an apprentice professional at Ipswich he went on to captain the England Youth team where he sustained a serious knee injury that curtailed his playing career. He joined the Club from the same job as Peter Trevivian in the Ipswich Borough Council Junior Blues Sports Scheme. After coaching the Youth team for two years he was promoted to Reserve Coach in 1990. Reorganisation of training staff in 1998 gave Brian the title of Academy manager. Guided the U-18's to FA Youth Cup success in 2005. Appointed first team coach in 2006, making way for John Gorman in December 2008 to become Head of Football Development. Sacked in January 2010 after more than thirty years service.

 
 

Mick McGiven

1990-94: First Team Coach

As a player, McGiven had played for Sunderland and West Ham. He was youth team trainer first at West Ham and then at Chelsea when John Lyall brought him to Portman Road in 1990 as his second in command. Following Town's first season in the newly formed Premiership, Lyall moved "upstairs" as Director of Football leaving the day-to-day management of the first team to McGiven. Following the ignominious end to the Lyall era in late 1994, McGiven returned to Chelsea and has been there ever since, first as reserve team manager and now as one of the first team coaching staff.

 
 

Paul Goddard

1994-?: First Team; Youth 1995

A centre-forward, Goddard enjoyed a playing career at QPR, West Ham, Newcastle, Derby, Millwall and finally Town. Along with John Wark he was briefly in charge of first team affairs following the departure of John Lyall and Mick McGiven and the arrival of George Burley. He later became assistant manager at West Ham, but left Upton Park in January 2004, following the appointment of Alan Pardew as Hammers supremo.

 
 

John Wark

1994-?: First Team

Along with Paul Goddard, Warky was briefly in charge of first team affairs following the departure of John Lyall and Mick McGiven and the arrival of George Burley.

 
 

Dale Roberts

1995-2003:First Team; Reserves 1998

A product of the youth set-up at Portman Road under Bobby Robson, Roberts struggled to make a place for himself in the first team (at a time when players competing for a place included the likes of Beattie, Hunter, Butcher and Osman) and eventually moved to Hull City. He made over 150 appearances for the Tigers before a pelvic injury cut short his career. He returned to Suffolk in 1995, as George Burley's assistant, a highly successful partnership that culminated in the 2000 Play-Off win at Wembley, and Town taking the Premiership by storm in 2000-01. He guided the reserve team to the FA Premier (South) title in 2002, despite having being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a disease that would sadly take his life less than twelve-months later in February 2003.

 
 

Bryan Hamilton

1990's and 2001-02: First Team Coach

The former Town and Everton midfielder, and Northern Ireland manager, enjoyed two separate coaching spells at Portman Road as assistant to George Burley. He was also Director of Football at Norwich City from 1998 to 2000 when he took charge of first team matters following the exit of Bruce Rioch. This role was short lived and he resigned in December of 2000 following a run of five consecutive defeats. Hamilton is an occasional pundit for Radio Five and is currently (November 2006) an advisor to the Antigua and Barbuda FC.

 
 

Stewart Houston

1998-99: First Team Coach

A left back for Chelsea, Brentford, Manchester United, Sheffield United and Colchester United, Houston was assistant manager at Arsenal from 1986 to 1996, first under George Graham and later under Bruce Rioch. He was twice caretaker-manager for the Gunners and, during the second of these spells, led the team out at the 1995 European Cup Winners' Cup final. After a spell as manager at QPR (bizarrely with Rioch as his assistant) he joined Town as First Team Coach. When George Graham became manager at Tottenham in 1998, it was only a matter of time before he rejoined his long time mentor, and he duly did.

 
 

John Gorman

1999: First Team Coach & December 2008 - April 2009: Assistant Manager

A player for Carlisle and Spurs, Gorman was assistant England team manager under Glenn Hoddle whom he had first worked for at Swindon Town. He spent a brief period with Ipswich, following the fiery end to Hoddle's reign as national manager in 1999, later rejoining Hoddle, again as assistant manager, this time at Tottenham.

Returned for a second spell at the club as Assistant Manager to Jim Magilton in late 2008, a spell that lasted just five months, ending when Magilton was sacked in April, 2009.

 
 

Steve McCall

2001-06: Reserve Team Manage; First Team Coach; Head Scout 2006-

McCall, who joined the youth set-up at Portman Road in 1978, went onto become a key member of the 1981 UEFA Cup winning team. After over 300 appearance in blue and white he left the club in the summer of 1987 season for Sheffield Wednesday. After spells at home town club Carlisle and Torquay, he finished his playing days at Plymouth Argyle as player manager. In 2001, he rejoined Town as European scouting co-ordinator, under close friend George Burley, and became reserve team manager/first team coach following the appointment of Joe Royle. With Jim Magilton's appointment as manager in the summer of 2006 McCall reverted to a scouting role.

 
 

Willie Donachie

October 2002- June 2006: First Team Coach

Glasgow born Donachie, capped thirty-five times by Scotland, played almost 350 times for Manchester City, had two spells with Portland Timbers in the NASL, made 14 appearances for Norwich City, and ending his playing career as player-assistant manager to Joe Royle at Oldham. He followed Royle to Everton in 1995, and after a spell as first team coach at Sheffield United, rejoined Royle at Manchester City in 1998. He left Maine Road to become assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday before linking up once more Royle at Portman Road in 2002. Left Ipswich for Millwall in June 2006, initially as first team coach before being appointed manager in September later that year.

 
 

Tony Humes

?- June 2006: Academy Assistant Director, June 2006 - January 2009: Academy Director

A midfielder in his playing days, Humes made 140 appearances for Ipswich before a move to Wrexham where a further 250 appearances followed. He returned to Ipswich following his retirement to become youth academy Assistant Director under Bryan Klug, and was promoted to Academy Director in 2006 following Klug's promotion to first team coach.

 
 

Steve Foley

June 2006 - January 2010: Academy Coach, January 2010 - current day: Reserve Team Manager

Former Norwich coach Steve Foley became one of manager Jim Magilton's first appointments, joining the backroom staff in June 2006. Foley, who coaches at all levels from academy upwards, spent 10 years at Carrow Road.

 
 

Chris Kiwomya

July 2008 - current day: Reserve Team Development Coach

The former Town striker returned to Ipswich as Reserve Team Development Coach, leaving a position at the Arsenal Academy to take up the role.

 
 

Tony Loughlan

April 2009 - current day: First Team Coach

Worked under manager Roy Keane at Sunderland until the pair left the Stadium of Light in December 2008, and joined Town within hours of Keane in April 2009.

 
 

Ian McParland

November 2009 - current day: First Team Coach

Spent over ten years as a coach at Nottingham Forest, including a short spell as caretaker manager, and managed Notts County for two years prior to joining Town. His senior playing career spanned seventeen years during which time he made in excess of 220 league appearances for Notts County and played variously for Hull City, Walsall, Dunfermline Athletic and others.


Timeline

  Manager First Team Reserve Team "A"/Youth Team
1936 OBrien McPherson    
1937 Duncan +    
1938 ¦ Wright    
  ¦ Hutcheson    
  ¦ Thomson    
1939 ¦ ¦ Ritchie    
         
1945 ¦ ¦ McLuckie  
1946 ¦ ¦ Cowie  
1947 ¦ ¦ ¦  
1948 ¦ ¦ ¦  
1949 ¦ ¦ Smith ¦  
1950 ¦ Forsyth ¦  
1951 ¦ ¦ ¦  
1952 ¦ ¦ ¦  
1953 ¦ ¦ ¦ Baird
1954 + ¦ ¦ ¦ Rozier
1955 Ramsey ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1956 ¦ ¦ ¦ + +
1957 ¦ ¦ ¦ Coe
1958 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1959 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ Snell
1960 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1961 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1962 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1963 Milburn ¦ ¦ ¦ Malcolm
1964 McGarry \ + ¦ Tyrell
1965 ¦ Chung Forsyth ¦ ¦
1966 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1967 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1968 + + + ¦ ¦
1969 Robson Lea McCrohan + +
1970 ¦ ¦ ¦ Chandler
1971 ¦ ¦ ¦ Ferguson
1972 ¦ ¦ Ferguson Houghton
1973 ¦ ¦ ¦ Woods
1974 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1975 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1976 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1977 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1978 ¦ + / /
1979 ¦ Ferguson Woods Owen
1980 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1981 ¦ + / /
1982 Ferguson Woods Owen Trevivian
1983 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1984 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1985 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1986 + ¦ ¦ ¦
1987 Duncan + + /
1988 ¦ Trevivian Trevivian Klug
1989 + \ \ /
1990 Lyall McGiven Klug Trevivian
1991 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1992 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1993 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1994 ¦ Goddard/ ¦ ¦
  + Wark ¦ +
1995 Burley Roberts ¦ Goddard
1996 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
1997 ¦ \ ¦ ¦
1998 ¦ Hamilton \ ¦
  ¦ Houston Roberts Klug
1999 ¦ Gorman ¦ ¦
  ¦ Mowbray ¦ ¦
2000 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
2001 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
2002 Royle ¦ McCall ¦
2003 ¦ + ¦ ¦
2004 ¦ Donachie ¦ ¦
2005 + + ¦ /
2006 Magilton Klug ¦ Humes

Notes: + = end of the line; \ or / = change of role

In memory of the late John Finch (life long Town fan and statistician)

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