Stuart Baxter
Encyclopedia
Stuart Baxter is a Scottish
football manager and former player. During his years as a professional player he played for a number of clubs in England
, Scotland
, Australia
, Sweden
and in the United States
. As a manager he has been working for clubs in Sweden, Norway
, Portugal
and Japan
as well as being the national coach for South Africa
, Finland
and the England under-19 national football team. He is currently employed by AIK
as an advisor to the current manager Andreas Alm
.
mother, was born in Wolverhampton
. Although he was born in England he was brought up in Scotland and considers himself Scottish.
in 1973. He later moved north to Scotland
to join Dundee United
before returning to England with Stockport County
. Baxter then moved to Australia
, Sweden
and the United States
respectively with South Melbourne FC
, Helsingborgs IF
and San Diego Sockers. His playing career ended in 1983.
to begin his coaching career; he worked with Örebro SK
's youth team. In 1986, he was appointed manager of minor Norwegian
side Idrettsforeningen Skarp
. The following year he landed a larger managerial role with Portuguese
team Vitória de Setúbal
before returning to Sweden for a three-year stint at Halmstads BK
between 1988 and 1991. In his first year with Halmstad he guided them to promotion to the Allsvenskan
but the club was relegated at the end of his tenure. Baxter moved to Japan
to first coach Sanfrecce Hiroshima
, between 1992 and 1994, and then Vissel Kobe
, in 1997. He took over as manager of Kobe only days after an earthquake caused devastation in the city and spent 2 weeks living in a makeshift caravan in the Club carpark.
, where he guided them to the Swedish championship
. Having qualified for the UEFA Champions League
, Baxter took AIK into the group stages where the Swedish champions played against some of Europe's largest teams, such as FC Barcelona
, Arsenal
and Fiorentina
. Unsurprisingly, AIK finished bottom of the group. After two years, he moved to Norwegian side Lyn Oslo.
to coach the England Under-19 team
in 2002. After two years, he was hired as South Africa
's manager. By autumn 2005, he quit this role having failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup
. He later had another short spell at Vissel Kobe
before moving back to Helsingborg
, this time as manager in 2006. He took the Swedish side past the group stages of the UEFA Cup in 2007 but he resigned at the end of the year.
on a two-year contract. In January 2009 it was announced that he has signed an extended contract that will keep him in charge of the Finland team through the 2012 European Championships campaign.
In June 2010 Baxter was strongly linked with a possible director of football position at Celtic
to work alongside new manager Neil Lennon
, however these hopes came to nothing as Celtic were unable to agree a settlement for Baxter's services with the Football Association of Finland
.
During the autumn of 2010, The Finland national team
lost important matches against Moldova
and Hungary
, which lead to widespread hopes for Baxter's resignation made public by the National Team Supporters, the media and the country's leading football pundits. It turned out, too, that Baxter had failed to establish communicative relationships with some of the key players in the squad, favouring certain players instead. Baxter, however, refused to resign, attacking against journalists for not understanding football well enough in order to evaluate his performance as a manager. The Football Association of Finland
did not sack Baxter either, citing, e.g., financial reasons. The Finland national team's
position in FIFA World Rankings
has sunk from 33 to 86 under Baxter's guidance On November 2010, The Football Association of Finland
revealed that Baxter would no longer continue in his job as a manager of the national team.
, taking over after Roland Nilsson
. Ten days later on 13 May Malmö FF confirmed that they were engaged in final negotiations with Baxter for the job. On 16 May Baxter announced that he had turned down the offer.
, who is also a former professional football player and now a goalkeeping-coach for AIK. His brother was also a professional footballer, but who died of cancer in his early 30s.
AIK
Helsingborgs IF
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football manager and former player. During his years as a professional player he played for a number of clubs in England
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...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Australia
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...
, Sweden
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....
and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As a manager he has been working for clubs in Sweden, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as well as being the national coach for South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
and the England under-19 national football team. He is currently employed by AIK
AIK Fotboll
AIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...
as an advisor to the current manager Andreas Alm
Andreas Alm
Andreas Alm is a Swedish former football player. He is the current Manager of AIK and also a former player for the club. During his active career he played for the two Stockholm rivals AIK and Hammarby IF in the Swedish Allsvenskan...
.
Early life
Baxter, who has a Scottish father and an EnglishEngland
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...
mother, was born in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. Although he was born in England he was brought up in Scotland and considers himself Scottish.
Playing career
He began his playing career with Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
in 1973. He later moved north to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to join 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...
before returning to England with Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
. Baxter then moved to Australia
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...
, Sweden
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....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
respectively with South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
, Helsingborgs IF
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...
and San Diego Sockers. His playing career ended in 1983.
Early coaching career in Scandinavia and Japan
Baxter returned to ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
to begin his coaching career; he worked with Örebro SK
Örebro SK
Örebro SK, also known as ÖSK or just Örebro, is a Swedish football club based in Örebro. The club, formed on 28 October 1908, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan.-The first years:...
's youth team. In 1986, he was appointed manager of minor Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
side Idrettsforeningen Skarp
IF Skarp
Idrettsforeningen Skarp is a Norwegian association football club from Tromsø. Its club colors are black and white.The men's team played in the Second Division for many years, but was relegated after the 2008 season...
. The following year he landed a larger managerial role with Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
team Vitória de Setúbal
Vitória F.C.
Vitória Futebol Clube is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Setúbal. Popularly known as Vitória de Setúbal with the motto "A Vitória será nossa" .- Domestic :*Portuguese Liga: Runners-up 1971–72...
before returning to Sweden for a three-year stint at Halmstads BK
Halmstads BK
Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title...
between 1988 and 1991. In his first year with Halmstad he guided them to promotion to the Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
but the club was relegated at the end of his tenure. Baxter moved to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to first coach Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...
, between 1992 and 1994, and then Vissel Kobe
Vissel Kobe
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.-History:The club was...
, in 1997. He took over as manager of Kobe only days after an earthquake caused devastation in the city and spent 2 weeks living in a makeshift caravan in the Club carpark.
AIK
In 1998, Baxter was bought back to Sweden by AIKAIK Fotboll
AIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...
, where he guided them to the Swedish championship
Swedish football champions
Swedish football champions is a title held by the winners of the highest Swedish football league played each year, Allsvenskan. IFK Göteborg holds the record of most titles with 18 Swedish championships. After winning the 2011 Allsvenskan, Helsingborgs IF are the reigning Swedish football...
. Having qualified for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, Baxter took AIK into the group stages where the Swedish champions played against some of Europe's largest teams, such as FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
. Unsurprisingly, AIK finished bottom of the group. After two years, he moved to Norwegian side Lyn Oslo.
England Under-19, South Africa, Return to Japan and Scandinavia
Baxter was hired by the Football AssociationThe 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...
to coach the England Under-19 team
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
in 2002. After two years, he was hired as South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
's manager. By autumn 2005, he quit this role having failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. He later had another short spell at Vissel Kobe
Vissel Kobe
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.-History:The club was...
before moving back to 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...
, this time as manager in 2006. He took the Swedish side past the group stages of the UEFA Cup in 2007 but he resigned at the end of the year.
Finland
At the beginning of 2008, Baxter was appointed manager of FinlandFinland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
on a two-year contract. In January 2009 it was announced that he has signed an extended contract that will keep him in charge of the Finland team through the 2012 European Championships campaign.
In June 2010 Baxter was strongly linked with a possible director of football position at Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
to work alongside new manager Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....
, however these hopes came to nothing as Celtic were unable to agree a settlement for Baxter's services with the Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
.
During the autumn of 2010, The Finland national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
lost important matches against Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, which lead to widespread hopes for Baxter's resignation made public by the National Team Supporters, the media and the country's leading football pundits. It turned out, too, that Baxter had failed to establish communicative relationships with some of the key players in the squad, favouring certain players instead. Baxter, however, refused to resign, attacking against journalists for not understanding football well enough in order to evaluate his performance as a manager. The Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
did not sack Baxter either, citing, e.g., financial reasons. The Finland national team's
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
position in FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
has sunk from 33 to 86 under Baxter's guidance On November 2010, The Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
revealed that Baxter would no longer continue in his job as a manager of the national team.
Future
On 3 May 2011 Baxter was linked to the managerial job at Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
, taking over after Roland Nilsson
Roland Nilsson
Roland Nilsson is a Swedish football manager and the current manager of FC Copenhagen. As a player, Nilsson played 116 games for Sweden, making him second only to Thomas Ravelli in international appearances for Sweden...
. Ten days later on 13 May Malmö FF confirmed that they were engaged in final negotiations with Baxter for the job. On 16 May Baxter announced that he had turned down the offer.
Family
Baxter has a son, LeeLee Baxter
Lee Baxter is a Swedish football goalkeeper and goalkeeper coach of Anglo-Scottish descent who currently plays for AIK. His former clubs includes Rangers, Malmö FF, Sheffield United and IFK Göteborg...
, who is also a former professional football player and now a goalkeeping-coach for AIK. His brother was also a professional footballer, but who died of cancer in his early 30s.
Club
Sanfrecce HiroshimaSanfrecce Hiroshima
is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...
- J. League Division 1J. LeagueThe or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
:1st Stage Champions: 1
-
- 1994
AIK
AIK Fotboll
AIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...
- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
: 1
-
- 1998
- Svenska CupenSvenska CupenSvenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
: 1
- Svenska Cupen
- 1998–99
- 1998
Helsingborgs IF
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...
- Svenska CupenSvenska CupenSvenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
: 1
-
- 2006