Mark McGhee
Encyclopedia
Mark Edward McGhee is a former Scottish
professional football player. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United
, Aberdeen
, Hamburg
, Celtic
, IK Brage
and Reading
. McGhee was part of the Aberdeen side which won the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup and 1983 UEFA Super Cup
, as well as three Scottish Premier Division titles. McGhee has since managed several clubs in both England and Scotland.
– where he scored 36 goals in 99 appearances, including a fantastic last minute winner against Bradford, Aberdeen
, Hamburg
, Celtic
, IK Brage
and Reading
and won the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year
in 1982 as well as four caps and two goals for the Scotland national football team
. He also played for Queen of the South
as a guest player against Manchester United in a benefit game following the Lockerbie air disaster.
His greatest career moment came in 1983 when he was in the Aberdeen side that defeated Real Madrid 2–1 to lift the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup in Gothenburg. He also scored as Aberdeen won the 1983 UEFA Super Cup
.
in 1991, succeeding Ian Porterfield, after being recommended for the post by his ex-manager Alex Ferguson
. He officially retired as a player in 1993 and won the Division Two
title with the Royals the following season and quickly adapted to the second flight during the next campaign, taking the team as high as second place by December 1994.
This spotlighted him as an up-and-coming young manager and he was offered the chance to move to Premier League Leicester City
. His move in December 1994 came despite having agreed a long term contract to remain at Reading. However, he joined with the Foxes adrift in the relegation zone and was unable to keep them up, finishing second bottom.
He remained at Filbert Street
post-relegation and set about launching a promotion campaign but did not see the season out after being approached by Wolverhampton Wanderers
. He left to take control at Wolves in December 1995, less than 12 months after arriving at Leicester. This was the second successive time he had walked out on his post, creating a media image of him as being disloyal and ruthlessly ambitious.
on 13 December 1995, taking his assistant Colin Lee
along with him, following the sacking of Graham Taylor. The club's hopes of promotion lay in tatters at the time after just 5 wins from their previous 21 games, and his first game saw another loss, as they went down 0–1 to Port Vale
at Molineux
.
He quickly added midfielders Simon Osborn
and Steve Corica
and tried to implement a more passing game than the direct tactics of his predecessor. The team enjoyed a strong start to 1996, and had lifted themselves to the verge of the play-offs by March. However, their early season form returned in the final months and they failed to win any of their final 8 fixtures, ending in 20th, just 3 points clear of relegation, marking their lowest finish since returning to the division in 1989.
McGhee was given further funds to invest in the summer and brought in Iwan Roberts
and Dougie Freedman
to boost the attack. The 1996/97 season
duly saw them launch a promotion campaign, with ambitions of an automatic spot. However, a poor string of results in the final 10 games, allowed surprise package Barnsley
to snatch second place behind runaway champions Bolton Wanderers
, condemning Wolves to the play-offs. McGhee saw his team concede two late goals in a 3–1 defeat at Crystal Palace
in their semi final tie, which ultimately cost them the chance of reaching the Premier League, despite a 2–1 victory in the return leg.
His failure to reach the top flight prompted a tirade from Wolves owner Sir Jack Hayward, who moaned that he would no longer be "the golden tit", supplying the club with endless finance. He cut McGhee's spending power and both Freedman and Roberts, McGhee's previous big money buys, were quickly sold off. Hayward also fired his son Jonathan as chairman, who had been instrumental in bringing McGhee to the club, thus undermining his job security.
The 1997/98 season
saw the club largely outside the play-off places, ending in 9th. McGhee's high point of the campaign was their FA Cup
run which saw them make the semi finals for the first time since 1981, and marked his best Cup run as a manager. However, his Wembley dream was dashed by Arsenal
(double
winners that season) as they edged past the Midlanders 1–0 at Villa Park.
The following season started well for McGhee as he won his opening four games, but the following twelve brought just two victories. This prompted Wolves to fire him on 5 November 1998. His assistant Colin Lee
took over the reins on a temporary basis, later made permanent.
He managed a total of 156 competitive games for Wolves; 64 of them were won, 38 drawn and 54 lost.
, who were at the time managed by Gordon Strachan
, as a scout. After only two months he was appointed manager at third flight Millwall
in September 2000, replacing the duo of Keith Stevens
and Alan McLeary
. McGhee swiftly won the Division Two
title in his first season and led the club to the Division One play-offs in the following campaign. Here, he suffered more play-off agony as the club lost to a last minute Birmingham City
goal to deny them a place in the final.
The 2002–03 season
saw McGhee take the club to 9th, falling eight points short of another play-off finish. The next season saw things take a downward turn as his relationship with chairman Theo Paphitis
strained and players began to be sold. McGhee left The New Den
on 15 October 2003, following a 0–1 home defeat to Preston North End
.
who moved to one of McGhee's former clubs,
The club had been relegated to League One the previous season, but McGhee managed to regain promotion to the Championship
in his first season as they won the play-offs, after beating Bristol City
1–0 in the final. He managed to keep the club in the Championship the following season in 2004/05
, finishing 20th, their highest league position in 14 years.
However, he led the club to relegation the following season, when they were finally mathematically condemned at home by . McGhee was sacked as Brighton manager on 8 September 2006 after nearly three years with the club, following three consecutive defeats in the 2006–07 season.
and in February 2007 was reported to have applied for the manager's position at Swansea City
.
However, on 18 June 2007, he was appointed new manager of Motherwell
and to be assisted by Scott Leitch
.
McGhee transformed Motherwell from a team that just avoided relegation
to finishing 3rd in his first season in charge
, which meant that Motherwell qualified for the UEFA Cup. This was the first time in 13 years that Motherwell had qualified for European competition
. Pundits believe this is due to the fluent, attacking style of football that McGhee had introduced.
His sensitive handling of the death of club captain Phil O'Donnell, who collapsed on the pitch during a game with Dundee United
and never regained consciousness, enhanced his profile within the club, Lanarkshire
and Scotland
.
, a longtime friend and former teammate of McGhee, recommended him for the then-vacant Scotland
manager's position
in November 2007 due his success in previous managerial positions. However, despite making the shortlist of candidates, he eventually missed out on the post to George Burley
.
made an official approach to Motherwell asking them permission to speak to McGhee about making him their new manager, which Motherwell refused. It was reported that McGhee wanted a meeting with Vladimir Romanov
to seek reassurances about team selection and squad control at Hearts before moving. McGhee was expected to move, but on 26 May, Motherwell put a statement on their official site stating that McGhee would stay with them.
. His first competitive match in charge resulted in a 5–1 home defeat by Czech
team Sigma Olomouc
in the UEFA Europa League. Aberdeen lost the return leg 3–0, resulting in an 8–1 aggregate defeat, which is Aberdeen's heaviest defeat in UEFA
competition. After another poor result against First Division
side Raith Rovers
in February, McGhee claimed he was spat at by members of the Aberdeen support.
On 6 November 2010, Aberdeen fell to a humiliating 9–0 defeat
at the hands of Celtic
, which set a new club record defeat. McGhee failed to apologise for the performance, much to the ire of the fans. McGhee had previously stated to the press "Go and look me up on Wikipedia
. I've got a track record". It was announced days later that McGhee had been given a vote of confidence to continue as manager. After further poor results, however, McGhee was sacked on 1 December. The club were second bottom of the SPL and only avoided last place on goal difference. His tenure ended with McGhee being statistically the second least successful Aberdeen manager, only ahead of Alex Miller
, with just 17 wins from 62 matches (27.42%).
Scotland
Scotland 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...
professional football player. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, IK Brage
IK Brage
IK Brage is a Swedish football club located in Borlänge. The club, formed 1925, has played 18 seasons in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The 2010 season will be played in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. McGhee was part of the Aberdeen side which won the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup and 1983 UEFA Super Cup
1983 UEFA Super Cup
The 1983 UEFA Super Cup was a two-legged match contested between the European Cup champions Hamburger SV, and the European Cup Winners' Cup champions Aberdeen.The match was tied at 0–0 in the first leg at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg...
, as well as three Scottish Premier Division titles. McGhee has since managed several clubs in both England and Scotland.
Playing career
McGhee played for a host of Scottish and English clubs, before he had to abruptly retire because of injury. He started his playing career at Greenock Morton before moving on to Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
– where he scored 36 goals in 99 appearances, including a fantastic last minute winner against Bradford, Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, IK Brage
IK Brage
IK Brage is a Swedish football club located in Borlänge. The club, formed 1925, has played 18 seasons in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The 2010 season will be played in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
and won the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year
Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football...
in 1982 as well as four caps and two goals for the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. He also played for Queen of the South
Queen of the South
For other uses see Queen of the South Queen of the South is an alternative title for the Queen of Sheba. The phrase Queen of the South is used in the New Testament and is attributed to Jesus Christ....
as a guest player against Manchester United in a benefit game following the Lockerbie air disaster.
His greatest career moment came in 1983 when he was in the Aberdeen side that defeated Real Madrid 2–1 to lift the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup in Gothenburg. He also scored as Aberdeen won the 1983 UEFA Super Cup
1983 UEFA Super Cup
The 1983 UEFA Super Cup was a two-legged match contested between the European Cup champions Hamburger SV, and the European Cup Winners' Cup champions Aberdeen.The match was tied at 0–0 in the first leg at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg...
.
Early years
McGhee's management career began as player-manager at third tier ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in 1991, succeeding Ian Porterfield, after being recommended for the post by his ex-manager Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir 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...
. He officially retired as a player in 1993 and won the Division Two
Football League Second Division
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...
title with the Royals the following season and quickly adapted to the second flight during the next campaign, taking the team as high as second place by December 1994.
This spotlighted him as an up-and-coming young manager and he was offered the chance to move to Premier League Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. His move in December 1994 came despite having agreed a long term contract to remain at Reading. However, he joined with the Foxes adrift in the relegation zone and was unable to keep them up, finishing second bottom.
He remained at Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
post-relegation and set about launching a promotion campaign but did not see the season out after being approached by Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. He left to take control at Wolves in December 1995, less than 12 months after arriving at Leicester. This was the second successive time he had walked out on his post, creating a media image of him as being disloyal and ruthlessly ambitious.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
McGhee moved to WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 13 December 1995, taking his assistant Colin Lee
Colin Lee
Colin Lee is an English football manager and former footballer. He is currently Chief Executive of League Two side Torquay United and President of Buckfastleigh Rangers Football & Social Club.-Playing career:...
along with him, following the sacking of Graham Taylor. The club's hopes of promotion lay in tatters at the time after just 5 wins from their previous 21 games, and his first game saw another loss, as they went down 0–1 to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
.
He quickly added midfielders Simon Osborn
Simon Osborn
Simon Osborn is an English footballer who played as a midfielder.-Playing career:A central midfielder, Osborn started his career as a trainee at Crystal Palace in 1988, turning professional for the 1989-90 season, when his performances for a newly promoted Palace side secured their First Division...
and Steve Corica
Steve Corica
Stephen Christopher Corica is a former Australian football player who last played for Australian A-League team Sydney FC. A technically gifted and skillful player playing primarily as an attacking midfielder, he is very versatile, able to play both centrally or out wide, or even pushed up as a...
and tried to implement a more passing game than the direct tactics of his predecessor. The team enjoyed a strong start to 1996, and had lifted themselves to the verge of the play-offs by March. However, their early season form returned in the final months and they failed to win any of their final 8 fixtures, ending in 20th, just 3 points clear of relegation, marking their lowest finish since returning to the division in 1989.
McGhee was given further funds to invest in the summer and brought in Iwan Roberts
Iwan Roberts
Iwan Wyn Roberts is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a striker for a number of English league clubs. The most notable period of his club career was with Norwich City...
and Dougie Freedman
Dougie Freedman
Douglas "Dougie" Freedman is a Scottish former professional football player who played as a striker. He is currently manager at Championship club Crystal Palace, where he spent ten of his sixteen years as a player.-Barnet:...
to boost the attack. The 1996/97 season
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
duly saw them launch a promotion campaign, with ambitions of an automatic spot. However, a poor string of results in the final 10 games, allowed surprise package Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
to snatch second place behind runaway champions Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton 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....
, condemning Wolves to the play-offs. McGhee saw his team concede two late goals in a 3–1 defeat at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in their semi final tie, which ultimately cost them the chance of reaching the Premier League, despite a 2–1 victory in the return leg.
His failure to reach the top flight prompted a tirade from Wolves owner Sir Jack Hayward, who moaned that he would no longer be "the golden tit", supplying the club with endless finance. He cut McGhee's spending power and both Freedman and Roberts, McGhee's previous big money buys, were quickly sold off. Hayward also fired his son Jonathan as chairman, who had been instrumental in bringing McGhee to the club, thus undermining his job security.
The 1997/98 season
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
saw the club largely outside the play-off places, ending in 9th. McGhee's high point of the campaign was their FA Cup
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...
run which saw them make the semi finals for the first time since 1981, and marked his best Cup run as a manager. However, his Wembley dream was dashed by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal 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...
(double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
winners that season) as they edged past the Midlanders 1–0 at Villa Park.
The following season started well for McGhee as he won his opening four games, but the following twelve brought just two victories. This prompted Wolves to fire him on 5 November 1998. His assistant Colin Lee
Colin Lee
Colin Lee is an English football manager and former footballer. He is currently Chief Executive of League Two side Torquay United and President of Buckfastleigh Rangers Football & Social Club.-Playing career:...
took over the reins on a temporary basis, later made permanent.
He managed a total of 156 competitive games for Wolves; 64 of them were won, 38 drawn and 54 lost.
Millwall
On 6 July 2000 McGhee joined Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, who were at the time managed by Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon 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,...
, as a scout. After only two months he was appointed manager at third flight Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in September 2000, replacing the duo of Keith Stevens
Keith Stevens
Keith Henry "Rhino" Stevens is an English former professional footballer.He spent his entire first-class playing career with Millwall, making his debut in a Third Division fixture against Oxford United in April 1981, when still only 16 years old...
and Alan McLeary
Alan McLeary
Alan McLeary is a retired English football defender. He spent the majority of his career at Millwall, but also had spells at Charlton Athletic and Bristol City, as well as loan spells at Sheffield United and Wimbledon....
. McGhee swiftly won the Division Two
Football League Second Division
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...
title in his first season and led the club to the Division One play-offs in the following campaign. Here, he suffered more play-off agony as the club lost to a last minute Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
goal to deny them a place in the final.
The 2002–03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*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.-Most Memorable...
saw McGhee take the club to 9th, falling eight points short of another play-off finish. The next season saw things take a downward turn as his relationship with chairman Theo Paphitis
Theo Paphitis
Theodorus "Theo" Paphitis is a retail magnate and British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin. He made the majority of his fortune in the retail sector, and is best known to the general public for his appearances on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den and as former chairman of Millwall...
strained and players began to be sold. McGhee left The New Den
The New Den
The Den , is a football stadium and the home of Millwall FC. It is situated in South Bermondsey, South East London, almost directly adjacent to the railway line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate, plus the SELCHP incinerator. It is under a quarter of a mile away from original Den...
on 15 October 2003, following a 0–1 home defeat to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
.
Brighton
McGhee was appointed manager of Brighton on 28 October 2003, just 13 days after leaving Millwall . Here, he inherited the team left by Steve CoppellSteve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
who moved to one of McGhee's former clubs,
The club had been relegated to League One the previous season, but McGhee managed to regain promotion to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
in his first season as they won the play-offs, after beating Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
1–0 in the final. He managed to keep the club in the Championship the following season in 2004/05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, finishing 20th, their highest league position in 14 years.
However, he led the club to relegation the following season, when they were finally mathematically condemned at home by . McGhee was sacked as Brighton manager on 8 September 2006 after nearly three years with the club, following three consecutive defeats in the 2006–07 season.
Motherwell
In 2006, he was linked with the vacant managerial post at Irish club BohemiansBohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
and in February 2007 was reported to have applied for the manager's position at Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
.
However, on 18 June 2007, he was appointed new manager of Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
and to be assisted by Scott Leitch
Scott Leitch
Scott Leitch is a Scottish former professional footballer and former manager of Ross County.Leitch began his playing career in 1989 at Shettleston Juniors F.C. before turning professional with Dunfermline Athletic in April 1990...
.
McGhee transformed Motherwell from a team that just avoided relegation
Scottish Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 Scottish Premier League season was the ninth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on July 29, 2006.The league champions, Celtic and runners-up, Rangers, qualified for the UEFA Champions League on the return of Walter Smith as manager following a brief and disastrous...
to finishing 3rd in his first season in charge
Scottish Premier League 2007-08
The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008...
, which meant that Motherwell qualified for the UEFA Cup. This was the first time in 13 years that Motherwell had qualified for European competition
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. Pundits believe this is due to the fluent, attacking style of football that McGhee had introduced.
His sensitive handling of the death of club captain Phil O'Donnell, who collapsed on the pitch during a game with Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
and never regained consciousness, enhanced his profile within the club, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland 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...
.
Scotland approach
Gordon StrachanGordon Strachan
Gordon 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,...
, a longtime friend and former teammate of McGhee, recommended him for the then-vacant Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
manager's position
Head coach
A 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...
in November 2007 due his success in previous managerial positions. However, despite making the shortlist of candidates, he eventually missed out on the post to George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
.
Hearts approach
On 23 May 2008, HeartsHeart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
made an official approach to Motherwell asking them permission to speak to McGhee about making him their new manager, which Motherwell refused. It was reported that McGhee wanted a meeting with Vladimir Romanov
Vladimir Romanov
Vladimir Nikolayevich Romanov ; born 1947 in Tver Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR) is an ethnic Russian businessman who also holds Lithuanian citizenship following that country's independence from the Soviet Union. He is chairman of UBIG Investments which is the majority shareholder in Scottish Premier...
to seek reassurances about team selection and squad control at Hearts before moving. McGhee was expected to move, but on 26 May, Motherwell put a statement on their official site stating that McGhee would stay with them.
Aberdeen
On 12 June 2009, McGhee was confirmed as the new manager of AberdeenAberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
. His first competitive match in charge resulted in a 5–1 home defeat by Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
team Sigma Olomouc
SK Sigma Olomouc
SK Sigma Olomouc is a Czech football club from the city of Olomouc. They reached the quarterfinals of the 1991-1992 UEFA Cup.Since 2011, Olomouc have had an agreement where FK SAN-JV Šumperk is acting as their farm team.- Historical names :...
in the UEFA Europa League. Aberdeen lost the return leg 3–0, resulting in an 8–1 aggregate defeat, which is Aberdeen's heaviest defeat in UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competition. After another poor result against First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
side Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
in February, McGhee claimed he was spat at by members of the Aberdeen support.
On 6 November 2010, Aberdeen fell to a humiliating 9–0 defeat
Celtic v Aberdeen (6 November 2010)
The Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen on 6 November 2010 at Celtic Park in Glasgow set a record as the biggest home win in the league's history.The match included nine goals for Celtic, two hat-tricks, three penalties and two red cards....
at the hands of Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, which set a new club record defeat. McGhee failed to apologise for the performance, much to the ire of the fans. McGhee had previously stated to the press "Go and look me up on Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
. I've got a track record". It was announced days later that McGhee had been given a vote of confidence to continue as manager. After further poor results, however, McGhee was sacked on 1 December. The club were second bottom of the SPL and only avoided last place on goal difference. His tenure ended with McGhee being statistically the second least successful Aberdeen manager, only ahead of Alex Miller
Alex Miller
Alex Miller is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian...
, with just 17 wins from 62 matches (27.42%).
Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||||
| Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
 |
10 May 1991 | 14 December 1994 |
|||||||
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
|
14 December 1994 | 7 December 1995 |
|||||||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
|
13 December 1995 | 5 November 1998 |
|||||||
| Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
|
25 September 2000 | 15 October 2003 |
|||||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & 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.... |
|
28 October 2003 | 8 September 2006 |
|||||||
| Motherwell Motherwell F.C. Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998... |
 |
18 June 2007 | 12 June 2009 |
|||||||
| Aberdeen Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen... |
|
12 June 2009 | 1 December 2010 |
|||||||
| Total |
||||||||||
Promotions
- 1993–941993-94 in English footballThe 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
: Division Two Champion (promotion to Division One) – ReadingReading F.C.Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... - 2000–012000-01 in English footballThe 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
: Division Two Champion (promotion to Division One) – MillwallMillwall F.C.Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... - 2003–042003-04 in English footballThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
: Division Two Playoff Winner (promotion to Division One) – Brighton
External links
- Mark McGhee's WTFC.net manager profile
- McGhee has point to prove, stv interview, 18 June 2007
- Leitch glad to be back at Well, stv interview 18 June 2007