Doug Ithier
Encyclopedia
Doug Ithier is an Australia
n football (soccer)
player most notable for playing for Perth Glory
, Walsall
, and throughout Asia
including Malaysia, Singapore
, Indonesia
, Brunei
and China
. He has one son Jaiden Douglas Ithier and married Debbi Ithier 10.10.2010.
including playing against Red Star Belgrade
.
Ithier was a cult figure amongst Perth Glory
supporters for his flamboyant, aggressive play and changing hairstyles. In 1998 he had a 3 week trial with English Premier Division Champions Blackburn Rovers F.C
. This side managed by Roy Hodgson
included such players as Chris Sutton
, Damien Duff
, Colin Hendry
and Martin Dahlin
. But Ithier was refused the relevant work permit to sign in the UK. Without the Europe
an heritage to play in Europe
Ithier returned and focussed on plying his trade in Asia
.
Ithier started his Asia
n career with 1997 Malaysian Super League
champions Sarawak FA
under the guidance of Alan Vest
. His debut game at a sold out Sarawak Stadium
was in 1998 Malaysia Charity Shield against Selangor FA
in which Sarawak FA
won 3-1 with 9 players. Playing in the sweeper role Ithier flourished and quickly became a crowd favorite. Alan Vest
once described Ithier as the "Best Header" of the ball in all Malaysia. Ithier's form in Malaysia earned him the trial with Blackburn Rovers F.C.
.
After returning from the UK, Ithier signed with S-League team Marine Castle United for the 1999 season. Ithier will be remembered in Singapore
for his Blonde hair and colourful designed Adidas boots. He was selected as one of the best Foreign players and played in the S-League All Stars game. He was again a crowd favorite and constantly surrounded by fans after the game even when the team performed badly, giving autograph's. Ithier was involved in a life threatening incident whilst playing against Tanjong Pagar United Football Club. He rose to header a ball from a corner and collided with a player being knocked unconscious. The home side Tanjong Pagar FC did not have an ambulance present, and Ithier was saved by the Marine Castles physio. Tanjong Pagar United Football Club embroiled in controversy was fined by the S-League and the decision resulted in the safety procedures at all clubs to be re-written. Ithier played the following week against doctors advice and was named Man-of-The Match!
Dubbed the "Adopted Greek" during his 9 years on and off with Floreat Athena
Ithier was renowned for spectacular long range goals (including one from the halfway line in the 2001 Night Series Final), specialty freekicks, and bone crunching tackles. He won Floreat Athena
Fairest and Best player in 1996, and figured heavily in Athena's team of 1997's, regarded as one of Athena's best years, winning the Premier League, Cup and Night Series trophies under coach and former Greek
legend Jim Pyrgolis.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer)
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 most notable for playing for Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
, Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, and throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
including Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He has one son Jaiden Douglas Ithier and married Debbi Ithier 10.10.2010.
Career
Ithier represented Western AustraliaWestern Australia state association football team
The Western Australia state association football team is an association football team representing the Australian state of Western Australia. The state team is currently administered by Football West.-Competitions:...
including playing against Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
.
Ithier was a cult figure amongst Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
supporters for his flamboyant, aggressive play and changing hairstyles. In 1998 he had a 3 week trial with English Premier Division Champions Blackburn Rovers F.C
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....
. This side managed by Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
included such players as Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton
Christopher Roy "Chris" Sutton is an English football manager and former player.In his career, Sutton played for Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Sutton scored over 150 career goals in over 400 league appearances spanning 16 years in the English...
, Damien Duff
Damien Duff
Damien Anthony Duff is an Irish footballer who plays for Premier League team Fulham and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he has participated in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012...
, Colin Hendry
Colin Hendry
Edward Colin Hendry is a retired Scottish footballer and manager, who played as a defender. Hendry started his career with Dundee in 1983 and spent spells at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Rangers, Coventry City, Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool...
and Martin Dahlin
Martin Dahlin
Martin Nathaniel Dahlin is a former Swedish football player.-Early life:He is the son of an Afro-Venezuelan father, who was a musician, and a Swedish mother who both decided to name him after Martin Luther King. He was born in Uddevalla, but lived as a child in Lund.-Career:In 1988, he became the...
. But Ithier was refused the relevant work permit to sign in the UK. Without the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an heritage to play in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
Ithier returned and focussed on plying his trade in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Ithier started his Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n career with 1997 Malaysian Super League
Malaysian Super League
The Malaysia Super League is a Malaysian professional league for association football. At the top flight of the Malaysian football league system and it is managed by the Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd, under supervision of the Football Association of Malaysia...
champions Sarawak FA
Sarawak FA
The Football Association of Sarawak enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Sarawak...
under the guidance of Alan Vest
Alan Vest
Alan Vest is a New Zealand football manager who also represented New Zealand as a player in the 1970s.-Biography:Vest had a notable playing career, scoring on his full international debut for the All Whites in a 4-1 win over New Caledonia on 17 September 1972 and ended his international playing...
. His debut game at a sold out Sarawak Stadium
Sarawak Stadium
Sarawak Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kuching, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 spectators. It was built in 1995 for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship...
was in 1998 Malaysia Charity Shield against Selangor FA
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...
in which Sarawak FA
Sarawak FA
The Football Association of Sarawak enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Sarawak...
won 3-1 with 9 players. Playing in the sweeper role Ithier flourished and quickly became a crowd favorite. Alan Vest
Alan Vest
Alan Vest is a New Zealand football manager who also represented New Zealand as a player in the 1970s.-Biography:Vest had a notable playing career, scoring on his full international debut for the All Whites in a 4-1 win over New Caledonia on 17 September 1972 and ended his international playing...
once described Ithier as the "Best Header" of the ball in all Malaysia. Ithier's form in Malaysia earned him the trial with Blackburn Rovers F.C.
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....
.
After returning from the UK, Ithier signed with S-League team Marine Castle United for the 1999 season. Ithier will be remembered in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for his Blonde hair and colourful designed Adidas boots. He was selected as one of the best Foreign players and played in the S-League All Stars game. He was again a crowd favorite and constantly surrounded by fans after the game even when the team performed badly, giving autograph's. Ithier was involved in a life threatening incident whilst playing against Tanjong Pagar United Football Club. He rose to header a ball from a corner and collided with a player being knocked unconscious. The home side Tanjong Pagar FC did not have an ambulance present, and Ithier was saved by the Marine Castles physio. Tanjong Pagar United Football Club embroiled in controversy was fined by the S-League and the decision resulted in the safety procedures at all clubs to be re-written. Ithier played the following week against doctors advice and was named Man-of-The Match!
Dubbed the "Adopted Greek" during his 9 years on and off with Floreat Athena
Floreat Athena
Floreat Athena Football Club is a football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club competes in the Football West Premier League. The club's founders were of Greek heritage....
Ithier was renowned for spectacular long range goals (including one from the halfway line in the 2001 Night Series Final), specialty freekicks, and bone crunching tackles. He won Floreat Athena
Floreat Athena
Floreat Athena Football Club is a football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club competes in the Football West Premier League. The club's founders were of Greek heritage....
Fairest and Best player in 1996, and figured heavily in Athena's team of 1997's, regarded as one of Athena's best years, winning the Premier League, Cup and Night Series trophies under coach and former Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
legend Jim Pyrgolis.