John McGovern is a
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...
former association football player and
managerA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. McGovern is most famous for captaining the
Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
side that won the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
twice, under the management of
Brian CloughBrian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
.
Although McGovern was born in Scotland, he moved with his family to
HartlepoolHartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
at the age of seven. He was a fine all-round athlete from an early age, but it was at rugby rather than football that he first excelled. At school in Hartlepool, he was the fly half and captain of the first XV. Switching to the round-ball code at 15, he was signed on apprentice forms by
Brian CloughBrian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
and in Hartlepool's first team at the age of 16.
At the age of 19 he became the youngest player to play in all four divisions of
the 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...
and during his playing career he won promotion with
Hartlepool UnitedHartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
,
Derby CountyDerby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and
Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. He also won two Scottish U23 caps, and was to go on a play over 500 league games during his career. He forged a long-lasting relationship with manager,
Brian CloughBrian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, and assistant-manager, Peter Taylor, at both Derby County and Nottingham Forest, who recognised his footballing ability, despite his missing a muscle in his back.
McGovern transferred from Hartlepool United to Derby County for a fee of £7500 in September 1968, and by January he had established himself in the Derby side that was to win promotion back to 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....
and won the First Division title in 1972.
He was still with the Rams when
Brian CloughBrian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
controversially resigned as manager in October 1973, but Clough took him to Leeds United in August 1974 just after beginning what would be an ill-fated 44-day spell as manager of the
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...
side. Clough made a quick management comeback in January 1975 with Second Division side Nottingham Forest in January 1975 and Clough signed him for Forest the following month.. McGovern went on to be captain of Nottingham Forest where he won the League Championship again along with two
League CupsThe 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...
and two
European CupsThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. He would end up spending more than seven years at the
City GroundThe City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
.
McGovern joined
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
as
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 1982–83, and he made a total of 16 League appearances for them before moving to Horwich RMI. . During his time at Bolton he had to work under tight financial restraints and therefore had to rely on a lot of the clubs younger players including
Warren JoyceWarren Garton Joyce is a former footballer who played in The Football League, and now works as a coach.-Early life at Bolton:...
,
Steve ThompsonSteven James "Steve" Thompson is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager at Blackpool.-Playing career:...
,
Simon FarnworthSimon Farnworth is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for Bolton Wanderers, Bury, Preston North End and Wigan Athletic, and made over 500 appearances during his career....
and Jimmy Phillips all of whom are now working as football coaches themselves.
Assistant Manager at
Plymouth ArgylePlymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
and
Hull CityHull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, Joint Manager at
Rotherham UnitedRotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
(with
Archie GemmillArchibald "Archie" Gemmill is a Scottish former footballer, most famous for a goal he scored against the Netherlands in the 1978 FIFA World Cup...
), and he was also Manager of
Woking F.C.Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
from 1997 to 1998.
Honours
Derby County
Nottingham Forest:
- European Cup: 1979
The 1979 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympiastadion, Munich, on 30 May 1979, that saw Nottingham Forest of England defeat Malmö FF of Sweden 1–0.-Background:...
, 1980The 1980 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, on 28 May 1980, that saw Nottingham Forest of England defeat Hamburg of Germany 1–0. In the 21st minute, John Robertson squeezed a shot past Hamburg keeper Rudolf Kargus for the only goal of the game, to...
- League Cup: 1978
The 1978 Football League Cup Final was the eighteenth League Cup final, and was contested between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The initial match resulted in a 0–0 draw at Wembley Stadium on 18 March 1978...
, 1979The 1979 Football League Cup Final took place on 17 March 1979 at Wembley Stadium. It was the nineteenth Football League Cup final and the thirteenth to be played at Wembley. It was contested between Nottingham Forest and Southampton. Forest were the hot favourites to win being the holders of the...
- FA Charity Shield: 1978
The 1978 FA Charity Shield was the 56th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match took place on 12 August 1978 at Wembley Stadium and played between 1977–78 Football League champions Nottingham...
- Anglo-Scottish Cup
The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for teams in the English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s...
: 1976–77
Career statistics
This table is incomplete.
| Club |
Season |
League |
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
|
League Cup In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
|
Europe |
Other |
Total |
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
|
1965–66 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1 |
0 |
| 1966–67 |
33 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 34 |
1 |
| 1967–68 |
33 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 35 |
4 |
| 1968–69 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| 6 |
2 |
| Total |
72 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 76 | 7 |
Derby CountyDerby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
|
1968–69 |
18 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| 1969–70 |
33 |
4 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| 1970–71 |
34 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
| 3 |
1 |
42 |
8 |
| 1971–72 |
40 |
3 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
? |
? |
| 1972–73 |
39 |
1 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| 1973–74 |
26 |
2 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| Total |
190 | 16 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 227 | 20 |
| Leeds United |
1974–75 |
4 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
|
1974–75 |
8 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| 1975–76 |
41 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| 1976–77 |
39 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
? |
? |
| 1977–78 |
31 |
4 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| 1978–79 |
36 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| 1979–80 |
41 |
2 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| 1980–81 |
27 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
36 |
0 |
| 1981–82 |
30 |
0 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| ? |
? |
| Total |
253 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 33 | 3 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 335 | 11 |
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
|
1982–83 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
| 18 |
1 |
| 1983–84 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Total |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 20 |
1 |
| Career totals |
535 | 27 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
External links