Paul Sturrock
Encyclopedia
Paul Whitehead Sturrock (born 10 October 1956 in Ellon, Aberdeenshire
) is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United
. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle
in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit the club. His former posts included spells as manager of Sheffield Wednesday
, Southampton
, Plymouth Argyle
, Dundee United
, Swindon
and St. Johnstone. He was also a Scotland international
footballer. He is known by fans as Luggy (from the Scots language
word lugs, Eng: ears). Sturrock announced in July 2008 that he was suffering from a mild form of Parkinson's disease
.
His son, Blair
, is also a professional footballer.
fan, Sturrock was educated at Pitlochry primary and secondary schools and played for junior side Grandtully Vale. In 1972 he joined Vale of Atholl of the Perthshire Amateur First Division (where he returned as coach in his latter days with Dundee United), and in the 1972–73 season he scored approximately 100 goals. He then moved on to Bankfoot Athletic
, and in the 1973–74 season he scored 53 goals as they finished 2nd in the Scottish Junior FA First Division.
He had trials with Morton and St. Johnstone, but was signed for Dundee United
by then manager Jim McLean
on 1 July 1974.
.
In his first season at Tannadice he made nine League appearances and came on from the substitutes' bench for three more and in the process he scored six goals. His first goal for Dundee United was one of two he scored in a 2–2 draw with Rangers
at Tannadice on 5 April 1975. Dundee United finished fourth in the League that year. In the following season, he made 18 League appearances, eight as sub, and scored three times. He was also played as a substitute in two of the three Scottish Cup
ties and was on from the start in five out of six League Cup games and scored once. He also started in three of the four UEFA Cup
games netting one in that competition, too.
1976–77 not only saw Dundee United consolidate their Premier League position but throughout the campaign Sturrock was an ever-present, playing in all 36 League games and scoring 15 times. Adding that total to one each in the Scottish Cup and League Cup he was top scorer at the Club that year. He played in United's only Scottish Cup
tie, a 4–1 defeat at St Mirren. He also appeared four times plus once as sub out of the six League Cup ties. In a short-lived Anglo Scottish Cup campaign he was brought on as sub in one leg of the tie against Aberdeen. This season was also significant in international terms for Sturrock as he made his Under-21 debut against Czechoslovakia in a 0–0 draw on 12 October 1976 in the first ever Scotland Under-21 side. Four months later on 9 February 1977 he netted his first international goal in an Under-21 game in which Scotland beat Wales 3–2.
He continued to be a regular in Dundee United's side and featured regularly in European
competition.
In 1982–83 United lost only four League games, won the Scottish League Championship and Sturrock contributed to this success with eight goals in his 28 appearances. He also set up Ralph Milne
for his fourth minute opener against Dundee in the final League game. The Scottish Cup that year had been yet another early exit at the hands of St. Mirren
. Sturrock scored seven in the nine games he turned out in on the way to a League Cup quarter-final exit. He also played in seven of the eight games and scored once in a UEFA Cup run that ended with an exit in Prague
.
His playing career ended in 1989. In 385 league appearances from 1974 to 1989 he scored 109 goals for the club. His final tally of 576 games in which he scored 171 goals makes him Dundee United's top attacking player of all time.
Sturrock stayed at Tannadice for the next five years, in the role of coach. He left the club in 1993 after twenty years continuous service.
He once held the record for the most goals in a Scottish Premier League
fixture, scoring five times for Dundee United against Morton on 17 November 1984. This has since been equalled in 1997 by Marco Negri
for Rangers
against Dundee United, by Kenny Miller
in 2000 against St. Mirren and by Kris Boyd
for Kilmarnock
and for Rangers
both against Dundee United in 2004 and 2009 respectively.
against Wales
on 16 May 1981, and on 8 November 1981, he scored his first goal for Scotland in the 2–1 World Cup qualifier defeat against Portugal
in Lisbon
.
Sturrock won 20 caps for his country, scoring three goals. He was a non-playing member of the Scotland squad for the 1982 World Cup
finals in Spain and appeared twice in Mexico in 1986
.
manager José Mourinho
at one point.
team St. Johnstone, having been recommended by the outgoing manager, John McClelland
. Despite some early poor form - which included a 4-0 Scottish Cup humbling at the hands of Stenhousemuir - Sturrock eventually guided the team to a comfortable promotion in 1996–97.
In September 1998 Sturrock was appointed manager at Dundee United. He made a bright start to his time as manager at Tannadice, where he was feted by the fans for his excellent spell as a player. His United team failed to recover from the sale of top scorer Billy Dodds
in December 1999, when they were lying third in the table. The team scored few goals following Dodds's departure, and Sturrock resigned after two games of the 2000–01
season.
, a club which had reached the lowest ebb in its history, struggling in the English Football League Third Division
. A shake-up at boardroom level took place, Sturrock began to build his own squad. The following season, he guided them to the Third Division title breaking numerous records in the process, including a club and league points total of 102. In October 2003, Sturrock had successfully taken Argyle back to the top of the Football League Second Division
and left when Plymouth had just 12 games to play in what would prove to be another season when they would finish as divisional champions and return to the Football League Championship
, formly known as the First Division
. As a result of his success at Home Park
he has remained a folk hero and legend amongst Argyle supporters, and was named as the manager of Argyle's Team of the Century.
as manager of Southampton
on 4 March 2004. On 23 August 2004 it was announced that Sturrock was leaving the club 'by mutual consent', after a disappointing run of form and rumours of player unrest and boardroom dissatisfaction with his management.
club Sheffield Wednesday
languishing in 14th place on 23 September 2004, and he guided the club to the League One play-offs. After beating Brentford
in the semi-final with an aggregate score of 3–1, Sturrock took Wednesday to the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium
and beat Hartlepool United
4–2 after extra-time, winning promotion to the Championship
. Despite numerous injuries to key players he helped Wednesday to finish 10 points clear of relegation in their first season back in The Championship.
A slow start to the 2006–07
season sparked rumours that Wednesday were about to sack Sturrock, but this speculation looked to be false when he agreed a new four-year contract on 14 September. But he was sacked on the evening of 19 October, just five weeks and 3 games after agreeing this new deal. The new contract was agreed while the club were at the bottom of the League, while he was sacked when they were fourth from bottom.
allowed their management team of Dennis Wise
and Gustavo Poyet
to join Leeds United. Swindon pounced at the opportunity to acquire the services of Sturrock and on 7 November 2006 Sturrock was confirmed as manager with Kevin Summerfield
and John Blackley
following him from Wednesday. Sturrock's first season in charge at Swindon was a success, achieving promotion from League Two
to League One
.
In September 2007 Sturrock was linked with the vacant managerial position at Championship side Leicester City
, but this was denied by Swindon. Swindon made a decent start to the 2007–2008 season, maintaining their position in the top half of the league table after the first 8 games.
. Sturrock also brought back to the club assistants Kevin Summerfield
and John Blackley
, who were previously with him during his first successful spell as manager. Sturrock then proceeded to take the club to its highest league position in 20 years: tenth in The Championship
. However, the team subsequently struggled and finished five points and one place outside The Championship relegation zone in the 2008–09 season.
On 10 December 2009, Sturrock was removed as Plymouth Argyle manager and put into a business support role. This move was taken by chairman Sir Roy Gardner after nearly two seasons of poor results, although the club said it would not stand in the way if another club approached him.
On 22 April 2010 the Plymouth board confirmed that Paul Sturrock had left his role within the club to pursue other managerial opportunities.
Southend United. Former Salisbury City manager Tommy Widdrington
was named as Sturrock's assistant manager while one of Sturrock's former players at Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday, who served as captain at the latter, Graham Coughlan
was soon appointed as a player-coach.
Sturrock faced the tough task of rebuilding the Southend side with only five first team players available for selection at one stage of pre-season, with only Anthony Grant
, Matt Paterson and Scott Spencer
surviving. Sturrock soon appointed new signing Craig Easton
, who he had previously managed at Swindon Town, as captain while another player from one of Sturrock's old clubs, Chris Barker
, was later appointed as vice-captain, having initially been signed on loan, and then permanently on deadline day. It was not an easy task for Sturrock as his assistant, Tommy Widdrington
left for "footballing reasons" on Wednesday 15 December 2010.. After a mid table finish in his first season, he has enjoyed more success during the current season, with Southend currently leading League 2
. Sturrock was named Manager of the Month for September by the Football League. He has been widely praised for his job at Southend United, bringing the best out of players on a very low playing budget and with a minimal coaching team.
Plymouth Argyle
Sheffield Wednesday
Swindon Town
Individual
|1974–75||rowspan="15"|Dundee United
||Division One
||12||6||colspan=2|-||colspan=2|-||1||0||13||6
|-
|1975–76||rowspan="14"|Premier Division
||17||3||2||0||colspan=2|-||5||1||27||5
|-
|1976–77||36||15||1||1||5||1||colspan=2|-||42||17
|-
|1977–78||33||3||4||1||8||3||2||1||47||8
|-
|1978–79||33||6||1||0||2||1||2||0||38||7
|-
|1979–80||33||4||2||1||9||6||4||0||48||11
|-
|1980–81||35||13||7||1||11||9||4||0||57||23
|-
|1981–82||31||15||5||2||11||6||7||1||54||24
|-
|1982–83||28||8||1||0||9||7||7||1||45||16
|-
|1983–84||17||4||3||2||2||0||5||0||27||6
|-
|1984–85||30||14||6||2||6||2||6||2||48||20
|-
|1985–86||31||8||5||2||5||0||5||3||46||13
|-
|1986–87||30||6||6||0||3||0||11||0||50||6
|-
|1987–88||9||3||colspan=2|-||3||2||3||2||15||7
|-
|1988–89||9||1||5||0||colspan=2|-||colspan=2|-||14||1
384||109||48||12||79||38||60||11||571||170
Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Ellon is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan which has one of the few undeveloped river estuaries on the Eastern coast of Scotland. It is in the ancient region of Formartine...
) is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club 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...
in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit the club. His former posts included spells as manager of Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, 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...
, 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...
, Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
, Swindon
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...
and St. Johnstone. He was also a Scotland international
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
footballer. He is known by fans as Luggy (from the Scots language
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
word lugs, Eng: ears). Sturrock announced in July 2008 that he was suffering from a mild form of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
His son, Blair
Blair Sturrock
Blair David Sturrock is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward for Southend United.Sturrock has also played for Dundee United, Brechin City on loan, Plymouth Argyle, Kidderminster Harriers, Swindon Town, Rochdale and Mansfield Town...
, is also a professional footballer.
Early career
A boyhood HeartsHeart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
fan, Sturrock was educated at Pitlochry primary and secondary schools and played for junior side Grandtully Vale. In 1972 he joined Vale of Atholl of the Perthshire Amateur First Division (where he returned as coach in his latter days with Dundee United), and in the 1972–73 season he scored approximately 100 goals. He then moved on to Bankfoot Athletic
Bankfoot Athletic F.C.
Bankfoot Athletic F.C. are a Scottish junior football club based in Bankfoot, near Perth, Perth and Kinross. Their home ground is Coronation Park....
, and in the 1973–74 season he scored 53 goals as they finished 2nd in the Scottish Junior FA First Division.
He had trials with Morton and St. Johnstone, but was signed for Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
by then manager Jim McLean
Jim McLean
James Yuill McLean is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best known for his 22-year spell as manager of Dundee United; the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, he led them to three major honours and established them as a force in European competitions...
on 1 July 1974.
Dundee United
Sturrock made his debut in the European Cup Winners' Cup match v Juil Petrosani of Romania on 18 September 1974 and his league debut on 28 December 1974 as a substitute against MotherwellMotherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
.
In his first season at Tannadice he made nine League appearances and came on from the substitutes' bench for three more and in the process he scored six goals. His first goal for Dundee United was one of two he scored in a 2–2 draw with Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
at Tannadice on 5 April 1975. Dundee United finished fourth in the League that year. In the following season, he made 18 League appearances, eight as sub, and scored three times. He was also played as a substitute in two of the three Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
ties and was on from the start in five out of six League Cup games and scored once. He also started in three of the four 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...
games netting one in that competition, too.
1976–77 not only saw Dundee United consolidate their Premier League position but throughout the campaign Sturrock was an ever-present, playing in all 36 League games and scoring 15 times. Adding that total to one each in the Scottish Cup and League Cup he was top scorer at the Club that year. He played in United's only Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
tie, a 4–1 defeat at St Mirren. He also appeared four times plus once as sub out of the six League Cup ties. In a short-lived Anglo Scottish Cup campaign he was brought on as sub in one leg of the tie against Aberdeen. This season was also significant in international terms for Sturrock as he made his Under-21 debut against Czechoslovakia in a 0–0 draw on 12 October 1976 in the first ever Scotland Under-21 side. Four months later on 9 February 1977 he netted his first international goal in an Under-21 game in which Scotland beat Wales 3–2.
He continued to be a regular in Dundee United's side and featured regularly in European
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....
competition.
In 1982–83 United lost only four League games, won the Scottish League Championship and Sturrock contributed to this success with eight goals in his 28 appearances. He also set up Ralph Milne
Ralph Milne
Ralph Milne is a Scottish former footballer whose clubs included Dundee United, Charlton Athletic, Bristol City and Manchester United. He played as a midfielder.-Career:...
for his fourth minute opener against Dundee in the final League game. The Scottish Cup that year had been yet another early exit at the hands of St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
. Sturrock scored seven in the nine games he turned out in on the way to a League Cup quarter-final exit. He also played in seven of the eight games and scored once in a UEFA Cup run that ended with an exit in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
His playing career ended in 1989. In 385 league appearances from 1974 to 1989 he scored 109 goals for the club. His final tally of 576 games in which he scored 171 goals makes him Dundee United's top attacking player of all time.
Sturrock stayed at Tannadice for the next five years, in the role of coach. He left the club in 1993 after twenty years continuous service.
He once held the record for the most goals in a Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
fixture, scoring five times for Dundee United against Morton on 17 November 1984. This has since been equalled in 1997 by Marco Negri
Marco Negri
Marco Negri is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker for Cosenza, Perugia, Rangers, Bologna and Livorno.- Career :...
for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
against Dundee United, by Kenny Miller
Kenny Miller
Kenneth "Kenny" Miller is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Cardiff City and the Scotland national football team...
in 2000 against St. Mirren and by Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish side Eskişehirspor.Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his...
for Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
and for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
both against Dundee United in 2004 and 2009 respectively.
Scotland
Sturrock made his full international debut for ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 16 May 1981, and on 8 November 1981, he scored his first goal for Scotland in the 2–1 World Cup qualifier defeat against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
Sturrock won 20 caps for his country, scoring three goals. He was a non-playing member of the Scotland squad for the 1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
finals in Spain and appeared twice in Mexico in 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
.
Managerial career
Sturrock became a coach and latterly a first team manager following his retirement. He is one of the most qualified coaches in Europe, and he assessed former ChelseaChelsea 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...
manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
at one point.
In Scotland
In 1993, Sturrock became the manager of First DivisionScottish Football League Premier Division
The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system...
team St. Johnstone, having been recommended by the outgoing manager, John McClelland
John McClelland
Sir John McClelland was a British medical doctor with interests in geology and biology, who worked for the East India Company.In 1835 he was sent on a mission to identify if tea could be grown in north-eastern India along with Nathaniel Wallich and William Griffith...
. Despite some early poor form - which included a 4-0 Scottish Cup humbling at the hands of Stenhousemuir - Sturrock eventually guided the team to a comfortable promotion in 1996–97.
In September 1998 Sturrock was appointed manager at Dundee United. He made a bright start to his time as manager at Tannadice, where he was feted by the fans for his excellent spell as a player. His United team failed to recover from the sale of top scorer Billy Dodds
Billy Dodds
William "Billy" Dodds is a Scottish former professional footballer, he was assistant manager at Dundee, but was made redundant when the club went into administration in October 2010, one of his former clubs...
in December 1999, when they were lying third in the table. The team scored few goals following Dodds's departure, and Sturrock resigned after two games of the 2000–01
2000-01 in Scottish football
The 2000–01 season was the 104th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, 15 points clear of Rangers who finished second. Both teams earned a place in the UEFA Champions League. Hibernian and Kilmarnock...
season.
Plymouth Argyle
Sturrock shocked Dundee United fans by resigning from the club in August 2000. Perhaps more surprisingly, he made a bold move to manage 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...
, a club which had reached the lowest ebb in its history, struggling in the English Football League 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...
. A shake-up at boardroom level took place, Sturrock began to build his own squad. The following season, he guided them to the Third Division title breaking numerous records in the process, including a club and league points total of 102. In October 2003, Sturrock had successfully taken Argyle back to the top of the Football League Second Division
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...
and left when Plymouth had just 12 games to play in what would prove to be another season when they would finish as divisional champions and return to 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...
, formly known as 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....
. As a result of his success at Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
he has remained a folk hero and legend amongst Argyle supporters, and was named as the manager of Argyle's Team of the Century.
Southampton
Sturrock was named as the successor to Gordon StrachanGordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
as manager of 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...
on 4 March 2004. On 23 August 2004 it was announced that Sturrock was leaving the club 'by mutual consent', after a disappointing run of form and rumours of player unrest and boardroom dissatisfaction with his management.
Sheffield Wednesday
He was then appointed by League OneFootball 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....
club Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
languishing in 14th place on 23 September 2004, and he guided the club to the League One play-offs. After beating Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
in the semi-final with an aggregate score of 3–1, Sturrock took Wednesday to the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
and beat Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
4–2 after extra-time, winning promotion to 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...
. Despite numerous injuries to key players he helped Wednesday to finish 10 points clear of relegation in their first season back in The Championship.
A slow start to 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...
season sparked rumours that Wednesday were about to sack Sturrock, but this speculation looked to be false when he agreed a new four-year contract on 14 September. But he was sacked on the evening of 19 October, just five weeks and 3 games after agreeing this new deal. The new contract was agreed while the club were at the bottom of the League, while he was sacked when they were fourth from bottom.
Swindon Town
In late October 2006, Swindon TownSwindon 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...
allowed their management team of Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....
and Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez is a former Uruguay international footballer and current manager of English side Brighton & Hove Albion.During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur....
to join Leeds United. Swindon pounced at the opportunity to acquire the services of Sturrock and on 7 November 2006 Sturrock was confirmed as manager with Kevin Summerfield
Kevin Summerfield
Kevin Summerfield is an English football coach and retired player.He began his career with West Bromwich Albion as a forward, making his first team debut in 1977, before joining Birmingham City five years later...
and John Blackley
John Blackley
John Henderson Blackley is a Scottish football coach and former player.Blackley made 279 appearances at centre-half for Hibernian and also represented Newcastle United, Preston North End and Hamilton Academical...
following him from Wednesday. Sturrock's first season in charge at Swindon was a success, achieving promotion from League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
to 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....
.
In September 2007 Sturrock was linked with the vacant managerial position at Championship side 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...
, but this was denied by Swindon. Swindon made a decent start to the 2007–2008 season, maintaining their position in the top half of the league table after the first 8 games.
Return to Plymouth
After a week of speculation Sturrock resigned his post as Swindon Town manager after just over a year with the club to rejoin previous club 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...
. Sturrock also brought back to the club assistants Kevin Summerfield
Kevin Summerfield
Kevin Summerfield is an English football coach and retired player.He began his career with West Bromwich Albion as a forward, making his first team debut in 1977, before joining Birmingham City five years later...
and John Blackley
John Blackley
John Henderson Blackley is a Scottish football coach and former player.Blackley made 279 appearances at centre-half for Hibernian and also represented Newcastle United, Preston North End and Hamilton Academical...
, who were previously with him during his first successful spell as manager. Sturrock then proceeded to take the club to its highest league position in 20 years: tenth 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...
. However, the team subsequently struggled and finished five points and one place outside The Championship relegation zone in the 2008–09 season.
On 10 December 2009, Sturrock was removed as Plymouth Argyle manager and put into a business support role. This move was taken by chairman Sir Roy Gardner after nearly two seasons of poor results, although the club said it would not stand in the way if another club approached him.
On 22 April 2010 the Plymouth board confirmed that Paul Sturrock had left his role within the club to pursue other managerial opportunities.
Southend United
On July 5, 2010 he was confirmed as manager of nPower League 2Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Southend United. Former Salisbury City manager Tommy Widdrington
Tommy Widdrington
Thomas "Tommy" Widdrington is an English former footballer, turned football manager, who is the manager of Southern Football League side Hemel Hempstead Town...
was named as Sturrock's assistant manager while one of Sturrock's former players at Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday, who served as captain at the latter, Graham Coughlan
Graham Coughlan
Graham Coughlan is an Irish footballer who plays as a centre back for Southend United.He began his career in his native Ireland with Bray Wanderers before being signed by Blackburn Rovers. He joined Livingston in 1999 and his performances for the Scottish club led to a transfer to Plymouth Argyle...
was soon appointed as a player-coach.
Sturrock faced the tough task of rebuilding the Southend side with only five first team players available for selection at one stage of pre-season, with only Anthony Grant
Anthony Grant
-External links:* at RollTide.com...
, Matt Paterson and Scott Spencer
Scott Spencer
Scott Spencer may refer to:* Scott Spencer , novelist who wrote Endless Love and A Ship Made of Paper* Scott A. Spencer , American abstract painter* Scott Spencer , English footballer playing for Hyde F.C....
surviving. Sturrock soon appointed new signing Craig Easton
Craig Easton
Craig Easton is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Dunfermline Athletic.-Dundee United:...
, who he had previously managed at Swindon Town, as captain while another player from one of Sturrock's old clubs, Chris Barker
Chris Barker
Christopher Andrew "Chris" Barker is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Southend United. He has also represented Barnsley, Cardiff City, Stoke City, Colchester United, Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle since beginning his career in 1997...
, was later appointed as vice-captain, having initially been signed on loan, and then permanently on deadline day. It was not an easy task for Sturrock as his assistant, Tommy Widdrington
Tommy Widdrington
Thomas "Tommy" Widdrington is an English former footballer, turned football manager, who is the manager of Southern Football League side Hemel Hempstead Town...
left for "footballing reasons" on Wednesday 15 December 2010.. After a mid table finish in his first season, he has enjoyed more success during the current season, with Southend currently leading League 2
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Sturrock was named Manager of the Month for September by the Football League. He has been widely praised for his job at Southend United, bringing the best out of players on a very low playing budget and with a minimal coaching team.
As a player
(All with Dundee United)- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
– 1979–80, 1980–81 - Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
– 1982–83 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe 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...
Runner-up – 1986–87 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
Runner up 1980–81 1984–85 1986–87 1987–88 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
runner up 1981–82 1984–85 - Full Scotland capsScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
20 - Full Scotland International GoalsScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
3
As a manager
St. Johnstone- Scottish League First DivisionScottish Football League First DivisionThe Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
: 1996–971996-97 in Scottish footballThe 1996–97 season was the 100th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season seen a playoff system introduced between the 2nd bottom club in the Premier Division and the 2nd top club in Division One.-Scottish Premier Division:...
Plymouth Argyle
- Football League Third DivisionFootball 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...
: 2001–02 - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
: 2003–04
Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League One play-offsFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
: 2004–05
Swindon Town
- Football League Two promotionFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: 2006–07
Individual
- Football League Third Division Manager of the YearFootball 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...
: 2001–02 - Football League Second Division Manager of the YearFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
: 2003–04 - Football League Third Division Manager of the MonthFootball 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...
: September 2001, October 2001, February 2002 - Football League Second Division Manager of the MonthFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
: October 2003, December 2003 - LMA Managers Performance LeagueLeague Managers AssociationThe League Managers Association is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football...
: January 2004 - Football League One Manager of the MonthFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: November 2004 - Football League Two Manager of the MonthFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: January 2007 - Football League Two Manager of the MonthFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: September 2011
Player
|-|1974–75||rowspan="15"|Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
||Division One
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||12||6||colspan=2|-||colspan=2|-||1||0||13||6
|-
|1975–76||rowspan="14"|Premier Division
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||17||3||2||0||colspan=2|-||5||1||27||5
|-
|1976–77||36||15||1||1||5||1||colspan=2|-||42||17
|-
|1977–78||33||3||4||1||8||3||2||1||47||8
|-
|1978–79||33||6||1||0||2||1||2||0||38||7
|-
|1979–80||33||4||2||1||9||6||4||0||48||11
|-
|1980–81||35||13||7||1||11||9||4||0||57||23
|-
|1981–82||31||15||5||2||11||6||7||1||54||24
|-
|1982–83||28||8||1||0||9||7||7||1||45||16
|-
|1983–84||17||4||3||2||2||0||5||0||27||6
|-
|1984–85||30||14||6||2||6||2||6||2||48||20
|-
|1985–86||31||8||5||2||5||0||5||3||46||13
|-
|1986–87||30||6||6||0||3||0||11||0||50||6
|-
|1987–88||9||3||colspan=2|-||3||2||3||2||15||7
|-
|1988–89||9||1||5||0||colspan=2|-||colspan=2|-||14||1
384||109||48||12||79||38||60||11||571||170
Manager
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | |W | |D | |L | Win % | ||||
| St. Johnstone |  |
1 August 1993 | 5 September 1998 |
|||||
| Dundee United Dundee United F.C. Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923... |
|
5 September 1998 | 7 August 2000 |
|||||
| 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... |
 |
31 October 2000 | 4 March 2004 |
|||||
| 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... |
|
4 March 2004 | 23 August 2004 |
|||||
| Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
|
23 September 2004 | 19 October 2006 |
|||||
| 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... |
|
7 November 2006 | 27 November 2007 |
|||||
| 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... |
|
27 November 2007 | 10 December 2009 |
|||||
| Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... |
|
5 July 2010 | Present |
|||||
| Total |
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