Bryan Hamilton facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 31 December 1946 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1964–1966 | Distillery | ||
| 1966–1971 | Linfield | ||
| 1971–1976 | Ipswich Town | 153 | (43) |
| 1976–1977 | Everton | 41 | (5) |
| 1977–1978 | Millwall | 49 | (6) |
| 1978–1980 | Swindon Town | 24 | (1) |
| 1980–1985 | Tranmere Rovers | 109 | (6) |
| Total | 376 | (61) | |
| International career | |||
| 1968–1980 | Northern Ireland | 50 | (4) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1980–1985 | Tranmere Rovers | ||
| 1985–1986 | Wigan Athletic | ||
| 1986–1987 | Leicester City | ||
| 1989–1993 | Wigan Athletic | ||
| 1994–1998 | Northern Ireland | ||
| 2000 | Norwich City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bryan Hamilton, born on December 31, 1946, is a famous Northern Irish former professional football player and manager. He played for the Northern Ireland team 50 times between 1969 and 1980. Later, he became the manager of the national team for four years. He also worked as a Technical Director for a football club in Antigua.
Contents
Bryan Hamilton's Playing Career
Early Days in Belfast
Bryan Hamilton was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He started his football journey playing for local clubs. His first team was Distillery, and then he moved to Linfield.
Top Player Awards
During the 1970-71 season, Bryan was a standout player. He won two big awards: the Ulster Footballer of the Year and the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year. He was also the top goalscorer in the Irish League that season.
Moving to England
In 1971, Bryan joined Ipswich Town in England. He played there for five years, appearing in over 150 games. After Ipswich, he had shorter periods playing for Everton, Millwall, and Swindon Town.
The Disallowed Goals
Bryan Hamilton had some tough luck with goals being disallowed. In the 1977 FA Cup semi-final, playing for Everton against their rivals Liverpool, he scored a goal that would have won the game. However, the referee, Clive Thomas, disallowed it. The game ended in a draw and Everton lost the replay. This was not the first time; the same referee had disallowed another important goal by Bryan in the 1975 FA Cup semi-final replay.
Bryan Hamilton's Managerial Career
Starting as a Player-Manager
In 1980, Bryan became a player-manager for Tranmere Rovers. He managed the team for five years. During his time, Tranmere Rovers stayed in the Fourth Division, finishing in the top half of the league three times.
Success with Wigan Athletic
Bryan took over as manager of Wigan Athletic in March 1985. Soon after, he led them to win the 1985 Associate Members' Cup Final. The next season, Wigan almost got promoted to the Second Division, missing out by just one point.
Managing Leicester City and Return to Wigan
His success at Wigan led him to manage Leicester City. However, he couldn't keep Leicester in the First Division and left the club. He returned to manage Wigan Athletic again from 1989 to 1993.
Leading Northern Ireland
In 1994, Bryan Hamilton became the manager of the Northern Ireland. He tried to lead them to qualify for major tournaments. For the Euro 96 qualifiers, Northern Ireland came very close to qualifying, just missing out to the Republic of Ireland. The 1998 World Cup qualifiers were tougher, and he left the role after that campaign.
Later Coaching Roles
In April 2000, Bryan was appointed manager of Norwich City, but he resigned in December of that year. He later returned to Ipswich Town as a coach in 2001, leaving in 2002. In November 2006, he became the Technical Director for the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association.
Football Pundit
Today, Bryan Hamilton often works as a football expert for different media outlets. You might hear him on Eurosport, BBC Radio 5 Live, Setanta Sports, Today FM, Sky Sports, and Anglia Television.
Honours and Achievements
As a Manager
- Wigan Athletic
- Football League Trophy: 1985
Individual Awards
- Ulster Footballer of the Year: 1970–71
- Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year: 1970–71
- Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted 2014
