Charles Hughes (football coach)
Encyclopedia
Charles Hughes was the director of FA coaching for the Football Association
. He authored the FA's official coaching manual and was an early developer of long ball tactics.
and Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team
between 1964-74 winning 48 matches out of 77.
Wing Commander Charles Reep
. From his statistical analysis, Hughes emphasized the importance of particular areas of the field from where goals were most often scored. He called these area the POMO - Positions of Maximum Opportunity - and asserted that players would score if the ball was played into the POMO enough times. He stressed the importance of set plays
and crosses
into the box.
Many British coaches advocated his long ball philosophy but critics have derided his philosophy for encouraging a generation of players who lack basic technical skills and have lack of understanding of diversity of different tactical playing strategies.
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. He authored the FA's official coaching manual and was an early developer of long ball tactics.
Coaching
Charles Hughes began his coaching career with the England national amateur football teamEngland national amateur football team
The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. It was formed in 1906, due to the growth of the professional game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team.-First match and unbeaten...
and Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team
Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team represents Great Britain and Northern Ireland in international football competitions in the Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players...
between 1964-74 winning 48 matches out of 77.
Tactics
Hughes presented his ideas in the now defunct magazine Match Analysis and concluded most goals were scored from less than three passes. So it was important to get the ball quickly forward as soon as possible. He based this analysis on over one hundred games at all levels, including games involving Liverpool F.C. and the Brazilian national team, as well as many England Youth games. His ideals were developed from the those developed by World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Wing Commander Charles Reep
Charles Reep
Thorold Charles Reep was a football analyst credited with creating the long ball game which has characterized English football...
. From his statistical analysis, Hughes emphasized the importance of particular areas of the field from where goals were most often scored. He called these area the POMO - Positions of Maximum Opportunity - and asserted that players would score if the ball was played into the POMO enough times. He stressed the importance of set plays
Set piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
and crosses
Cross (football)
In football, a cross is a delivery of a ball from either side of the field across to the front of the goal by applying various kicking techniques. A cross is there to provide a goal-scoring opportunity...
into the box.
Many British coaches advocated his long ball philosophy but critics have derided his philosophy for encouraging a generation of players who lack basic technical skills and have lack of understanding of diversity of different tactical playing strategies.