Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to
Milan MandaricMilan Mandarić is a Serbian-American business tycoon who has owned a string of successful businesses and football clubs including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. He currently is the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday...
Despite having a low profile playing career, Wilkinson embarked on a successful managerial career. He won the
First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
championship in 1992 with
Leeds UnitedLeeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, the final season before the creation of the Premier League. To date, he remains the last English manager to win the top flight league in England. He later had two spells as
caretaker managerIn association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
of the
English national teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
His son
BenAlistair Benjamin "Ben" Wilkinson is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder. He has played for Hull City, Harrogate Town, Gretna, York City, Altrincham, Chester City, Tamworth and Boston United.-Career:...
is a professional footballer, who most recently played for
Chester CityChester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
but is now unattached after the club was dissolved.
Playing career
Born in the Netherthorpe district of
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Yorkshire, Wilkinson began his playing career with local team Sheffield United, before joinging cross-city rivals
Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. After making just 22 league appearances, between 1962 and 1966, he joined
Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
where he played well over a hundred league matches as a winger, helping the club to win promotion to the then second division in 1972. His final club was
Boston UnitedBoston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
. Whilst there, he won several
Northern Premier LeagueThe Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
titles. It was at the Pilgrims where he began his managerial career, being appointed
player managerPlayer Manager was a football management game, released in 1990. It was notable for being the first game to combine both managing the team and playing as a single player. The match engine borrowed heavily off the Kick Off match engine, which was developed by Dino Dini and Anco, who also created...
in 1975. He won two more Northern Premier League titles as the manager.
Notts County
Wilkinson began his full time coaching career at
Notts CountyNotts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
where he was taken on and tutored by County's manager
Jimmy SirrelJames "Jimmy" Sirrel was a Scottish football player and manager best known for his management career....
. After Sirrell became the club's General Manager, Wilkinson assumed control of the team for the 1982–83 season and County managed a reasonable return of 52 points, achieving a finish of 15th in the
First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
.
Sheffield Wednesday
In June 1983 Wilkinson dropped a division to become manager of
Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, where he established his reputation as a manager despite never having been a big-name player. Wednesday won promotion from 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 his first season and Wilkinson maintained their place in England's top flight for the next four years – with a highest finish of fifth in the 1985–86 season. An Owl through and through, he still to this day, remains faithful and involved with his team.
Leeds United
Wilkinson's greatest success as a manager came after moving to Wednesday's
YorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
rivals
Leeds UnitedLeeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in October 1988. He soon drilled discipline into a lacklustre squad and earned the affectionate nickname
"Sergeant Wilko", a play on the old TV-show
Sergeant Bilko. The team won 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 1989–90 after the signings of
Gordon StrachanGordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
who became captain, hardman
Vinnie JonesVincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
(who Wilkinson guided to a whole season with only three yellow cards),
Mel SterlandMelvyn "Mel" Sterland is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United and in the Scottish Football League Premier Division for Rangers, and was capped once for England.-Playing career:Sterland's career is distinctly in two...
,
Chris FaircloughCourtney "Chris" Huw Fairclough is a retired footballer most notable for playing for Nottingham Forest and Leeds United. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur, Bolton Wanderers, Notts County and York City.-Early career:...
and
Lee ChapmanLee Chapman is an English former footballer who scored almost 200 first-team goals as a striker. He was best known for his spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United...
. Following the promotion, Wilkinson immediately offloaded Jones and brought in
Gary McAllisterGary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...
from
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and
John LukicJovan "John" Lukic is an English former football goalkeeper who was a member of Football League championship sides with two different clubs and played at the highest level of English football in four separate decades.-Childhood and early life:Lukic was born in Chesterfield to Yugoslavian parents;...
was brought back from
ArsenalArsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He also helped players who had come up through the youth team,
Gary SpeedGary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
and
David BattyDavid Batty is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder....
, to mature to the new level of football.
In Leeds' first season in the First Division they performed very well for a newly promoted team and ended the season fourth in the league. "Wilko" felt further improvement was required on the squad and brought in
Rod WallaceRodney Seymour "Rod" Wallace is a retired English footballer.Wallace played predominantly as a striker or part of an attacking forward line. He started his career at Southampton in 1988 playing 128 league games scoring 45 goals. This form earned him a transfer to Leeds where he won the first...
,
Tony DorigoAnthony Robert Dorigo is a retired English football player who played for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leeds United and the England national side as a left-back.-Career:...
and
Steve HodgeStephen Brian Hodge is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a high-profile club and international career in the 1980s and 1990s.- Playing career :...
finalising his best squad with
Eric CantonaEric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
in February 1992. Leeds won the last championship of the old-style
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1992. As of 2010, Wilkinson is the last English manager to have coached a team to the English league championship title; the five subsequent winning managers have been
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(
Alex FergusonSir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
and
Kenny DalglishKenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
), French (
Arsène WengerArsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
),
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(
José MourinhoJosé Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
) and Italian (
Carlo AncelottiCarlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
). He also guided Leeds to the
Charity ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
in 1992, beating then-
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
holders
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
4–3 at Wembley. However, his subsequent time at Leeds was less successful, and even though he guided the team to the
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final, after a poor start to the 1996–97 season including a 4–0 defeat to bitter rivals
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, on 9 September 1996, he was sacked.
Howard Wilkinson made one of the most infamous transfer decisions ever when selling Cantona to Alex Ferguson's Manchester United on 27 November 1992 for £1.2m. The Frenchman went on to become a legend at Old Trafford and a linchpin in the side that won 4 Premier League titles in 5 seasons.
In December 1999, Wilkinson revealed that Arsenal had made an approach for him during the summer of 1995, when they were searching for a successor to
George GrahamGeorge Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
, who had been sacked for accepting an illegal payment three years earlier. However, the Leeds board rejected Arsenal's approach for him and
Bruce RiochBruce David Rioch is an English-born football manager and former player. He was manager of Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga, until his sacking on 23 October 2008....
was appointed instead.
Shortly after his exit from
Elland RoadElland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
,
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
chairman
Francis LeeFrancis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
expressed interest in appointing Wilkinson as manager of the
Maine RoadMaine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
club a few months after their relegation from the Premier League. However, Lee then turned to Frank Clark, who had resigned as
Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
manager.
The Football Association
Four months after leaving Leeds, in January 1997, Wilkinson was hired by the sport's governing body in England,
the Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of 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...
, to act as its Technical Director, overseeing coaching and other training programmes at all levels of the game. Under him the FA began the
National Football CentreSt George's Park is the FA's National Football Centre which is situated near Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and is due to be completed in 2012. It was originally referred to as NFC by The FA and was informally referred to as "Burton" but following a public consultation the FA favoured a name...
project.
In his position as Technical Director of the FA, he managed the England team on a caretaker basis in 1999 for a friendly against
FranceThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
following the sacking of
Glenn HoddleGlenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
. Following this he acted for a time as the permanent coach of the
England Under-21 teamEngland's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
, controversially selecting himself to replace Hoddle's choice of manager,
Peter TaylorPeter John Taylor is an English football manager and former player and current head coach of the Bahrain national football team...
. Wilkinson was unsuccessful in this role; despite inheriting a team who were unbeaten and yet to concede a goal, he lost three of his six matches in charge. Wilkinson resigned from the post in June 2001, to be replaced by David Platt (Taylor would end up back in charge three years later). He returned to the role of caretaker of the senior team in October 2000 following the resignation of Hoddle's permanent successor
Kevin KeeganJoseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, overseeing a 0–0 draw in a World Cup qualifying match against
FinlandThe Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
.
Sunderland
In 2002 he left his role as FA technical director in order to return to club management at struggling Premier League side
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, with
Steve CotterillStephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...
as his assistant. However, his time there was nothing short of a catastrophe, and he was sacked in March 2003, as Sunderland languished at the bottom of the Premier League with a then league-history-worst total of 19 points. He won only two league games out of a possible twenty.
Later career
Wilkinson briefly returned to management in March 2004, taking charge of Chinese club
Shanghai ShenhuaShanghai Shenhua is a professional Chinese football club currently playing in Chinese Super League. The club is currently owned by Zhu Jun , Shanghai SVA Group, SMEG and Huangpu Investment Ltd. . The current head coach is Dražen Besek...
on a short term contract, but left two months later due to personal reasons. In October 2004, he was temporarily appointed as first team coach of
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, following the departures of manager
Micky AdamsMichael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
and coach
Alan CorkAlan Cork is an English former professional football player. He played as a striker for several clubs, most notably Wimbledon and has held a number of managerial and coaching posts since his retirement from playing. Cork is a member of the Wimbledon Old Players Association...
. Wilkinson returned to Notts County in December 2004 where he became a
non-executive directorA non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
. He held a coaching role as technical director from June 2006 until September 2007 when he left the club altogether.
He is currently the chairman of the
League Managers AssociationThe League Managers Association is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football...
.
On 9 January 2009 Wilkinson was confirmed as the new Technical Adviser of
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
Upon the resignation of
Lee StraffordLee Strafford is a former chairman of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. He is co-founder of TheNetStart. Lee was also co-founder and CEO of successful UK ISP PlusNet....
on 17 May 2010, Wilkinson became the interim chairman of the club. He confronted fans after they protested against the club following a 1–0 defeat to Southampton. Notably, Howard's primary function in his role has been to negotiate the essential investment that Sheffield Wednesday require to avoid the threat of administration when a winding up petition is to be presented by HMRC on 17 November 2010.
As a player
Boston UnitedBoston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
- Northern Premier League Title
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
winner: 1972–73, 1973–74
As a manager
Boston UnitedBoston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
- Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
winner: 1976
- Northern Premier League Challenge Shield
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
winner: 1976
- Lincs County Cup
The Lincolnshire Football Association, often known simply as the Lincolnshire FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Lincolnshire, England...
winner: 1976–77
Leeds United
- Second Division Title
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
winner: 1989–90
- First Division Title
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
winner: 1991–92
- FA Charity Shield winner: 1992
- Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
runner-up: 1995–96
- FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
winner: 1993
- English Manager of Year winner 1991/92
Managerial statistics
| eam |
at |
rom |
o |
Record |
| G |
W |
D |
L |
Win % |
Boston UnitedBoston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
|
 |
February 1975 |
November 1976
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| Notts County Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
|
|
July 1982 |
June 1983
|
Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
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June 1983 |
October 1988
|
| Leeds United |
|
October 1988 |
September 1996
|
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
|
|
1999 |
1999
|
| England U-21s England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
|
|
1999 |
2001
|
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
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|
2000 |
2000
|
| Sunderland Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
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|
October 2002 |
March 2003
|
| Shanghai Shenhua Shanghai Shenhua is a professional Chinese football club currently playing in Chinese Super League. The club is currently owned by Zhu Jun , Shanghai SVA Group, SMEG and Huangpu Investment Ltd. . The current head coach is Dražen Besek...
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 |
2004 |
2004
|
External links