Brian Little (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Brian Little is an English
former football player and manager who is currently without a job after being relieved of his duties as manager of Gainsborough Trinity
on 22 August 2011. Little has previously managed Darlington
, Leicester City
, Aston Villa
, Stoke City
, West Bromwich Albion
, Hull City
, Tranmere Rovers
and Wrexham. As a player, he was a versatile forward who spent his entire playing career at Aston Villa. He made one appearance at International level for England as a substitute against Wales in 1975
who had just been relegated to the Third Division
for the first and only time in their history. He made his senior debut on 30 October 1971, in a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers
in the Third Division at Villa Park
. By 1973-74
, with Villa in the Second Division, he was a regular first team player.
He progressed through the youth ranks, winning an FA Youth Cup
winners' medal along the way. He made 247 appearances for the club and scored 60 goals, and made one full international appearance for England
in 1975.
He was part of Villa's League Cup
winning teams of 1975 and 1977, scoring two goals in the second replay victory over Everton in the latter final, as well as helping the club climb from the Third to First Division
in the early part of the decade, scoring 20 league goals in the 1974-75 season
when they clinched the Second Division title and promotion to the First Division.
His playing career came to a halt in 1980 when he retired at the age of 26 due to a knee injury.
The injury was discovered when Little was undergoing a medical at Villa's local rivals Birmingham City
. This meant his intended transfer there was cancelled. He was a flamboyant forward who formed a particularly prolific partnership with Andy Gray. Little is regarded as an all-time great at Villa Park
, and in 2007 he was named as one of the 12 founder members of the Aston Villa Hall of Fame.
.
. His appointment came at the end of the blackest spell in the club's history, when three successive relegations had dragged them from the First Division
to the Fourth
. He oversaw a steady start to the 1986-87 season
before Graham Turner
was appointed manager 36 days later.
manager Bruce Rioch
. Like Wolves, Middlesbrough were a financially troubled club and had narrowly escaped bankruptcy
. Little was an important part of the club's coaching staff as Middlesbrough's form improved, and with two successive promotions they were in the First Division for the 1988–89
season. The season ended in relegation for Middlesbrough but in February Little left the Ayresome Park
coaching staff and became manager of Darlington
.
in the Fourth Division
. He was unable to prevent them from getting relegated to the Conference National
but they were promoted back into the League at the first time of asking. 1990–91
brought more success for Little and Darlington as they won the Fourth Division championship.
appointed Little as their replacement for Gordon Lee
. The Foxes had just avoided relegation to the Third Division for the first time in their history and Little was seen as the right man to turn the club's fortunes around.
At the end of 1991–92, Leicester came fourth in the Second Division and qualified for the promotion playoffs, the winners securing a place in the new Premier League. They overcame Cambridge United
in the semi-finals and were drawn with Blackburn Rovers
in the final. But their promotion hopes were dashed when Blackburn striker Mike Newell
, a former Leicester player, scored a penalty which took the Lancashire
side into the new league.
At the end of the 1992–93
season, Leicester qualified for the playoffs again in the new Division One. They overcame Portsmouth
in the semi-finals but in the final were 3–0 down shortly after half-time to Swindon Town
. They fought back to bring the scoreline to 3–3, however Swindon scored a controversial late fourth goal from the penalty spot to progress to the Premier League.
In 1993–94
, however, Leicester won their third consequetive play-offs with a 2–1 win in the final against East Midlands rivals Derby County
. In November 1994 Little returned to Aston Villa to replace Ron Atkinson
. Leicester's first Premier League season was a difficult one and they were relegated in second from bottom place, with just six league wins all season.
Earlier in the year, former Middlesbrough youth coach Little had been linked with a return to the Teesside
club as manager following the departure of Lennie Lawrence
, but the job went to Bryan Robson
instead.
, Earl Barrett
, Shaun Teale
, Ray Houghton
, Garry Parker
, Dalian Atkinson
and Dean Saunders
were starting to age poorly. A 1–1 draw with relegated Norwich City
on the last day of the season meant that Little was successful in his bid to keep Villa in the Premiership.
In the place of the fading stars came a whole set of new players in the Villa line-up. Young players like Mark Bosnich
and Ugo Ehiogu
were now getting more first team chances, but Villa also made a large number of new signings between November 1994 and August 1995, including Gary Charles
, Ian Taylor
, Mark Draper
and Savo Milošević
. The new look Villa team gelled well, and 1995–96
was the most successful season at Villa Park in years. The club finished fourth in the Premiership, reached the FA Cup
semi-finals and won the Coca-Cola Cup
with a 3–0 win over Leeds
at Wembley. Trinidad and Tobago
striker Dwight Yorke
had now firmly established himself as a world-class goalscorer.
Villa qualified for the 1996–97
UEFA Cup
and although they were knocked out at the first stage by Swedish
part-timers Helsingborg
, they qualified for the 1997–98
competition after finishing fifth in the Premiership.
In February 1998, Little resigned after just over three years as Aston Villa manager, with the club in the bottom half of the Premiership, the club's next manager John Gregory turning results around. They finished the season high enough for a UEFA Cup place.
in May 1998. The Staffordshire club had ended their first season at the new Britannia Stadium
with relegation from Division One. By the middle of the 1998–99 season Stoke looked to be well on course for automatic promotion back to Division One. However, a drastic loss of form in the second half of the season meant that Stoke did not finish high enough to even qualify for the Division Two playoffs, and Little handed in his resignation.
. The club were languishing in Division One and had been outside the top division since 1986, but Little was unable to revive Albion's fortunes.
In January 2000 the promising Italian
midfielder Enzo Maresca
was transferred to Juventus for £4 million as Albion battled against relegation. Little was sacked in March 2000 after just eight months in charge and replaced by Gary Megson
.
. The Tigers were hit by huge debts and were locked out of Boothferry Park
for one game by the landlord, former tennis player David Lloyd.
By the end of the 2000–01 season, Hull had been saved from closure by new owner Adam Pearson
, and the club's future looked brighter. They reached the Division Three playoffs, but lost to Leyton Orient
in the semi-finals.
In autumn 2001, following the dismissal of manager Peter Taylor, media reports suggested that Little was going to be approached by Leicester City
about a possible second spell as manager, but the job went to Dave Bassett
instead.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/1573145.stm
By February 2002 Hull City looked well on course for automatic promotion from Division Three. But Little unexpectedly announced his resignation from the club, and under his successor Jan Mølby
, the club's fortunes slipped dramatically and they could not even finish high enough for a playoff place.
, who were in Division Two
.
His first season with the Merseyside
club was a success. When he took over they were battling against relegation. But by the end of the season they had climbed up to eighth place and had reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup
. He won the Second Division manager of the month award for April 2004. In his first full season as manager, he guided Tranmere to a third-place finish in League One
but they lost in the playoffs to miss out on promotion.
Tranmere began 2005–06 as League One promotion favourites, but at the turn of 2006 they were facing a relegation battle. The club only avoided relegation with one game to go and, due to the club's poor finishing position in League One, he left the club by mutual consent on 5 May 2006.
and Port Vale
. However in November 2007, Little took the reigns at Wrexham, replacing Brian Carey
. With five games remaining in the season the club were in the relegation zone, seven points off safety. They were relegated to the Conference on April 22, 2008 after a 2–0 loss at Hereford United. However, Little signed a two-year contract, promising to revive the club's fortunes.
The 2007–08 season started well, with a 5–0 home victory against Stevenage Borough, the title favourites in the eyes of the bookies. however, a run of poor results followed, with Wrexham being left in the mid-table battle, only four points above the relegation zone and only keeping two clean sheets all season. Following a 3–0 home defeat against Rushden & Diamonds
, Little left Wrexham by mutual consent.
side Gainsborough Trinity
. The club had moved to appoint him following the recent dismissal of manager Steve Charles
and the resignation of his coaching staff which included formerly appointed caretaker managers Dave Reeves
and Steve Blatherwick
. However, Little would not take charge of the club's away fixture the following day against Farsley Celtic after it was announced he would not take over from player/caretaker manager Adie Moses
until 7 September. Little began building a squad of professional's at Trinity, picking up many players from the Football League and other ex-League players from the Conference National
, but despite boasting a large squad of experienced players Trinity narrowly avoided relegation to the Northern Premier League
during the 2010–11 season. On 22 August 2011 following one win and two defeats in the opening weeks of the 2011–12 season, Little was sacked as manager of Trinity with Steve Housham
taking over as caretaker manager.
Leicester City
Aston Villa
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former football player and manager who is currently without a job after being relieved of his duties as manager of Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
on 22 August 2011. Little has previously managed Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere 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...
and Wrexham. As a player, he was a versatile forward who spent his entire playing career at Aston Villa. He made one appearance at International level for England as a substitute against Wales in 1975
Playing career
On leaving school in 1970, Little signed for Aston VillaAston 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...
who had just been relegated to the 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...
for the first and only time in their history. He made his senior debut on 30 October 1971, in a 4-1 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....
in the Third Division at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
. By 1973-74
1973-74 in English football
The 1973–74 season was the 94th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with England...
, with Villa in the Second Division, he was a regular first team player.
He progressed through the youth ranks, winning an FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
winners' medal along the way. He made 247 appearances for the club and scored 60 goals, and made one full international appearance 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...
in 1975.
He was part of Villa's League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winning teams of 1975 and 1977, scoring two goals in the second replay victory over Everton in the latter final, as well as helping the club climb from the Third to 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 the early part of the decade, scoring 20 league goals in the 1974-75 season
1974-75 in English football
The 1974–75 season was the 95th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Dave Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Manchester City, Sheffield United and...
when they clinched the Second Division title and promotion to the First Division.
His playing career came to a halt in 1980 when he retired at the age of 26 due to a knee injury.
The injury was discovered when Little was undergoing a medical at Villa's local rivals 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...
. This meant his intended transfer there was cancelled. He was a flamboyant forward who formed a particularly prolific partnership with Andy Gray. Little is regarded as an all-time great at Villa Park
Villa Park, England
Villa Park is an association football stadium in the district of Witton, Birmingham, England with a seating capacity of 42,786. It has been the home of Aston Villa Football Club since 1897. The team previously played at Aston Park from 1874 to 1876 and Perry Barr from 1876 to 1897...
, and in 2007 he was named as one of the 12 founder members of the Aston Villa Hall of Fame.
Coaching and managerial career
Although his playing career was over, Little remained on the Aston Villa payroll as youth team coach. When manager Tony Barton was sacked in the summer of 1984, Little's contract was also terminated and he became first-team coach of Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton 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...
.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Brian Little was appointed manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers on 31 August 1986 as successor to Sammy ChapmanSammy Chapman
Samuel Edward Campbell "Sammy" Chapman is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager.-Career:Chapman joined Shamrock Rovers in July 1956 from Glenavon F.C. ....
. His appointment came at the end of the blackest spell in the club's history, when three successive relegations had dragged them from 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....
to the Fourth
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...
. He oversaw a steady start to the 1986-87 season
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
before Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....
was appointed manager 36 days later.
Middlesbrough
Shortly after leaving Wolverhampton, Little was recruited as a first team coach by MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough 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...
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....
. Like Wolves, Middlesbrough were a financially troubled club and had narrowly escaped bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Little was an important part of the club's coaching staff as Middlesbrough's form improved, and with two successive promotions they were in the First Division for the 1988–89
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
season. The season ended in relegation for Middlesbrough but in February Little left the Ayresome Park
Ayresome Park
-External links:**-References:...
coaching staff and became manager of Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
.
Darlington
Darlington were bottom of the Football LeagueThe 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...
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...
. He was unable to prevent them from getting relegated to the Conference National
Conference National
Conference 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...
but they were promoted back into the League at the first time of asking. 1990–91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
brought more success for Little and Darlington as they won the Fourth Division championship.
Leicester City
By this time, bigger clubs were taking an interest in the 37-year-old Little and in June 1991 Leicester CityLeicester 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...
appointed Little as their replacement for Gordon Lee
Gordon Lee (footballer)
Gordon Francis Lee is a former English footballer and football manager.A right-back during his playing days, he moved from Hednesford Town to Aston Villa in 1955...
. The Foxes had just avoided relegation to the Third Division for the first time in their history and Little was seen as the right man to turn the club's fortunes around.
At the end of 1991–92, Leicester came fourth in the Second Division and qualified for the promotion playoffs, the winners securing a place in the new Premier League. They overcame 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...
in the semi-finals and were drawn with 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....
in the final. But their promotion hopes were dashed when Blackburn striker Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
, a former Leicester player, scored a penalty which took the Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
side into the new league.
At the end of the 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....
season, Leicester qualified for the playoffs again in the new Division One. They overcame 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...
in the semi-finals but in the final were 3–0 down shortly after half-time to Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
. They fought back to bring the scoreline to 3–3, however Swindon scored a controversial late fourth goal from the penalty spot to progress to the Premier League.
In 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...
, however, Leicester won their third consequetive play-offs with a 2–1 win in the final against East Midlands rivals 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...
. In November 1994 Little returned to Aston Villa to replace Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
. Leicester's first Premier League season was a difficult one and they were relegated in second from bottom place, with just six league wins all season.
Earlier in the year, former Middlesbrough youth coach Little had been linked with a return to the Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
club as manager following the departure of Lennie Lawrence
Lennie Lawrence
Robin Michael Lawrence, commonly known as Lennie Lawrence, is a British football manager who is assistant manager of Crystal Palace. He has managed a number of English clubs and one Welsh club in a coaching career spanning over 30 years...
, but the job went to Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
instead.
Aston Villa
Eighteen months earlier, Aston Villa had finished runners-up in the first Premier League. When Little arrived they were at the foot of the division. Significant players like Nigel SpinkNigel Spink
Nigel Philip Spink is a former football goalkeeper who made his name at Aston Villa and also made one appearance for England at international level on the tour of Australia in 1983.-Career:...
, Earl Barrett
Earl Barrett
Earl Delisser Barrett is an English former footballer who played in the Football League and Premier League for Manchester City, Chester City, Oldham Athletic, Aston Villa, Everton, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. He played mainly at right back though could also adapt to a central...
, Shaun Teale
Shaun Teale
Shaun Teale is a former English professional footballer. He is perhaps most famous for being in the League Cup winning team of Aston Villa in 1994.-Playing career:...
, Ray Houghton
Ray Houghton
Raymond James "Ray" Houghton is a retired Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, qualifying through his Irish father...
, Garry Parker
Garry Parker
Garry Parker is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Luton Town, Hull City, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Leicester City, mostly in the top division of English football, in the 1980s and 1990s. He was capped by his country at under-21 and B international level...
, Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Robert Atkinson is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League and Premier League for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester City, in La Liga for Real Sociedad, in Ligue 1 for Metz, in the Turkish Super League for Fenerbahçe, in Saudi...
and Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
were starting to age poorly. A 1–1 draw with relegated Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on the last day of the season meant that Little was successful in his bid to keep Villa in the Premiership.
In the place of the fading stars came a whole set of new players in the Villa line-up. Young players like Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich is a retired Australian football player and football pundit. He represented Australia 17 times and played for English Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.-Manchester United :...
and Ugo Ehiogu
Ugo Ehiogu
Ugochuku "Ugo" Ehiogu is an English former footballer who played as a centre back, most recently for Sheffield United...
were now getting more first team chances, but Villa also made a large number of new signings between November 1994 and August 1995, including Gary Charles
Gary Charles
Gary Charles is an English former footballer who played at right-back.-Playing career:Charles won two caps for the England team and turned out at club level for Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Aston Villa, S.L. Benfica, and finally West Ham United. Charles was famously fouled by Paul Gascoigne in...
, Ian Taylor
Ian Taylor (footballer)
Ian Kenneth Taylor is an English former footballer, best known for his time at Aston Villa. A midfielder, he had a fifteen year career in the Football League and Premier League, making 478 league appearances....
, Mark Draper
Mark Draper
Mark Draper is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder and represented England at under-21 level. He currently works as the Kit Man at Notts County.-Career:...
and Savo Milošević
Savo Miloševic
Savo Milošević is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a striker.After making a name for himself at Partizan, he signed for Aston Villa, and went on to spend the vast majority of the following decade playing in Spain, where he represented four clubs, amassing La Liga totals of 241 games and...
. The new look Villa team gelled well, and 1995–96
1995-96 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....
was the most successful season at Villa Park in years. The club finished fourth in the Premiership, reached 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...
semi-finals and won the Coca-Cola Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
with a 3–0 win over Leeds
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
at Wembley. Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
striker Dwight Yorke
Dwight Yorke
Dwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...
had now firmly established himself as a world-class goalscorer.
Villa qualified for the 1996–97
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 :...
UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and although they were knocked out at the first stage by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
part-timers Helsingborg
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
, they qualified for the 1997–98
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...
competition after finishing fifth in the Premiership.
In February 1998, Little resigned after just over three years as Aston Villa manager, with the club in the bottom half of the Premiership, the club's next manager John Gregory turning results around. They finished the season high enough for a UEFA Cup place.
Stoke City
Little was appointed manager of 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...
in May 1998. The Staffordshire club had ended their first season at the new 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 relegation from Division One. By the middle of the 1998–99 season Stoke looked to be well on course for automatic promotion back to Division One. However, a drastic loss of form in the second half of the season meant that Stoke did not finish high enough to even qualify for the Division Two playoffs, and Little handed in his resignation.
West Bromwich Albion
Before the 1999–00 season was underway, Little was back in employment as manager of West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. The club were languishing in Division One and had been outside the top division since 1986, but Little was unable to revive Albion's fortunes.
In January 2000 the promising Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
midfielder Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Málaga CF in Spanish La Liga.-Youth career:Maresca started playing youth football at A.C. Milan, before joining Cagliari...
was transferred to Juventus for £4 million as Albion battled against relegation. Little was sacked in March 2000 after just eight months in charge and replaced by Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
.
Hull City
In April 2000, just one month after leaving The Hawthorns, Little was appointed manager of Division Three strugglers Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. The Tigers were hit by huge debts and were locked out of Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park was a football stadium in Kingston upon Hull, and was home to the football club Hull City for over 50 years from 31 August 1946 until December 2002, when they moved to the Kingston Communications Stadium....
for one game by the landlord, former tennis player David Lloyd.
By the end of the 2000–01 season, Hull had been saved from closure by new owner Adam Pearson
Adam Pearson
Adam Pearson is Head of Football Operations of Hull City and owner of Hull F.C. rugby league club. He is the former chairman of English association football club Derby County.-Career:...
, and the club's future looked brighter. They reached the Division Three playoffs, but lost to Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
in the semi-finals.
In autumn 2001, following the dismissal of manager Peter Taylor, media reports suggested that Little was going to be approached by 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...
about a possible second spell as manager, but the job went to Dave Bassett
Dave Bassett
David Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....
instead.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/1573145.stm
By February 2002 Hull City looked well on course for automatic promotion from Division Three. But Little unexpectedly announced his resignation from the club, and under his successor Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
, the club's fortunes slipped dramatically and they could not even finish high enough for a playoff place.
Tranmere Rovers
In October 2003, Little made a return to football management with 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...
, who were in 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...
.
His first season with the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
club was a success. When he took over they were battling against relegation. But by the end of the season they had climbed up to eighth place and had reached 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...
. He won the Second Division manager of the month award for April 2004. In his first full season as manager, he guided Tranmere to a third-place finish in League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
but they lost in the playoffs to miss out on promotion.
Tranmere began 2005–06 as League One promotion favourites, but at the turn of 2006 they were facing a relegation battle. The club only avoided relegation with one game to go and, due to the club's poor finishing position in League One, he left the club by mutual consent on 5 May 2006.
Wrexham
Out-of-work Little was linked with a return to management with both 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...
and 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...
. However in November 2007, Little took the reigns at Wrexham, replacing Brian Carey
Brian Carey
Brian David Carey is an Irish football manager and former player. He is currently on the coaching staff of Wrexham, having been manager there between January and November 2007.-Playing career:...
. With five games remaining in the season the club were in the relegation zone, seven points off safety. They were relegated to the Conference on April 22, 2008 after a 2–0 loss at Hereford United. However, Little signed a two-year contract, promising to revive the club's fortunes.
The 2007–08 season started well, with a 5–0 home victory against Stevenage Borough, the title favourites in the eyes of the bookies. however, a run of poor results followed, with Wrexham being left in the mid-table battle, only four points above the relegation zone and only keeping two clean sheets all season. Following a 3–0 home defeat against Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
, Little left Wrexham by mutual consent.
Gainsborough Trinity
On 28 August 2009, Little was appointed manager of Conference NorthConference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
. The club had moved to appoint him following the recent dismissal of manager Steve Charles
Steve Charles (footballer)
Stephen "Steve" Charles is a former professional footballer who played in The Football League as a midfielder for five different clubs, and was until recently manager of Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity...
and the resignation of his coaching staff which included formerly appointed caretaker managers Dave Reeves
Dave Reeves
David Edward "Dave" Reeves is a former professional footballer who notably for Chesterfield, Bolton Wanderers and Carlisle United. He is currently without a club after leaving his post as Assistant Manager with Gainsborough Trinity.-Playing:Reeves was drafted into the first team squad at Sheffield...
and Steve Blatherwick
Steve Blatherwick
Steven Scott Blatherwick is an English former footballer who spent much of his career playing for Chesterfield, as a defender. He retired from the game at the age of 32, on medical advice after suffering a back injury...
. However, Little would not take charge of the club's away fixture the following day against Farsley Celtic after it was announced he would not take over from player/caretaker manager Adie Moses
Adie Moses
Adrian Paul "Adie" Moses is an English former footballer. He made over 300 appearances in the Premier League and the Football League between 1993 and 2008, he notably played for Barnsley having also featured for Huddersfield Town, Crewe Alexandra, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town and Gainsborough...
until 7 September. Little began building a squad of professional's at Trinity, picking up many players from the Football League and other ex-League players from the Conference National
Conference National
Conference 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...
, but despite boasting a large squad of experienced players Trinity narrowly avoided relegation to the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
during the 2010–11 season. On 22 August 2011 following one win and two defeats in the opening weeks of the 2011–12 season, Little was sacked as manager of Trinity with Steve Housham
Steve Housham
Steven Housham is a retired English professional footballer and current manager of Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity....
taking over as caretaker manager.
As a player
Aston VillaAston 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...
- Third Division TitleFootball League Third DivisionThe 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...
winner: 1971–721971-72 in English footballThe 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in England.-FA Cup:Leeds United overcame holders Arsenal to win the 1972 FA Cup Final... - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner: 1974–751974-75 in English footballThe 1974–75 season was the 95th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Dave Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Manchester City, Sheffield United and...
, 1976–771976-77 in English footballThe 1976–77 season was the 97th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League revamped the tie-breaking criteria for teams level of points, replacing the traditional goal average tie-breaker with one based on goal difference to try to encourage more scoring...
As a manager
DarlingtonDarlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
- 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...
winner: 1989–901989-90 in English football-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :... - Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe 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...
winner: 1990–911990-91 in English footballThe 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
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...
- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Play-Off FinalFinal (competition)The final of a competition is the match or round in which the winner of the entire event is decided.In sports competitions following a knockout system, where only two individuals or teams compete in each match, the final is usually played between the winners of two semi-finals...
runner-up: 1991–921991-92 in English football- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister... - Nationwide Division One Play-Off FinalFinal (competition)The final of a competition is the match or round in which the winner of the entire event is decided.In sports competitions following a knockout system, where only two individuals or teams compete in each match, the final is usually played between the winners of two semi-finals...
runner-up: 1992–931992-93 in English footballThe 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.... - Nationwide Division One Play-Off Final winner: 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...
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...
- Football League Cup winner: 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....
Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (c) 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... |
 |
August 1986 | October 1986 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 50.0 |
| Darlington Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003... |
|
February 1989 | May 1991 | 75 | 31 | 18 | 26 | 41.3 |
| 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... |
|
May 1991 | November 1994 | 178 | 76 | 58 | 44 | 42.7 |
| 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... |
|
November 1994 | February 1998 | 164 | 68 | 51 | 45 | 41.5 |
| 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... |
|
May 1998 | June 1999 | 52 | 23 | 22 | 7 | 44.2 |
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
|
August 1999 | March 2000 | 41 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 19.0 |
| Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
|
April 2000 | February 2002 | 97 | 41 | 28 | 28 | 42.3 |
| Tranmere Rovers Tranmere 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... |
|
October 2003 | June 2006 | 147 | 61 | 43 | 43 | 41.5 |
| Wrexham |  |
November 2007 | September 2008 | 32 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 21.9 |
External links
- Playing & Managerial Statistics at astonvilla.dk