Roy McFarland
Encyclopedia
Roy Leslie McFarland is an English football manager
who was also a player, notably at Derby County
where he played 434 league games helping him to earn 28 caps
for England
.
, Derby County
and Bradford City
. He represented England
at full international level. Brian Clough
and Peter Taylor signed him for Derby on 25 August 1967, when they were a Second Division side preparing for a challenge to win promotion to the First Division.
He was famous during the late 1960s and 1970s as a central defender in the Derby side which won promotion to the First Division
in 1969 and followed this success with two league titles; the first under Clough in 1972 and the second under Dave Mackay
in 1975. In addition, he also won 28 caps for England.
He is noted for having the earliest known booking for time wasting when he humorously kicked the ball out of play after Derby had taken the lead against Liverpool in a game Derby were very unlikely to win.
McFarland had been deemed responsible for putting Włodzimierz Lubański, Poland's best striker at the time, out of footbal for two years after an apparent poor tackle damaged Lubański's cruciate ligament during a World Cup qualifying match in October 1973. Lubanski missed the 1974 FIFA World Cup
where Poland captured third place, but recently Lubanski himself wrote in his memoirs published in Poland that his leg was injured without McFarland's involvement as a result of an earlier injury and resultant insufficient preparation for the big game.
He came on for a short substitute appearance in a benefit match for Ted McMinn
at Pride Park on May 1, 2006 against Glasgow Rangers. The game finished 3-3.
as player manager when he took over from George Mulhall
in May 1981. He played 40 games for Bradford in a brief spell as manager which brought the club promotion in 1981–82 via the runners-up spot in the Fourth Division
. The season included a nine-game winning run, which was a club record at the time. McFarland's reign was a launchpad for the club during the 1980s but he left in controversial circumstances with allegations former club Derby County
had tapped up him and assistant Mick Jones
. Derby eventually had to pay a large fine and compensation for taking the pair back to the Baseball Ground
.
He became assistant manager at the club during Arthur Cox
's reign as manager, and was promoted to the manager's seat when Cox quit in October 1993.
McFarland lasted two seasons as Derby manager, with significant amounts of money having been spent on the team. In his first season, they reached the Division One play-off final but lost 2-1 to neighbours Leicester City
. They missed out on the playoffs a year later and McFarland moved to Bolton Wanderers
.
Bolton had just been promoted to the Premier League under previous manager Bruce Rioch
, and McFarland was unable to establish them at this level despite making several new signings. He was dismissed in January 1996 after just six months in charge, with Bolton bottom of the Premiership and heading for relegation.
McFarland's next management job came at Cambridge United
, where he arrived just before Christmas in 1996. In his third season, 1998–99, they won promotion as Third Division
runners-up. He remained in charge for two years before being replaced by John Beck in February 2001.
He took over as manager of Torquay United
in July 2001, but resigned in April 2002 after Torquay chairman Mike Bateson
decided that if McFarland was to have an assistant he had to have a playing one, meaning McFarland's assistant David Preece had to leave as he had just retired as a player.
From June 2003 to March 2007, McFarland was manager of Chesterfield
and did well to keep the famous club in the third tier of the league, with Chesterfield's severe lack of resources, when most pundits have tipped them for relegation. He left the club after the poor set of results on 12 March 2007, leaving caretaker boss Lee Richardson to try and save the struggling Chesterfield.
In 2009, after a spell out of football McFarland was appointed the caretaker manager until the end of the 2008–09 season of Burton Albion
on 6 January, filling the gap created by Nigel Clough
who had moved along the A38 to McFarland's former club Derby County earlier in the day. His first game in charge ended in a 3–0 victory for Burton against Salisbury City
in the FA Trophy
second round; it was a victory which McFarland dedicated to his predecessor. McFarland eventually helped to extend Burton's unbeaten run to 17 games, which dated back to October 2008, before his side were beaten 2–0 by his former team Cambridge United in March 2009. McFarland managed the side to promotion to the Football League
, after which he said he was interested in staying at the club for the 2009–10
season. He later turned down the opportunity to continue as manager, as he "did not want the full-time commitment of running a League Two club on a permanent basis." He was eventually succeeded by Paul Peschisolido
.
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
who was also a player, notably at Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby 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...
where he played 434 league games helping him to earn 28 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England
England national football team
The 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...
.
Playing career
Born in Liverpool, McFarland was a player for Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby 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 Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. He represented England
England national football team
The 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...
at full international level. Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian 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 Peter Taylor signed him for Derby on 25 August 1967, when they were a Second Division side preparing for a challenge to win promotion to the First Division.
He was famous during the late 1960s and 1970s as a central defender in the Derby side which won promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
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....
in 1969 and followed this success with two league titles; the first under Clough in 1972 and the second under Dave Mackay
Dave Mackay
David Craig Mackay is a Scottish former football player and manager. Mackay is best remembered for a highly successful playing career with Heart of Midlothian, the Double winning Tottenham Hotspur side of 1961, and winning the league with Derby County as a manager. He also represented Scotland 22...
in 1975. In addition, he also won 28 caps for England.
He is noted for having the earliest known booking for time wasting when he humorously kicked the ball out of play after Derby had taken the lead against Liverpool in a game Derby were very unlikely to win.
McFarland had been deemed responsible for putting Włodzimierz Lubański, Poland's best striker at the time, out of footbal for two years after an apparent poor tackle damaged Lubański's cruciate ligament during a World Cup qualifying match in October 1973. Lubanski missed the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
where Poland captured third place, but recently Lubanski himself wrote in his memoirs published in Poland that his leg was injured without McFarland's involvement as a result of an earlier injury and resultant insufficient preparation for the big game.
He came on for a short substitute appearance in a benefit match for Ted McMinn
Ted McMinn
Kevin Clifton "Ted" McMinn is a Scottish former association footballer who played as a winger. His nickname is The Tin Man.-Early years:...
at Pride Park on May 1, 2006 against Glasgow Rangers. The game finished 3-3.
Managerial career
McFarland started his managerial career at Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
as player manager when he took over from George Mulhall
George Mulhall
George Mulhall is a Scottish former footballer and manager.Born in Falkirk, Scotland, Mulhall played as outside left who played at Aberdeen and Sunderland and was capped three times for Scotland before he became a manager for Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and Halifax Town.-Playing career:Two of...
in May 1981. He played 40 games for Bradford in a brief spell as manager which brought the club promotion in 1981–82 via the runners-up spot in the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
. The season included a nine-game winning run, which was a club record at the time. McFarland's reign was a launchpad for the club during the 1980s but he left in controversial circumstances with allegations former club Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby 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...
had tapped up him and assistant Mick Jones
Mick Jones (footballer born 1947)
Michael "Mick" Jones is a former footballer and is a coach who is employed by Queens Park Rangers as assistant manager to Neil Warnock.-Playing career:...
. Derby eventually had to pay a large fine and compensation for taking the pair back to the Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
.
He became assistant manager at the club during Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox (footballer)
Arthur Cox is a former English football manager.Cox has managed a number of clubs including Chesterfield, Newcastle United, where he won promotion to the First Division and introduced future international players such as Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle...
's reign as manager, and was promoted to the manager's seat when Cox quit in October 1993.
McFarland lasted two seasons as Derby manager, with significant amounts of money having been spent on the team. In his first season, they reached the Division One play-off final but lost 2-1 to neighbours 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...
. They missed out on the playoffs a year later and McFarland moved to 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....
.
Bolton had just been promoted to the Premier League under previous manager Bruce Rioch
Bruce Rioch
Bruce 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....
, and McFarland was unable to establish them at this level despite making several new signings. He was dismissed in January 1996 after just six months in charge, with Bolton bottom of the Premiership and heading for relegation.
McFarland's next management job came at Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
, where he arrived just before Christmas in 1996. In his third season, 1998–99, they won promotion as Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
runners-up. He remained in charge for two years before being replaced by John Beck in February 2001.
He took over as manager of Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
in July 2001, but resigned in April 2002 after Torquay chairman Mike Bateson
Mike Bateson
Mike Bateson is an English businessman and former chairman of Torquay United Football Club.Bateson was brought up in Blackpool and after a spell in the Scots Guards made his fortune selling double glazing in the South-West of England...
decided that if McFarland was to have an assistant he had to have a playing one, meaning McFarland's assistant David Preece had to leave as he had just retired as a player.
From June 2003 to March 2007, McFarland was manager of Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
and did well to keep the famous club in the third tier of the league, with Chesterfield's severe lack of resources, when most pundits have tipped them for relegation. He left the club after the poor set of results on 12 March 2007, leaving caretaker boss Lee Richardson to try and save the struggling Chesterfield.
In 2009, after a spell out of football McFarland was appointed the caretaker manager until the end of the 2008–09 season of Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
on 6 January, filling the gap created by Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
who had moved along the A38 to McFarland's former club Derby County earlier in the day. His first game in charge ended in a 3–0 victory for Burton against Salisbury City
Salisbury City F.C.
Salisbury City Football Club is an English football club based in Salisbury, Wiltshire currently playing in the Conference South. They were formed in 1947 and play at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium...
in the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
second round; it was a victory which McFarland dedicated to his predecessor. McFarland eventually helped to extend Burton's unbeaten run to 17 games, which dated back to October 2008, before his side were beaten 2–0 by his former team Cambridge United in March 2009. McFarland managed the side to promotion to the Football League
The Football League
The 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...
, after which he said he was interested in staying at the club for the 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season. He later turned down the opportunity to continue as manager, as he "did not want the full-time commitment of running a League Two club on a permanent basis." He was eventually succeeded by Paul Peschisolido
Paul Peschisolido
Paolo Pasquale Peschisolido , commonly known as Paul Peschisolido, is a Canadian association football manager and former player...
.
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | ||||
| Bradford City Bradford City A.F.C. Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two.... |
 |
1 May 1981 | 22 November 1982 | 64 | 35 | 13 | 16 | 54.68 |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby 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... |
|
4 April 1984 | 28 May 1984 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 44.44 |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby 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... |
|
2 October 1993 | 29 April 1995 | 93 | 40 | 32 | 21 | 43.01 |
| 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.... |
|
20 June 1995 | 2 January 1996 | 28 | 5 | 16 | 7 | 17.85 |
| Cambridge United Cambridge United F.C. Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League... |
|
13 November 1996 | 27 February 2001 | 232 | 77 | 87 | 68 | 33.18 |
| Torquay United Torquay United F.C. Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley... |
|
20 July 2001 | 23 April 2002 | 50 | 13 | 22 | 15 | 26.00 |
| Chesterfield Chesterfield F.C. Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower... |
|
12 May 2003 | 12 March 2007 | 194 | 54 | 82 | 58 | 27.83 |
| Burton Albion | |
6 January 2009 | 18 May 2009 | 22 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 40.90 |
Promotions
- 1968–69: Football League Division Two Champion (promotion to Division One) – Derby CountyDerby County F.C.Derby 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...
Titles
- 1971–72: Football League Division One Champion – Derby CountyDerby County F.C.Derby 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...
- 1974–75: Football League Division One Champion – Derby CountyDerby County F.C.Derby 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...
Promotions
- 1981–82: Football League Division Four 2nd (promotion to Division Three) – Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
- 1998–99: Football League Division Three 2nd (promotion to Division Two) – Cambridge UnitedCambridge United F.C.Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
- 2008–092008–09 in English footballThe 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
: Conference NationalConference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
1st (promotion to League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
) – Burton AlbionBurton Albion F.C.Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...