Tony Pulis
Encyclopedia
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis (born 16 January 1955) is a Welsh
former football
player and is currently the manager of Stoke City
. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA
'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification. His son, also called Anthony Pulis
, is a professional footballer.
Pulis took his first steps into management at Bournemouth
, where he was a player/coach and then Harry Redknapp
's assistant. He then took control when Redknapp left the club. His most significant achievement to date was guiding Stoke City
to the Premier League in the 2007–08 season by finishing runners-up in the Football League Championship
.
Pulis has a reputation within the game for achieving solid results on small budgets and also maintains the proud record of never being relegated as a manager. He is sometimes criticised for using a direct style of play; however, Pulis has defended his approach.
where he made 85 league appearances before leaving to join Hong Kong
club Happy Valley AA in 1981. He returned to Rovers the following year before moving to Newport County
in 1984. He subsequently played in two separate spells at A.F.C. Bournemouth
, with a season at Gillingham
in between.
, where he assumed a player/coach role. He made 16 appearances, scoring one goal, while in this role. He was promoted to the position of manager in 1992, following Harry Redknapp's
decision to leave the club for Premier League side West Ham United
. Pulis spent two seasons (1992–93
and 1993–94
) at Bournemouth
, before moving on.
, whom he managed for a further four seasons, turning a team that had struggled at the very bottom of the Football League into a promotion winning one in his first season, and laying the foundations for the club's eventual elevation to the First Division for the first time in their history. In the 1999 Division Two play-off final the Gills were 2–0 up with less than two minutes left, following goals by the prolific partnership of Robert Taylor
and Carl Asaba
, only to see Manchester City
score twice, the equaliser in injury time, and after that win a penalty
shoot-out 3–1. Following the defeat, Pulis was controversially sacked by the club amidst claims of gross misconduct. He later brought a £400,000 court case against Gillingham for unpaid bonuses, which was settled out of court in 2001 for £75,000.
in July 1999, prior to the start of the 1999–2000 season
. A previous long stint at bitter rivals Bristol Rovers
meant that Pulis' appointment was met with mixed reception. He made several reasonably big purchases including Steve Jones and former Rovers player Peter Beadle
, but his unpopularity hit an all time low only six months into his term as manager and when rumours surfaced of a switch to Portsmouth
, home fans chanted for him to leave. He moved on to Portsmouth shortly, where Milan Mandarić
had recently taken over as chairman.
to become manager of Portsmouth
. Pulis took Portsmouth from the bottom three to mid-table but lasted only 10 months in the job before being replaced by Steve Claridge
in October 2000.
manager Steve Cotterill
early into the 2002–03 season
led to Pulis being given the job that November. Pulis immediately found himself in a relegation battle and it looked likely that the club would be relegated back to Division Two
, only a year after being promoted. However, Pulis completed the signings of striker Ade Akinbiyi
and goalkeeper Mark Crossley
, on loan from Crystal Palace
and Middlesbrough
respectively, who helped turn around the club's bad run. Stoke avoided relegation on the final day of the 2002–03 season
with a 1–0 win over Reading
at the Britannia Stadium
, with Akinbiyi scoring the only goal of the game. In the following season, 2003–04
, Pulis guided the club to an 11th place finish.
Tensions grew between the manager and chairmain, Gunnar Gislason
, in the 2004–05 season
. Pulis was frustrated with his lack of transfer funds which led to Dave Brammer and Steve Simonsen
, both of whom were free agent
s, being his only significant signings prior to the start of the season. However, Pulis did add Anthony Pulis
, his son, and Lewis Buxton
to his squad in January 2005. The disagreement between Pulis and the club's Iceland
ic ownership culminated with Pulis parting company with the club on 28 June 2005. He was sacked for "failing to exploit the foreign transfer market" by then Stoke chairman Gislason
. Following his dismissal, Pulis bemoaned the club's decision to sell Ade Akinbiyi
to Championship
rivals Burnley
, stating: "We sold our top scorer and never replaced him." Dutch
manager Johan Boskamp
was named as Pulis' successor on 29 June 2005, only a day after Pulis was sacked.
, Pulis managed to turn around a floundering team, to one that with the right investment could challenge for a top half/play off place in 2006–07. The turn-around coincided with the loan of West Ham United
central defender Elliott Ward
and the club improved even further with the permanent signing of Lilian Nalis
from Sheffield United
. Plymouth Argyle ended the season 14th in the Championship table.
, following Peter Coates
' takeover of the club. Plymouth reportedly turned down this approach. However, on 14 June 2006 it was announced that Pulis would be returning as manager of Stoke City.
Pulis bolstered his squad for the 2006–07
with the permanent additions of Danny Higginbotham
, Ricardo Fuller
and Vincent Péricard
. His most notable coup was the loan signing of Lee Hendrie
from Aston Villa
. Hendrie's arrival along with the loan signings of Salif Diao
, Andy Griffin
and Rory Delap
coincided with a change of form for the Potters following a poor start to the season. Stoke went as high as 4th in the table prior to the January transfer window
.
Pulis was named manager of the month for April 2007, after Stoke picked up eleven points from five league games. This unbeaten run lifted Stoke to 7th in the table, on equal points with sixth-place Southampton
. However, a 1–1 draw against QPR
on the final day of the season led to Stoke finishing eighth in the Championship
. Pulis sold several key players prior to the 2007–08 season; club captain Danny Higginbotham was one of a number of players to depart, joining Sunderland
for £3m. However, Pulis utilised the loan market again, signing five players on loan, including Ryan Shawcross
from Manchester United
. With a few of these loan signings joining on a permanent deal in the January transfer window.
Pulis guided Stoke City to promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the season. It was to be Stoke's first top flight campaign in 23 years. Upon promotion, Pulis admitted the need to strengthen his squad but he also made it clear that the club would not go 'over the top' with spending. Stoke's biggest summer signing was that of striker Dave Kitson
, who joined from recently relegated Reading
for £5.5m. Kitson was followed by the captures of Seyi Olofinjana from Wolverhampton Wanderers
for £3m, Abdoulaye Faye
from Newcastle United
for £2.25m, Amdy Faye from Charlton Athletic
for an undisclosed fee, Andrew Davies
joined for £1.2m from Southampton
, defender Ibrahima Sonko
signed for an initial £2m fee from Reading and former Potter, Danny Higginbotham
rejoined his former club from Sunderland
for an undisclosed fee. Pulis was also prepared to move players on, including his son Anthony Pulis
and striker Jon Parkin
.
After a promising start to the season, Stoke's mid-season slump left them as one of the favourites for relegation. However, the January additions of Sheffield United
's James Beattie
and West Ham United
's winger Matthew Etherington
helped rejuvenate their season. The £3.5 million signing of Beattie was widely considered to be one of the most prudent purchases in English football that season. Stoke dipped in and out of the relegation zone until March, when a good run of form lifted them above the bottom three. Their 2–1 win away to Hull City on 9 May 2009 secured their Premier League survival. Pulis has received much praise for his work with Stoke on a limited budget, in particular his achievement of keeping them in the Premier League. He was mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2008–09 Premier League manager of the year award.
The following season saw Stoke consolidating their Premier League status rather than facing relegation, and also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup
with victories over York City
, Arsenal
and Manchester City
before losing to Chelsea
at Stamford Bridge
. Stoke finished 11th in the Premier League with 47 points, a place higher and 2 points more than last season.
Pulis made his 300th appearance as Stoke manager with a 3–0 win over Blackburn Rovers
on 6 February 2010. The result was Stoke's largest top-flight win for nearly 24 years after a 4–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
in 1984. Following criticism from Fulham
player Danny Murphy over the way Pulis sets his team out to play, Pulis decided to release a six minute statement defending the management staff and club as well as questioning Murphy's agenda.
After a number of alleged poor refereeing decisions that have gone against Stoke, Pulis has advocated the introduction of a relegation system for referees to stop poor decisions. He became only the third manager in Stoke's history to guide the club to the semi-finals of the FA Cup
after a quarter final victory over West Ham United
. They then went on to beat Bolton Wanderers
5–0, making Pulis the first manager to guide Stoke to an FA Cup Final
. Stoke lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City
with Yaya Touré
scoring the only goal. By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League
, after Manchester City confirmed a place in the Champions League. Despite the defeat chairman Peter Coates
believes that Pulis is Stoke's greatest ever manager.
In the Europa League Stoke were draw against Croatian giants Hajduk Split
, Stoke won both legs 1–0 thus becoming the first Stoke side to win a two-legged European tie. Pulis signed former England internationals Jonathan Woodgate
and Matthew Upson
on free transfers to strengthen his centre backs following the departure of Abdoulaye Faye
. He took charge of his 800th competitive match in August 2011. On transfer deadline day Pulis signed Cameron Jerome
from Birmingham as well as Tottenham duo Peter Crouch
and Wilson Palacios
. Crouch at £10 million broke the clubs transfer record for the fourth successive season.
area of Newport
in Wales
with his father Angelo a steelworker and his mother Jean as well as his brothers and sisters. Growing up in Newport he supported Manchester United
as well as attending matches at Cardiff City
and Newport County
. One of his brothers, Ray
also used to play for Newport and is currently chairman of Welsh non-league side Pill AFC.
Pulis was awarded an honorary degree at the University of Staffordshire on 10 July 2009. He received the reward for his contribution in helping sports journalism students at the university.
Pulis participated in the 2009 London Marathon to raise money for the Donna Louise Trust which assists a children hospice. He completed the marathon in 4 hours 31 minutes 57 seconds.
In May 2010 Pulis climbed to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro with MSL Mountaineering for the Donna Louise Trust.
Pulis is a Catholic
and regularly attends church. His mother died on 13 September 2010, the same day that Stoke had a Monday night fixture against Aston Villa
. Pulis made an unexpected return to the dug-out after the half-time break, having missed the first half, amidst huge applause from the home crowd.
His grandfather was born in Ħaż-Żabbar in Malta
before he moved to Wales.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and is currently the manager of Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his 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....
'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification. His son, also called Anthony Pulis
Anthony Pulis
Anthony James Pulis is a footballer who currently plays for Aldershot Town. He joined Southampton after moving from Stoke City where his father Tony is manager...
, is a professional footballer.
Pulis took his first steps into management at Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, where he was a player/coach and then Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
's assistant. He then took control when Redknapp left the club. His most significant achievement to date was guiding Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
to the Premier League in the 2007–08 season by finishing runners-up in the Football League 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...
.
Pulis has a reputation within the game for achieving solid results on small budgets and also maintains the proud record of never being relegated as a manager. He is sometimes criticised for using a direct style of play; however, Pulis has defended his approach.
Playing career
Pulis began his career at Bristol RoversBristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
where he made 85 league appearances before leaving to join Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
club Happy Valley AA in 1981. He returned to Rovers the following year before moving to Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
in 1984. He subsequently played in two separate spells at A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, with a season at Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in between.
Bournemouth
Pulis finished his playing career at BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, where he assumed a player/coach role. He made 16 appearances, scoring one goal, while in this role. He was promoted to the position of manager in 1992, following Harry Redknapp's
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
decision to leave the club for Premier League side West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. Pulis spent two seasons (1992–93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
and 1993–94
1993-94 in English football
The 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...
) at Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, before moving on.
Gillingham
He then moved to GillinghamGillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
, whom he managed for a further four seasons, turning a team that had struggled at the very bottom of the Football League into a promotion winning one in his first season, and laying the foundations for the club's eventual elevation to the First Division for the first time in their history. In the 1999 Division Two play-off final the Gills were 2–0 up with less than two minutes left, following goals by the prolific partnership of Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (footballer)
Robert Anthony Taylor is an English retired association football player turned manager. He was appointed as manager of Diss Town of the Eastern Counties Football League on 25 April 2008.-Playing career:...
and Carl Asaba
Carl Asaba
Carl Edward Asaba is a former English professional football player who played as a striker.-Career:Asaba first came to prominence at Brentford, debuting in 1994 after joining the club from Dulwich Hamlet. His goalscoring soon attracted attention and Reading signed him for a club record £800,000...
, only to see Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester 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...
score twice, the equaliser in injury time, and after that win a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
shoot-out 3–1. Following the defeat, Pulis was controversially sacked by the club amidst claims of gross misconduct. He later brought a £400,000 court case against Gillingham for unpaid bonuses, which was settled out of court in 2001 for £75,000.
Bristol City
Pulis was appointed manager of Bristol CityBristol 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...
in July 1999, prior to the start of the 1999–2000 season
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
. A previous long stint at bitter rivals Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
meant that Pulis' appointment was met with mixed reception. He made several reasonably big purchases including Steve Jones and former Rovers player Peter Beadle
Peter Beadle
Peter Clifford William James Beadle is an English former football player and manager. A forward, he scored some 83 goals in 355 league games, mostly for the two Bristol clubs....
, but his unpopularity hit an all time low only six months into his term as manager and when rumours surfaced of a switch to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, home fans chanted for him to leave. He moved on to Portsmouth shortly, where Milan Mandarić
Milan Mandaric
Milan 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...
had recently taken over as chairman.
Portsmouth
In January 2000, he left Bristol CityBristol 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...
to become manager of Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. Pulis took Portsmouth from the bottom three to mid-table but lasted only 10 months in the job before being replaced by Steve Claridge
Steve Claridge
Stephen Edward Claridge is an English football player, pundit and coach. He is currently a pundit for BBC Sport football shows including Football Focus and the The Football League Show, whilst also playing as a striker for semi-professional team Gosport Borough.Claridge's career is known for its...
in October 2000.
Stoke City
He was then out of work for two years, before the resignation of Stoke'sStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
manager Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...
early into 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...
led to Pulis being given the job that November. Pulis immediately found himself in a relegation battle and it looked likely that the club would be relegated back to 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...
, only a year after being promoted. However, Pulis completed the signings of striker Ade Akinbiyi
Ade Akinbiyi
Adeola Peter Oluwatoyin "Ade" Akinbiyi is a professional footballer.Akinbiyi has had a much-travelled career with many different clubs with transfer fees totalling more than £11.5 million during his career, including being Leicester City's record signing .Born in England, Akinbiyi qualifies to...
and goalkeeper Mark Crossley
Mark Crossley
Mark Geoffrey Crossley is a former English-born Wales international football goalkeeper, who is currently employed as the Goalkeeping Coach of Football League One side Chesterfield....
, on loan from 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...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
respectively, who helped turn around the club's bad run. Stoke avoided relegation on the final day of 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...
with a 1–0 win over 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...
at the Britannia Stadium
Britannia Stadium
The Britannia Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the home of Premier League club Stoke City Football Club. With space for 27,598 spectators . The name is taken from the sponsors of the Stadium the Britannia Co-operative Bank...
, with Akinbiyi scoring the only goal of the game. In the following season, 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, Pulis guided the club to an 11th place finish.
Tensions grew between the manager and chairmain, Gunnar Gislason
Gunnar Gislason
Gunnar Þór Gíslason is an Icelandic businessman who was the chairman of Stoke City F.C. between 1999 and 2006. At the time he was the youngest chairman in the football league.He is not a board member of the holding company, Stoke Holding....
, in the 2004–05 season
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...
. Pulis was frustrated with his lack of transfer funds which led to Dave Brammer and Steve Simonsen
Steve Simonsen
Steven Preben Arthur "Steve" Simonsen is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield United as a goalkeeper. Born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear he started his senior career at Tranmere Rovers before spells with Everton and Stoke City...
, both of whom were free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s, being his only significant signings prior to the start of the season. However, Pulis did add Anthony Pulis
Anthony Pulis
Anthony James Pulis is a footballer who currently plays for Aldershot Town. He joined Southampton after moving from Stoke City where his father Tony is manager...
, his son, and Lewis Buxton
Lewis Buxton
Lewis Buxton is an English footballer. He currently plays for Sheffield Wednesday after signing on a permanent deal from Stoke City...
to his squad in January 2005. The disagreement between Pulis and the club's Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic ownership culminated with Pulis parting company with the club on 28 June 2005. He was sacked for "failing to exploit the foreign transfer market" by then Stoke chairman Gislason
Gunnar Gislason
Gunnar Þór Gíslason is an Icelandic businessman who was the chairman of Stoke City F.C. between 1999 and 2006. At the time he was the youngest chairman in the football league.He is not a board member of the holding company, Stoke Holding....
. Following his dismissal, Pulis bemoaned the club's decision to sell Ade Akinbiyi
Ade Akinbiyi
Adeola Peter Oluwatoyin "Ade" Akinbiyi is a professional footballer.Akinbiyi has had a much-travelled career with many different clubs with transfer fees totalling more than £11.5 million during his career, including being Leicester City's record signing .Born in England, Akinbiyi qualifies to...
to 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...
rivals Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, stating: "We sold our top scorer and never replaced him." Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
manager Johan Boskamp
Johan Boskamp
Johannes Boskamp is a Dutch football manager, his most recent job was in Belgium managing KSK Beveren, but he was dismissed in late December 2009-Career:...
was named as Pulis' successor on 29 June 2005, only a day after Pulis was sacked.
Plymouth Argyle
After taking over as manager at Championship side Plymouth ArgylePlymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth 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...
, Pulis managed to turn around a floundering team, to one that with the right investment could challenge for a top half/play off place in 2006–07. The turn-around coincided with the loan of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
central defender Elliott Ward
Elliott Ward
Elliott Leslie Ward is an English professional footballer currently playing for Norwich City. He signed for the Canaries on a free transfer from Coventry City in May 2010; officially joining them on 1 July....
and the club improved even further with the permanent signing of Lilian Nalis
Lilian Nalis
Lilian Nalis is a retired French footballer who played as a midfielder.- Career :Nalis started his career in his home country of France, playing for a wide variety of French clubs including Le Havre, Caen, Guingamp and Bastia...
from Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. Plymouth Argyle ended the season 14th in the Championship table.
Second spell at Stoke City
In May 2006 he was the subject of an approach from former club Stoke, who had recently parted company with manager Johan BoskampJohan Boskamp
Johannes Boskamp is a Dutch football manager, his most recent job was in Belgium managing KSK Beveren, but he was dismissed in late December 2009-Career:...
, following Peter Coates
Peter Coates
Peter Coates is a businessman and current owner of the Stoke City Football Club. He has been listed as the 25th richest person in British football. He founded Bet365 in 2000, as well as Signal Radio in 1983....
' takeover of the club. Plymouth reportedly turned down this approach. However, on 14 June 2006 it was announced that Pulis would be returning as manager of Stoke City.
Pulis bolstered his squad for the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
with the permanent additions of Danny Higginbotham
Danny Higginbotham
Daniel John "Danny" Higginbotham is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Stoke City.Higginbotham started his career at his local side Manchester United he made seven appearances at Old Trafford as well as a loan spell with Belgium side Royal Antwerp before joining...
, Ricardo Fuller
Ricardo Fuller
Ricardo Dwayne Fuller is a Jamaican footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Jamaica national team....
and Vincent Péricard
Vincent Péricard
Vincent de Paul Péricard is a French professional football player, who played in France with Saint Etienne and in Italy with Juventus before moving to England. In England he has played for several clubs. He has also played for the France U21 team...
. His most notable coup was the loan signing of Lee Hendrie
Lee Hendrie
Lee Andrew Hendrie is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kidderminster Harriers in the Football Conference. The majority of his career was spent with Premier League club Aston Villa, where he spent fourteen years and became known as a somewhat controversial figure...
from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Hendrie's arrival along with the loan signings of Salif Diao
Salif Diao
Salif Alassane Diao is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Stoke City....
, Andy Griffin
Andy Griffin
Andrew "Andy" Griffin is an English footballer, currently playing for Championship team, ReadingGriffin began his career at Stoke City, where he established a reputation as a solid wing-back defender...
and Rory Delap
Rory Delap
Rory John Delap is an English born Irish footballer who plays for Stoke City. He has played eleven times for the Republic of Ireland national football team....
coincided with a change of form for the Potters following a poor start to the season. Stoke went as high as 4th in the table prior to the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
.
Pulis was named manager of the month for April 2007, after Stoke picked up eleven points from five league games. This unbeaten run lifted Stoke to 7th in the table, on equal points with sixth-place Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
. However, a 1–1 draw against QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
on the final day of the season led to Stoke finishing eighth in 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...
. Pulis sold several key players prior to the 2007–08 season; club captain Danny Higginbotham was one of a number of players to depart, joining Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for £3m. However, Pulis utilised the loan market again, signing five players on loan, including Ryan Shawcross
Ryan Shawcross
Ryan James Shawcross is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Stoke City.He previously was on the books of Manchester United, and had loan spells at Royal Antwerp and Stoke City respectively, before joining the latter permanently during January 2008. He was appointed as Stoke's captain...
from Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester 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...
. With a few of these loan signings joining on a permanent deal in the January transfer window.
Pulis guided Stoke City to promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the season. It was to be Stoke's first top flight campaign in 23 years. Upon promotion, Pulis admitted the need to strengthen his squad but he also made it clear that the club would not go 'over the top' with spending. Stoke's biggest summer signing was that of striker Dave Kitson
Dave Kitson
David Barry "Dave" Kitson is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Portsmouth as a striker.-Early life:...
, who joined from recently relegated 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...
for £5.5m. Kitson was followed by the captures of Seyi Olofinjana from 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...
for £3m, Abdoulaye Faye
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye , more commonly known as Abdoulaye Faye, is a Senegalese footballer who plays for Championship club West Ham United...
from 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...
for £2.25m, Amdy Faye from Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
for an undisclosed fee, Andrew Davies
Andrew Davies (footballer)
Andrew John Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Bradford City, on loan from Stoke City. He has been capped for England at Under-21 level.-Middlesbrough:...
joined for £1.2m from Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, defender Ibrahima Sonko
Ibrahima Sonko
Ibrahima Sonko is a Senegalese international professional footballer who currently plays for Ipswich Town.-Reading:...
signed for an initial £2m fee from Reading and former Potter, Danny Higginbotham
Danny Higginbotham
Daniel John "Danny" Higginbotham is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Stoke City.Higginbotham started his career at his local side Manchester United he made seven appearances at Old Trafford as well as a loan spell with Belgium side Royal Antwerp before joining...
rejoined his former club from Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for an undisclosed fee. Pulis was also prepared to move players on, including his son Anthony Pulis
Anthony Pulis
Anthony James Pulis is a footballer who currently plays for Aldershot Town. He joined Southampton after moving from Stoke City where his father Tony is manager...
and striker Jon Parkin
Jon Parkin
Jon "The Beast" Parkin is a journeyman English footballer who plays for Huddersfield Town on loan from Cardiff City as a striker.-Early career:...
.
After a promising start to the season, Stoke's mid-season slump left them as one of the favourites for relegation. However, the January additions of Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
's James Beattie
James Beattie (footballer)
James Scott Beattie is an English footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United as a striker.Born in Lancaster, Lancashire he came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers eventually signing professionally for them in 1995...
and West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
's winger Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City....
helped rejuvenate their season. The £3.5 million signing of Beattie was widely considered to be one of the most prudent purchases in English football that season. Stoke dipped in and out of the relegation zone until March, when a good run of form lifted them above the bottom three. Their 2–1 win away to Hull City on 9 May 2009 secured their Premier League survival. Pulis has received much praise for his work with Stoke on a limited budget, in particular his achievement of keeping them in the Premier League. He was mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2008–09 Premier League manager of the year award.
The following season saw Stoke consolidating their Premier League status rather than facing relegation, and also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the 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...
with victories over York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
, 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...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester 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...
before losing to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
. Stoke finished 11th in the Premier League with 47 points, a place higher and 2 points more than last season.
Pulis made his 300th appearance as Stoke manager with a 3–0 win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on 6 February 2010. The result was Stoke's largest top-flight win for nearly 24 years after a 4–0 win over 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...
in 1984. Following criticism from Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
player Danny Murphy over the way Pulis sets his team out to play, Pulis decided to release a six minute statement defending the management staff and club as well as questioning Murphy's agenda.
After a number of alleged poor refereeing decisions that have gone against Stoke, Pulis has advocated the introduction of a relegation system for referees to stop poor decisions. He became only the third manager in Stoke's history to guide the club to the semi-finals of the 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...
after a quarter final victory over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. They then went on to beat 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....
5–0, making Pulis the first manager to guide Stoke to an FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
. Stoke lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester 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...
with Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
scoring the only goal. By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League
2011–12 UEFA Europa League
The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania...
, after Manchester City confirmed a place in the Champions League. Despite the defeat chairman Peter Coates
Peter Coates
Peter Coates is a businessman and current owner of the Stoke City Football Club. He has been listed as the 25th richest person in British football. He founded Bet365 in 2000, as well as Signal Radio in 1983....
believes that Pulis is Stoke's greatest ever manager.
In the Europa League Stoke were draw against Croatian giants Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
, Stoke won both legs 1–0 thus becoming the first Stoke side to win a two-legged European tie. Pulis signed former England internationals Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...
and Matthew Upson
Matthew Upson
Matthew James Upson is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League. He is a central defender and he has played for England at full international level including at the 2010 World Cup....
on free transfers to strengthen his centre backs following the departure of Abdoulaye Faye
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye , more commonly known as Abdoulaye Faye, is a Senegalese footballer who plays for Championship club West Ham United...
. He took charge of his 800th competitive match in August 2011. On transfer deadline day Pulis signed Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
from Birmingham as well as Tottenham duo Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
and Wilson Palacios
Wilson Palacios
Wilson Roberto Palacios Suazo is a Honduran footballer who plays in the Premier League for Stoke City.Born in La Ceiba, he played for Victoria and Olimpia in Honduras before moving to England where he played for Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic. In 2009 he joined Tottenham Hotspur, generally...
. Crouch at £10 million broke the clubs transfer record for the fourth successive season.
Manager
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899.... |
9 June 1992 | 5 August 1994 | 107 | 31 | 38 | 38 | 28.97 |
| Gillingham Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium... |
31 July 1995 | 1 July 1999 | 216 | 94 | 62 | 60 | |
| 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... |
5 July 1999 | 14 January 2000 |
|||||
| Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
13 January 2000 | 12 October 2000 |
|||||
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1 November 2002 | 28 June 2005 |
|||||
| Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth 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... |
23 September 2005 | 14 June 2006 |
|||||
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
14 June 2006 | Present |
|||||
| Total |
|||||||
Promotions
- 1995–961995-96 in English football- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
: Division Three Runner Up (promotion to Division Two) – GillinghamGillingham F.C.Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium... - 2007–082007-08 in English footballThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
: The ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe 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...
Runner Up (promotion to Premier League) – Stoke CityStoke City F.C.Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
Personal life
Pulis was born and raised in the PillPillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
area of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
with his father Angelo a steelworker and his mother Jean as well as his brothers and sisters. Growing up in Newport he supported Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester 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...
as well as attending matches at Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
. One of his brothers, Ray
Ray Pulis
Raymond Pulis was a former footballer, who played in the Football League for Newport County where he made one appearance. He later joined Trowbridge Town...
also used to play for Newport and is currently chairman of Welsh non-league side Pill AFC.
Pulis was awarded an honorary degree at the University of Staffordshire on 10 July 2009. He received the reward for his contribution in helping sports journalism students at the university.
Pulis participated in the 2009 London Marathon to raise money for the Donna Louise Trust which assists a children hospice. He completed the marathon in 4 hours 31 minutes 57 seconds.
In May 2010 Pulis climbed to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro with MSL Mountaineering for the Donna Louise Trust.
Pulis is a Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and regularly attends church. His mother died on 13 September 2010, the same day that Stoke had a Monday night fixture against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Pulis made an unexpected return to the dug-out after the half-time break, having missed the first half, amidst huge applause from the home crowd.
His grandfather was born in Ħaż-Żabbar in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
before he moved to Wales.
External links
- Points are the prizes for Stoke boss Tony Pulis BBC Sport blog on Tony Pulis
- Guy Butters interview on Tony Pulis at theargus.co.uk