Gordon Strachan
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- This page is about the footballer and manager. Gordon C. Strachan was indicted in the Watergate scandal
Gordon Strachan (born 9 February 1957, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a former professional football (soccer) player and now manager. During his largely successful playing career he played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City. He also won 50 International caps for Scotland and is a member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame.
Strachan started his career at Scottish Premier League team Dundee but it wasn't until he was signed by Aberdeen that he came to prominence. With the famous Aberdeen team of the 1980s, one of the few sides the break the traditional dominance of the Old Firm in Scottish football, he won two Scottish League titles, three Scottish Cup's, the European Cup Winners Cup and the European Super Cup under the legendary management of Sir Alex Ferguson.
In 1984, Manchester United had shown a great deal of interest in the skillful star - with Ron Atkinson spending £500,000 to take him to Old Trafford in August. He was initially successful, contributing massively to their F.A Cup victory over Everton in 1985, but gradually began to suffer a loss in form and eventually lost his place as a regular first team player.
Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson came to the rescue in 1989, when he paid £200,000 for Strachan's services. The transfer fee soon paid dividends as Strachan's strong form resulted in Leeds winning the Second Division title in 1990 and gaining promotion to the First Division after an eight-year exile. The following season he helped Leeds finish fourth in the First Division and Strachan was voted PFA Player of the Year. A year later, in 1992, he was instrumental in Leeds overtaking Manchester United to win the league title in the last ever season of the old Football League before the creation of the Premier League. Strachan continued to be a competent and regular first-team player as Leeds enjoyed mixed fortunes during their first three seaosns of the Premiership, although he was sometimes kept out of the side by back problems.
Gordon Strachan remained at Leeds United until March 1995, when he moved to Coventry City to work as player-coach under new manager Ron Atkinson. Strachan was not a regular first-team player at Highfield Road, but he helped coach the club's players to a high enough standard to escape relegation from the Premiership in 1995-96.
When Ron Atkinson became Coventry City's Director of Football in November 1996, Gordon Strachan was promoted to the manager's seat. He finally retired as a player at the end of the season after making his last appearance at the age of 40. Strachan also helped the Sky Blues pull off perhaps the most unlikely relegation survival in Premiership history. After losing their last-but-one Premiership game, it looked as though their 30-year top flight tenancy had come to an end. But thanks to a victory on the final day, and defeats for Middlesbrough (who had been deducted 3 points by the F.A) and Sunderland, they pulled off a miracle survival. Strachan kept Coventry safe from relegation until 2001, when they finally went down after 34 years of top division football. He was sacked shortly after the start of the 2001-02 Division One campaign.
Gordon Strachan returned to management within weeks, taking the manager's job at Premiership strugglers Southampton - who had sacked manager Stuart Gray after a terrible start to their first season at the new St Mary's Stadium. Most pundits had already written them off come Strachan's appointment in October 2001, but he turned round their Premiership fortunes and they finished 11th in the Premiership. The Saints progressed further in 2002-03 when they finished eighth and reached the F.A Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Arsenal. But since Arsenal had qualified for the Champions League, Southampton qualified for the 2003-04 UEFA Cup.
In March 2004, Gordon Strachan announced his resignation as Southampton manager. He had earlier announced his intention not to renew his contract when it expired at the end of the 2003-04 season, but resigned even earlier than intended because he wanted to spend time with his family.
Later that year, when Berti Vogtz stepped down as Scottish national coach, Strachan was widely tipped to take over. But the job went to Walter Smith instead. He was even linked with the manager's job at Portsmouth, neighbours of his former club Southampton, but turned down the offer to take over.
Gordon Strachan finally returned to management in May 2005, when he succeeded Martin O'Neill as manager of Celtic in the SPL. For 2005-06, he will be aiming to regain the SPL title off current holders and deadly rivals Rangers.
It was announed on 25 May 2005 that Strachan will finally be going back into football management as manager of Celtic F.C. after the resignation of Martin O'Neill. He officially took charge on June 1.
| Preceded by: John Barnes | Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1991 | Succeeded by: Gary Lineker |
| Preceded by: Andy Ritchie | Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1980 | Succeeded by: Alan Rough |