Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957,
HayesHayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added to house factory workers...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
manager and former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
,
AS MonacoAssociation Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a Monégasque football club based in the Principality of Monaco. They play in the Ligue 1 and are one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies...
,
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
and
Swindon TownSwindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. The club's home ground is the County Ground, which has an all-seated capacity of 15,728....
and at international level for
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
.
In 2007 he was inducted into the
National Football MuseumThe National Football Museum is a museum in Preston, Lancashire, England, founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of Association Football memorabilia...
Hall of FameThe English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Preston, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the top English footballing talents, and non-English players and managers who have become significant figures in the English leagues...
which cited him as the most gifted English footballer of his generation exhibiting "sublime balance and close control, unrivalled passing and vision and extraordinary shooting ability, both from open play and set pieces".
He has been manager of
Swindon TownSwindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. The club's home ground is the County Ground, which has an all-seated capacity of 15,728....
(earning promotion to the Premier League),
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
(taking them to the FA Cup final),
SouthamptonSouthampton Football Club are a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. The club were relegated from the Championship in 2009, and play in League One in the 2009–10 season...
,
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
(reaching a
League Cup finalThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Carling Cup, is an English football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
) and most recently
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is a professional football club representing the city of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands region of England, and currently playing in the Premier League. Commonly referred to by their nickname Wolves, the club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 have played...
.
As manager, he took England to the
World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as hosts by FIFA on 1 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
second round in 1998 only to lose to
ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association . Argentina has won most international titles by any national team - 19, a record shared with Uruguay....
on penalties.
Tottenham Hotspur
Hoddle joined the club as a schoolboy apprentice in April 1974 following the recommendation of another Tottenham legend,
Martin ChiversMartin Harcourt Chivers was an English professional footballer in the 1960s and 1970s.-Southampton:Chivers attended Taunton's Grammar School, Southampton, and wrote to his local club, Southampton for a trial...
. He successfully overcame knee problems in his early teens and collected England Youth caps prior to making his first-team debut as a 17-year-old substitute against
Norwich CityNorwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk.Norwich are currently members of League One, having been relegated from the Championship in 2008–09...
in August 1975. Spurs drew 2–2. Hoddle was forced to wait until February 1976 to start a
First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
match and immediately announced his arrival with a spectacular strike past
Stoke CityStoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1863, Stoke is the oldest club in the Premier League, and thought to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts County....
and
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
goalkeeper
Peter ShiltonPeter Leslie Shilton, OBE is a former football goalkeeper who holds the record for playing more games than any other player...
.
The talented playmaker flourished under the management of
Keith BurkinshawHarry Keith Burkinshaw is an English former professional footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
and despite the club's relegation to the
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...
in
1976–77The 1976-77 season was the 97th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League revamped the tie-breaking criteria for teams level of points, replacing the traditional goal average tie-breaker with one based on goal difference to try and encourage more scoring...
after 27 seasons of First Division football, a Hoddle inspired Spurs side won promotion to the top flight at the first attempt. As Tottenham's transitional phase continued, Hoddle's enigmatic and often controversial international career began in December 1976 against
WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales, the governing body for football in Wales and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team has not qualified for a major international...
in an Under-21 fixture. He would collect another seven caps at that level and play twice for the
England 'B'England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations...
team prior to scoring on his full international debut against
BulgariaThe Bulgaria national football team is the national football team of Bulgaria and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. Bulgaria's best World Cup performance was in the 1994 World Cup in USA, where they beat defending champions Germany to reach the semi-finals, losing to Italy, and...
in November 1979.
The
1979–80The 1979-80 season was the 100th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's Liverpool retained their league championship trophy after fighting off a determined challenge by Dave Sexton's Manchester United...
campaign heralded the emergence of Hoddle as a top-class player, the 22-year-old midfielder scored 19 goals in 41 league appearances and was deservedly awarded the
PFA Young Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player under the age of 23 who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football....
award at the end of the season. Hoddle's attacking skills, utilised both in the center of midfield and on the wing, were simply breathtaking and often at odds with the ingrained British football philosophy of tireless running and a strong work ethic. His sublime balance and close control, unrivalled passing and vision and extraordinary shooting ability, both from open play and set pieces, made Hoddle the most gifted English player of his generation.
In 1981, he starred as Spurs won the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
for the sixth time, defeating in a memorable replay and the following season Tottenham retained the FA Cup (Hoddle scored in both the Final and Final replay) and finished the League campaign in fourth place, the club's best league position since 1971. Hoddle performed as the midfield fulcrum in many of these successes and also contributed magnificently as the team reached the final of the
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Carling Cup, is an English football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, losing 3–1 to
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
, and the semi-final stage of the European Cup Winners Cup. During the summer of 1982, Hoddle played in two of England's matches in the opening group phase of the
FIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, starting against
KuwaitThe Kuwait National Football Team is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. They made one World Cup Finals appearance, in 1982, managing a draw with Czechoslovakia but losing to England and France. During the match against France, France scored a goal...
after a substitute appearance in a 2–0 victory over
CzechoslovakiaThe Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
.
Hoddle's involvement in the following three seasons was limited by a number of niggling injury problems (he started only 76 of a possible 126 league matches) but nevertheless, Hoddle proved to be the architect behind the team's 1984
UEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is a competition for eligible European football clubs; the second most prestigious European football contest after the UEFA Champions League. It is an annual football cup competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations...
triumph despite missing the Final due to fitness concerns. In October 1983, he dazzled the
White Hart LaneWhite Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,310....
crowd with a phenomenal second-round display as Spurs won 6–2 on aggregate against a
Feyenoord RotterdamFeyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. With Ajax and PSV, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands...
side containing the legendary Johan Cruyff. Such was the quality of his performance in both matches, the Dutch legend entered the Tottenham dressing room and offered Hoddle his shirt as a sign of respect.
Spurs came close to further honours in the next three seasons, reaching third place in the First Division and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1984–85 and another FA Cup Final in 1987, losing 3–2 to , the only time the North London club has experienced defeat in the final of the famous knock-out competition. The unexpected loss to the Midlands side was Hoddle's last match for Spurs as newly-appointed AS Monaco manager
Arsene WengerArsène Wenger, OBE is a French football manager who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
brought him to the principality for a fee of £750,000. Between 1975 and 1987, the gifted playmaker scored 110 goals in 490 first-team matches in all competitions, only four players (
Steve PerrymanStephen John "Steve" Perryman MBE is a former English international football player and current manager who is best remembered for his successes with Tottenham Hotspur during the 1970s and early 1980s...
,
Pat JenningsPatrick Anthony Jennings OBE is a Northern Irish former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years...
,
Gary MabbuttGary Mabbutt MBE is an English former professional football player. He was most regularly seen in central defence but was a versatile player who excelled also in midfield...
and
Cyril KnowlesCyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hostpur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...
) have made more appearances in a Spurs shirt. At international level, Hoddle won 44 caps for England during his Tottenham career.
In 1987, Hoddle also found himself in the pop charts, with the single
Diamond Lights"Diamond Lights" is a 1987 single by footballers Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle. It was released under their first names, 'Glenn & Chris'.The song reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1987 and was the one and only chart release for the duo....
making the UK Top 20 in a duet with Spurs and England team-mate
Chris WaddleChristopher Roland Waddle is a former English professional footballer. He currently co-commentates for ESPN's English Premier League football coverage.-Early career:...
.
AS Monaco
Hoddle announced in 1987 that he would be leaving Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season to pursue a career overseas where his style of play would be appreciated by continental managers and supporters, and to play European level football with English clubs banned after Heysel. He joined AS Monaco alongside
George WeahGeorge Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian politician and former football forward. He spent 14 years of his professional football career playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England, winning titles in two of the three countries...
and fellow Englishman
Mark HateleyMark Wayne Hateley is a retired English football player who played as a centre-forward. He was capped 32 times for the English national team , and played in top-level football leagues in England, Italy, France and Scotland.- Career :Hateley started his career at Coventry City, before moving to...
and immediately inspired the club to the 1988
Ligue 1Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper...
championship, its first league title in six seasons. Hoddle was voted the Best Foreign Player in French football and would guide the team to the quarter-finals of the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
in the 1988–89 campaign. Arsene Wenger was the coach who brought him to Monaco and ironically Hoddle would go on to face his former manager in the heated North London Derby as manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Sadly, a severe knee injury curtailed his career at the highest level and in December 1990, the 33-year-old left the club by mutual consent having helped to improve the standing of English footballers in foreign countries.
During his three and a half year spell in France, Hoddle represented England nine times, making his international farewell against the Soviet Union in June 1988. He returned to England and signed for
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
on a non-contract basis, leaving Stamford Bridge in March 1991 without playing a senior match to assume his first managerial post as player-manager of
Swindon TownSwindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. The club's home ground is the County Ground, which has an all-seated capacity of 15,728....
.
England international career
Though regarded as a genius with the ball at his feet, Hoddle was considered an enigmatic and unreliable player to international managers guilty of over-emphasising hard work and physical prowess instead of technical ability and attacking creativity. He was included in the 1982 and 1986
FIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
squads, playing an important role in the latter campaign when England reached the quarter-finals against
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
. Hoddle was one of the England players left behind by
Diego MaradonaDiego Armando Maradona is a former Argentine football player, and current manager of the Argentine national team...
as he burst from inside his own half to score his second goal in England's 2–1 defeat. Hoddle also featured prominently in the European Championship squads of 1980 and 1988, making his 53rd and final international appearance during the latter tournament.
Hoddle's talent is widely appreciated abroad; less so in England.
Arsene WengerArsène Wenger, OBE is a French football manager who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
, who worked with him at Monaco, recalled: 'His control was superb and he had perfect body balance. His skill in both feet was uncanny... I couldn't understand why he hadn't been appreciated in England. Perhaps he was a star in the wrong period, years ahead of his time.'
Michel PlatiniMichel François Platini is a French former football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was voted the best player and top goalscorer...
famously attacked the English for neglecting creativity; had Hoddle been born French, he said, 'he would have won 150 caps'. As
Jean-Luc EttoriJean-Luc Ettori is a retired football goalkeeper from France, who spent his entire career with AS Monaco. He earned nine caps for the France national football team in the early 1980s including starting every game in the 1982 World Cup.-References:...
, Monaco's club captain at the time, put it: 'For us Glenn was
le bon dieu - he was a god. There's nothing else to say.'
Swindon Town
Hoddle arrived at a troubled club with The Robins badly affected by a financial scandal which had seen them stripped of promotion to the
First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
at the end of the
1989–90-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
season, a controversy which had negatively impacted the team's league form. Hoddle prevented Swindon from slipping into the
Third DivisionFrom the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest division in the overall English football league system. Before that it was the third division overall, but that ended with the creation of the...
and further improvement throughout the
1991–92- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Eric Cantona, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
season saw the
WiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in the south west of England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers 3,485 km²...
club finish ninth, just missing out on a play-off place. Swindon reached the new Division One play-offs in 1993 and beat
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , are an English professional football club based at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester. They play in the Football League Championship, having been promoted as champions from Football League One in the 2008–09 season.The club were founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse,...
4–3 at Wembley, and were then promoted to the Premier League. The 36-year-old Hoddle was one of the most highly rated young managers in England and many bigger clubs were demanding his services. He eventually returned to
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
and was succeeded at Swindon by his assistant and former Spurs team-mate
John GormanJohn Gorman is a Scottish former football player and coach. He was released on 22 April 2009 as Assistant Manager of Ipswich Town-Playing career:...
.
Chelsea
In June 1993, Hoddle became player-manager of Chelsea (he retired from the playing side in 1995). His assistant at Chelsea was the former Tottenham manager
Peter ShreevesPeter Shreeves is an English former football player, manager and coach. He is currently Director of Football at Grays Athletic.-Career:...
, and they reached the FA Cup final in Hoddle's first season, where they lost 4–0 to
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
. But United had done the double, and consolation for their failure to win the trophy came in the form of a Cup Winners' Cup place. Chelsea reached the semi finals of that competition in
1994–95The season 1994-95 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by Real Zaragoza in the final against defending champions Arsenal FC, Zaragoza famously winning thanks to a spectacular last-minute goal by ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nayim with a lob from 40 yards that went over the head of the...
and lost by a single goal to
Real ZaragozaReal Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragon. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have this season gained promotion in the 2008-09 Liga Adelante to the Spanish top-flight. They play in white shirts with royal blue shorts...
, who went on to beat
ArsenalArsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
in the final. Hoddle guided Chelsea to the FA Cup Semi Finals in
1995–96- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
, but was unable to take them beyond 11th place in the Premiership – they had occupied this final position three times in four years. He did establish them as a force in cup competitions and made them capable of attracting top-class players – such as
Ruud Gullitis a Dutch football coach and former player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup...
– to the club.
England
Hoddle's three-year reign at Chelsea came to an end in 1996 when he accepted the England manager's job. He guided England to qualification for the 1998 World Cup, securing the team's entry with a memorable 0–0 draw in
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
against Italy. However, he caused controversy by omitting
Paul GascoignePaul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional football player who also had spells as a manager at Kettering Town....
from the squad and installing supposed
faith healerFaith healing is a concept that religious belief can bring about healing—either through prayers or rituals that, according to adherents, evoke a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability in particular indicated individuals. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
Eileen Drewery as part of the England coaching staff, which led to the team being dubbed "The Hod Squad". They reached the Second Round of the 1998 tournament, losing on penalties to Argentina. Hoddle came under fire after a disappointing start to the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign. Hoddle's time in charge of the national team was, sometime later, praised by
Harry RedknappHenry James "Harry" Redknapp is an English former footballer who has had a long career in football management. He is the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, a club in the English Premier League....
who believed him to have been the "perfect man for the job".
Dismissal from England job
On 30 January 1999, with the England team preparing for Euro 2000, and amidst the fall-out from the previous season's
World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as hosts by FIFA on 1 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, Hoddle gave an interview to
Matt DickinsonMatt Dickinson is a film-maker and writer who specialises in the wild places and people of the world.He was educated at Gresham's School. He joined the BBC in 1984, training as a researcher and production manager and working on programmes as diverse as Wogan, Jim'll Fix It and Ever Decreasing Circles...
of
The TimesThe Times is a daily national newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register....
newspaper in an attempt to defend himself against his critics (over issues such as
Eileen DreweryEileen Drewery is a purported faith healer, whose close connection to former England football manager Glenn Hoddle made her the subject of intense press scrutiny....
and his faith) and show a strong front for the remainder of the qualifiers.
Dickinson's interview suggested that Hoddle had a "controversial belief that the disabled, and others, are being punished for sins in a
former lifeKarma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies..'Karma' is an Eastern religious concept in contradistinction to...
." Hoddle's comments were criticised by several politicians including Sports Minister
Tony BanksAnthony Louis Banks, Baron Stratford was a British Labour politician, who was a Member of Parliament between 1983 and 2005, before being made a Member of the House of Lords. In government, he served for two years as Minister for Sport...
and
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
Tony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. Public opinion, based upon the immediate media furore resulted in (according to one BBC poll) 90% of respondents believing Hoddle should not continue as English coach. However the BBC survey showed that while many considered his comments insensitive to disabled people, others defended his right to express his religious beliefs by claiming that to sack him would constitute
religious discriminationReligious discrimination is valuing or treating a person or group differently because of what they do or do not believe.A concept like that of 'religious discrimination' is necessary to take into account ambiguities of the term religious persecution...
.
Hoddle stated that he was not prepared to resign and claimed his words were misinterpreted and pointed out his contributions and commitment to organisations helping disabled people.
The Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
terminated Hoddle's contract on 2 February 1999, which was welcomed by representatives of disabled groups. The disabled rights campaigner Lord Ashley however, while criticising Hoddle's views, defended his right to express them, likening the campaign against Hoddle to a "witchhunt" and considered Hoddle's dismissal "a sad day for British tolerance and freedom of speech" a view which was shared by the
Daily Mirror and
Daily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily tabloid newspaper. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982. Scottish and Irish editions of the paper were launched in...
and in several foreign newspapers. Some writers considered the remarks were used as a pretext to get rid of him. Hoddle apologised for the offence that had been caused, stating it had never been his intention and continued to fundraise for disabled groups after being dismissed. Much later criticism was made of Hoddle's dismissal on the grounds that he had not been forced out for footballing reasons, with the England side performing considerably worse under
Kevin KeeganJoseph Kevin Keegan, OBE , commonly known as Kevin Keegan, is a former international footballer, and former manager of several English clubs and the England national football team....
, his succesor
Southampton
Hoddle was back in football within a year as
SouthamptonSouthampton Football Club are a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. The club were relegated from the Championship in 2009, and play in League One in the 2009–10 season...
manager, succeeding
Dave JonesDavid Robert Jones is an English football manager currently in charge of Cardiff City.-Playing career:...
, who had been suspended in order to concentrate on clearing his name in connection with
child abuseChild abuse is the physical and/or psychological/emotional mistreatment of children. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts or commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential...
charges. Although these charges were later found to be false, Jones was not re-instated and Hoddle continued to be manager. Hoddle kept the Saints in the Premier League against all odds but left acrimoniously in March 2001 to return to Tottenham as manager.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham's league record in the decade leading up to Hoddle's appointment was disappointing. Hoddle was determined to establish them as a top playing side, and during his first season he had some wonderful opportunities to succeed. Tottenham reached the
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Carling Cup, is an English football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final and after winning 5–1 against Hoddle's former club Chelsea FC, Spurs were the favourites but they lost 2–1 to
Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire.The club was established in 1875, becoming a founding member of The Football League in 1888. It is one of only three clubs to have been both a founder member of the Football League...
. The club's promising early season form dwindled away into mediocrity and they finished ninth in the Premiership, an improvement on the previous season's 11th place but hardly impressive. Spurs began the
2002–03The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time....
season in fine form and Hoddle was named Premiership Manager of the Month for August 2002 after they ended the month top of the league. Although few people expected them to stay there, 10th place in the final table was still disappointing. The pressure began to build up on Hoddle and he was sacked in September 2003 after a poor start to the season, in which the team picked up just four points from their opening six league games and lay in the Premiership drop zone. Ironically, his final game in charge was a 3–1 loss to old side Southampton.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Hoddle was linked with a return to Southampton in early 2004, but opposition from supporters meant chairman
Rupert LoweRupert James Graham Lowe is a British businessman, who was the chairman of Southampton Football Club from 1996 to 2006. He regained his power in May 2008, teaming up with Michael Wilde, who had previously forced Lowe out, becoming chairman of the club's parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings...
pursued alternative targets. Instead he returned to management in December 2004 with
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is a professional football club representing the city of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands region of England, and currently playing in the Premier League. Commonly referred to by their nickname Wolves, the club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 have played...
, again succeeding Dave Jones. Wolves lost only one of remaining 25 games but failed to reach the play-offs because 15 of those games had been draws. Wolves were expected to finish in the top 6 under Hoddle in the 2005–2006 season but again draws cost them with Wolves drawing 19 of their 46 league games. They were also one of the lowest goalscoring teams in the division scoring just 50 goals in the league all season. Wolves finished 7th, 8 points off the playoffs. Wolves fans turned against Hoddle and there were chants against him during the last home game of the season against Watford.
The board kept faith with Hoddle, but he stepped down on 1 July 2006, stating differing expectations between himself and the club as the reason for his departure. In his time with Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club drew 34 league games in his 76 games in charge, spanning over two seasons.
He has yet to make a return to management. His name was linked with the manager's job at
Leeds UnitedLeeds United Association Football Club , commonly referred to as simply Leeds United, or informally Leeds, are an English professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire...
(owned by former Chelsea chairman
Ken BatesKenneth William "Ken" Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman of Leeds United Football Club Limited and Leeds United A.F.C., Bates was previously chairman and major shareholder of Chelsea F.C. from 1982 until 2003...
) when
Kevin BlackwellKevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper, and is the current manager of Sheffield United-Early career:...
was sacked in September 2006, but the job went to
Dennis WiseDennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United F.C.....
instead.
Football academy
As of January 2008, Hoddle is attempting to raise finance to form the
Glenn Hoddle AcademyThe Glenn Hoddle Academy was established in 2008, by former England international footballer Glenn Hoddle. Hoddle set the academy up in the memory of his brother, Carl, a former Tottenham Hotspur player who died aged 40.-Objectives:...
based in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. The aim of the academy is to give another chance to young players released by football clubs in England to become professional players.
He had a younger brother,
CarlCarl Hoddle was an English football player and coach.The younger brother of England international Glenn Hoddle, Carl began his career with Tottenham Hotspur in 1984. After five years he moved to Leyton Orient, where he played 29 times, before ending his playing career at Barnet in 1995 after 100...
, who was also a footballer (at a lower level). Carl died from a brain aneurysm on 2 March 2008, at 40 years of age.
Quotes
The stand-up comedian
Jasper CarrottJasper Carrott OBE is a British comedian , actor and television presenter.-Early life:...
once remarked of Hoddle:
- I hear Glenn Hoddle has found God. That must have been one hell of a pass.
Hoddle's former Chelsea team-mate
Tony CascarinoAnthony Guy Cascarino is a former association football player. He made his name as a striker for various British and French football clubs and for the Republic of Ireland national football team.Since retirement, he has presented on TalkSPORT radio and written for both The Times and Ireland's Hot...
has also commented:
- When Glenn tried to be funny, it was time to pass 'round the laughing gas because he was probably the unfunniest man I have ever known. He was also completely besotted with himself. If he had been an ice cream, he would have licked himself.
Hoddle lost his job as England manager immediately after being quoted as saying:
- You and I have been physically given two hands and two legs and a half-decent brain. Some people have not been born like that for a reason. The karma is working from another lifetime.
Career statistics
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1975–76- First Division :Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in their history...
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Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
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First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
||7||1||-||-||-||-||-||-||7||1
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1976–77- First Division :Liverpool retained their league championship trophy and won their first European Cup to confirm Bob Paisley as a successful replacement for Bill Shankly in his third season at the helm. Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City's long spells in the First Division came to an end with...
||39||4||1||0||2||1||-||-||42||5
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1977–78-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
||
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...
||41||12||2||1||2||0||-||-||45||13
|-
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1978–79-First Division:Bob Paisley won his third league title at Liverpool as his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph. Albion were in their first season under the management of Ron Atkinson, and during the season...
||rowspan="9"|
First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
||35||7||5||1||2||1||-||-||42||9
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1979–80- First Division :Bob Paisley's Liverpool retained their league championship trophy after fighting off a determined challenge by Dave Sexton's Manchester United...
||41||19||6||2||2||1||-||-||49||22
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1980–81- First Division :Ron Saunders completed Aston Villa's revival, as they ended their 71-year wait for the league championship trophy. They competed in a two-horse race with Ipswich Town during the final stages of the season before pipping the Suffolk side at the post...
||38||12||9||2||6||1||-||-||53||15
|-
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1981–82- First Division :3 points for a win was introduced for the first time in England. Champions Aston Villa finished a disappointing 11th but made up for this by triumphing in the European Cup at the first attempt....
||34||10||7||3||8||1||8||1||57||15
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1982–83- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His successor was long-serving coach Joe Fagan...
||24||1||1||0||3||0||1||0||29||1
|-
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1983–84- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
||24||4||3||0||3||1||6||0||36||5
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1984–85- First Division :Howard Kendall's Everton side beat neighbours Liverpool to the league championship, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United followed closely behind...
||28||8||3||0||3||0||6||0||40||8
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1985–86-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division:-Fourth Division:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-External links:...
||31||7||5||1||5||0||-||-||41||8
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1986–87- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off competition from runners-up Liverpool and third-placed Tottenham...
||35||3||6||1||8||4||-||-||49||8
|-
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1987–88AS Monaco won Division 1 season 1987-88 of the French Association Football League with 52 points.-Participating teams:-Final table:Promoted from Division 2 , who will play in Division 1 season 1988/1989...
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MonacoAssociation Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a Monégasque football club based in the Principality of Monaco. They play in the Ligue 1 and are one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies...
||rowspan="4"|
Division 1Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper...
||34||8||||||||||||||||
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1988–89Olympique de Marseille won Division 1 season 1988/1989 of the French Association Football League with 73 points.-Participating teams:-Final table:...
||32||18||||||||||||||||
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1989–90Olympique de Marseille won Division 1 season 1989/1990 of the French Association Football League with 53 points.-Participating teams:-Final table:Victoire à 2 points....
||3||1||||||||||||||||
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1990–91Olympique de Marseille won Division 1 season 1990/1991 of the French Association Football League with 55 points.-Participating teams:- Final table :...
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1991–92- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like future Celtic, Coventry and Southampton manager Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty and future manager...
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Swindon TownSwindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. The club's home ground is the County Ground, which has an all-seated capacity of 15,728....
||
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...
||22||0||-||-||3||0||-||-||25||0
|-
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1992–93-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
||
First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
||42||1||1||0||3||1||-||-||46||2
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1993–94This article describes the FA Premier League 1993-94 season.-New league sponsors:From the start of the 1993-94 season, the FA Premier League was sponsored by Carling Breweries.-Promoted teams:...
||rowspan="2"|
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||19||1||2||0||3||0||-||-||24||1
|-
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1994–95This article describes the FA Premier League 1994-95 season.-Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively...
||12||0||-||-||-||-||3||0||15||0
472||90||51||11||53||11||24||1||600||113
69||27||||||||||||||||
541||117||51||11||53||11||24||1||669||140
|}
As a player
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
- UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is a competition for eligible European football clubs; the second most prestigious European football contest after the UEFA Champions League. It is an annual football cup competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations...
winner: 1984The 1984 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 9 May and 23 May 1984 between R.S.C. Anderlecht of Belgium and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. of England. Tottenham won 4–3 on penalty kicks after the tie finished 2–2 on aggregate.-First leg:...
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
winner: 1981The 1981 FA Cup Final was contested by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley. The match finished 1–1 after extra time; Tommy Hutchison opened the scoring for City, and then scored an own-goal eleven minutes from time to bring Spurs level. In the replay, Spurs won 3–2, with...
, 1982The 1982 FA Cup Final took place on 22 May 1982 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers. Spurs were the holders of the trophy, and were hot favourites, while unfancied QPR had just missed out on promotion from the Second Division...
- FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup, though this tradition was only established twenty years into the fixture's existence...
winner: 1981
- FA Community Shield runner-up 1982
AS MonacoAssociation Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a Monégasque football club based in the Principality of Monaco. They play in the Ligue 1 and are one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies...
- Ligue 1 Title
Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper...
winner: 1987–88
- French Cup
Coupe de France, or Coupe Charles Simon, is a competition for French football clubs, open to all professional and non-professional teams. The cup is one of many inter-French club competitions that have been organised by the French Football Federation...
winner: 1991
As a player manager
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
runner-up: 1994
As a manager
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
- Worthington Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Carling Cup, is an English football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
runner-up: 2001–02The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely-fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
- Tournoi de France winner: 1997
Managerial statistics
| Team |
Nat |
From |
To |
Record |
| G | W | L | D | Win % |
|---|
| Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. The club's home ground is the County Ground, which has an all-seated capacity of 15,728....
|
England |
April 1991 |
June 1993 |
115 |
49 |
34 |
32 |
42.6 |
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
|
England |
June 1993 |
May 1996 |
157 |
53 |
50 |
54 |
33.76 |
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
|
England |
September 1996 |
February 1999 |
28 |
17 |
5 |
6 |
60.7 |
SouthamptonSouthampton Football Club are a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. The club were relegated from the Championship in 2009, and play in League One in the 2009–10 season...
|
England |
January 2000 |
March 2001 |
52 |
22 |
18 |
12 |
42.3 |
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
|
England |
April 2001 |
September 2003 |
104 |
41 |
45 |
18 |
39.4 |
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is a professional football club representing the city of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands region of England, and currently playing in the Premier League. Commonly referred to by their nickname Wolves, the club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 have played...
|
England |
December 2004 |
July 2006 |
76 |
27 |
15 |
34 |
35.5 |
External links