Alan Archibald facts for kids
Archibald (left) is interviewed by Chick Young of BBC Radio Scotland.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Maxwell Archibald | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Kilmarnock (first-team coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1996 | Partick Thistle | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2003 | Partick Thistle | 200 | (8) |
| 2003–2007 | Dundee United | 125 | (6) |
| 2007–2013 | Partick Thistle | 159 | (1) |
| Total | 484 | (15) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–1999 | Scotland U21 | 5 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013–2018 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 2019–2023 | Partick Thistle (Assistant) | ||
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Alan Archibald (born 13 December 1977) is a Scottish football coach and a former player. He is currently a first-team coach at Kilmarnock. Alan mostly played as a defender for Partick Thistle during his career. He played an amazing 423 games for Thistle in two different periods, making him one of the players with the most appearances for the club! He also played for Dundee United from 2003 to 2007. Alan even played five times for the Scotland national under-21 team.
After he stopped playing, Alan became the manager for Partick Thistle in 2013. He helped them win the Scottish First Division title that same year! Thistle stayed in the top league for four seasons under his leadership. Later, he returned to Partick Thistle as an assistant manager. Overall, Alan has helped Partick Thistle win four different league titles and promotions as both a player and a coach.
Contents
Playing Career
Starting at Partick Thistle
Alan Archibald was born in Glasgow. He started his professional football journey with Partick Thistle when he was 18 years old. He joined the club in 1994, but it took him a couple of years to become a regular player. This was partly because the club had some money problems in the 1990s.
During his first time at Thistle, Alan played 231 games and scored eight goals. He was the longest-serving player at the club when he left. He also played for the Scotland U-21 team. As a player, he was a key part of the team that won two league titles in a row! They won the Scottish Second Division title in 2001 and the Scottish First Division title in 2002. Winning the First Division meant they were promoted to the top league for the first time since 1995.
Time at Dundee United
On June 3, 2003, Alan joined Dundee United. In his first season, 2003–04, Alan was the only player who played in every single match for United. His strong performances helped him get a longer contract. He scored his first goal for United against Hearts in a 2–1 win. He also scored against Celtic.
Alan was one of Dundee United's best players in 2003–04. He helped the team finish fifth in the league. For his great efforts, he won the Player of the Year award from the club and its fans. In the 2004–05 season, Alan continued his amazing run, playing in every match again. United reached the Scottish Cup Final that season. Alan almost scored a goal in the final that would have tied the game! He scored four more goals for United that season, including one in a big 4–1 Scottish Cup win against Aberdeen.
Coming Back to Partick Thistle
After the 2005–06 season, there were talks that Alan might go back to Partick Thistle. However, he stayed at Dundee United for a bit longer. On January 24, 2007, Dundee United told Alan that his contract would not be renewed.
So, on January 31, 2007, Alan signed a contract to return to Partick Thistle. This contract lasted until the end of the 2008–09 season. In March 2008, he got a knee injury that kept him out of the game for eight months. Even with the injury, the club honored him with a special "testimonial season" for his dedication. In September 2009, he scored his first goal since returning to the club in a 3–2 win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Coaching Career
Managing Partick Thistle
On January 30, 2013, Alan Archibald became the temporary manager of Partick Thistle. His former teammate, Scott Paterson, became his assistant. On March 22, they were given the job permanently. Alan then led Thistle to win the First Division title, which is now called the Championship. This win meant Partick Thistle was promoted to the Scottish Premiership, the top league in Scotland! Thistle also played in the Scottish Challenge Cup final in April 2013, but they lost on penalties.
Thistle's time in the Premiership was a bit up and down. They went seven months without winning a home game. However, they had more success in away games, winning six times. Their strong finish to the season helped them stay in the top league for the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership season. After a tough start to the 2015–16 season, the team started playing much better. They won seven out of nine possible points, and Alan won the Premiership Manager of the Month award for November.
On May 7, 2016, Thistle secured their spot in the Premiership again by beating Kilmarnock 2–0 away from home. This victory meant Alan Archibald had won more top-flight games as a manager than any other Partick Thistle manager before him! On April 8, 2017, Thistle beat Motherwell 1–0. This win put them in the top six teams for the first time since the league split system was introduced in 2000–01.
The 2017–18 season was tough for Thistle. They finished 11th in the Premiership. This meant they had to play in a special play-off game against Livingston to stay in the league. Thistle lost 3–1 overall and were relegated to the Championship. Even though they were relegated, the club decided to keep Alan as manager for the next season. However, after a slow start to the 2018–19 Scottish Championship season, Alan was let go on October 6, 2018.
In September 2019, less than a year after leaving, Alan returned to Thistle as an assistant manager to Ian McCall. After a difficult start, Thistle won the Scottish League One title in 2020–21. This was Alan's fourth time being involved in a promotion with the club! Alan and the coaching staff left the club in February 2023.
After leaving Thistle, Alan became a lead development coach at Motherwell. In June 2023, he moved to Kilmarnock to become a first-team coach.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
- Partick Thistle
- Scottish Second Division: 2000–01 (Champions)
- Scottish First Division: 2001–02 (Champions)
- Dundee United
- Scottish Cup runner-up: 2005
As a Manager
- Partick Thistle
- Scottish First Division: 2012–13 (Champions)
As an Assistant Manager
- Partick Thistle
- Scottish League One: 2020–21 (Champions)
