Paul Sturrock facts for kids

Paul Whitehead Sturrock, born on October 10, 1956, is a Scottish former football player and coach. He is often called Luggy by fans, a nickname that comes from the Scots word lugs, meaning ears.

As a player, Paul spent his whole senior career with Dundee United. He played over 500 games for them between 1974 and 1989. During this time, he helped United win the Scottish Football League title in 1982–83. He also won the Scottish League Cup twice, in 1979 and 1980. In 1982, he was named the SFWA Footballer of the Year, which is a big award. Paul also played for the Scotland national team 20 times. He even played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

After his playing days, Sturrock became a manager. He started with St Johnstone in 1993, leading them to win the Scottish First Division title in 1996–97. He then managed his old club, Dundee United. From 2000 onwards, he managed several English football clubs. He helped Plymouth Argyle win two promotions. He also managed Sheffield Wednesday, Swindon Town, and Southend United. He even returned to Plymouth for a second time. In 2015, he managed Yeovil Town for a short period. Experts have even said he was one of the best managers in the country, even if he mostly worked with clubs in lower leagues. In 2008, Paul shared that he was dealing with a mild form of Parkinson's disease. His son, Blair, also became a professional footballer.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Paul Sturrock was born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. He grew up in Pitlochry, Perthshire, where he went to school. As a young player, he played for an amateur team called Grandtully Vale.

In 1972, he joined Vale of Atholl. He was an amazing goal scorer, netting about 100 goals in the 1972–73 season! After that, he moved to Bankfoot Athletic. In the 1973–74 season, he scored 53 goals, helping his team finish second in their league. He had tryouts with other clubs, but on July 1, 1974, he signed with Dundee United. The manager who signed him was Jim McLean.

Playing Career Highlights

Paul Sturrock spent his entire professional playing career at Dundee United. He was a very important player for the club.

Early Days at Dundee United

Paul made his first appearance for Dundee United in a European match on September 18, 1974. His league debut came later that year, on December 28, 1974. In his very first season, he scored six goals in just nine league games. His first goal for the club was special, as he scored two goals in a 2–2 draw against Rangers on April 5, 1975. Dundee United finished fourth in the league that year.

In the 1976–77 season, Paul became a regular player. He played in all 36 league games and scored 15 goals, making him the club's top scorer that year.

Winning the League Title

The 1982–83 season was a huge one for Dundee United and Paul Sturrock. The team won the Scottish League Championship, which is a major achievement. They only lost four league games all season! Paul played in 28 games and scored eight goals, helping his team to this historic win. He also set up a key goal in the final league game against Dundee.

End of a Great Playing Career

Paul's playing career ended in 1989. His last goal for Dundee United was on April 8, 1989, in a 2–1 win against local rivals Dundee. Overall, he played 385 league games for the club, scoring 109 goals. When you count all competitions, he scored 171 goals in 576 games. This makes him the second-highest goal scorer in Dundee United's history! After he stopped playing, Paul stayed at Dundee United for five more years as a coach. He left the club in 1993 after 20 years of service.

In 1981, Paul was also the runner-up for the SFWA Footballer of the Year award.

Playing for Scotland

Paul Sturrock also represented his country, Scotland, at different levels.

Under-21 Team

His first game for the Scotland under-21 team was on October 12, 1976. He scored his first goal for the under-21s a few months later, in a 3–2 win against Wales under-21s on February 9, 1977.

Senior National Team

Paul made his full international debut for Scotland on May 16, 1981, against Wales. He scored his first goal for Scotland on November 18, 1981, in a World Cup qualifier against Portugal.

He played 20 games for Scotland and scored three goals. He was part of the Scotland squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain and played twice in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Managerial Career

Paul Sturrock had a long and successful career as a football manager, leading several clubs to promotion.

St Johnstone

In 1993, Paul became the manager of St Johnstone. The team was relegated in his first season. However, he worked hard to improve the club. He guided St Johnstone back to the top division in 1996–97, winning the First Division title by a large margin. In their first season back, St Johnstone finished in a good fifth place.

Dundee United

In September 1998, Sturrock returned to his old club, Dundee United, as manager. Fans were very excited to have him back. His team started well, but after their top scorer was sold in 1999, the team struggled to score goals. Paul resigned in August 2000.

Plymouth Argyle

In October 2000, Paul joined Plymouth Argyle. The club was going through a tough time, playing in the lowest English Football League division. Paul started to build a new team. The next season, he led them to win the Third Division title, setting new club and league records with 102 points!

In October 2003, Paul had taken Argyle to the top of the Second Division. He left the club with 12 games left in the season. Plymouth went on to win that division too, earning another promotion! Because of his success, he was named the manager of Argyle's Team of the Century by a BBC poll.

Southampton

Paul Sturrock became the manager of Southampton on March 4, 2004. However, his time there was short. He left the club by "mutual consent" on August 23, 2004, after a difficult period.

Sheffield Wednesday

On September 23, 2004, Paul was appointed manager of League One club Sheffield Wednesday. The team was in 14th place, but Paul quickly turned things around. He guided the club to the League One play-offs. They won the final at the Millennium Stadium, beating Hartlepool United 4–2 after extra time. This win meant promotion to the Championship! Even with many injured players, he helped Wednesday stay clear of relegation in their first season back.

However, after a slow start to the 2006–07 season, Paul was sacked on October 19, 2006, just five weeks after signing a new contract.

Swindon Town

In late October 2006, Swindon Town needed a new manager. Paul Sturrock was confirmed as their new manager on November 7, 2006. His first season at Swindon was a success! He achieved promotion from League Two to League One. Swindon started the 2007–08 season well, staying in the top half of the league.

Return to Plymouth

On November 27, 2007, Paul Sturrock left Swindon Town to return to Plymouth Argyle. He led the club to its highest league position in 20 years, finishing tenth in the Championship. However, the team struggled the next season, finishing just above the relegation zone. On December 10, 2009, Paul was moved to a different role at the club. He officially left Plymouth in April 2010 to look for other managing jobs. After he left, it became clear that the club had financial problems.

Southend United

On July 5, 2010, Paul Sturrock became the manager of League Two club Southend United. He had a tough job rebuilding the team, as only a few players were available at first. He appointed new players as captain and vice-captain. After finishing in the middle of the table in his first season, Southend did much better in the 2011–12 season, leading League Two for most of the campaign. Paul was even named Manager of the Month in September 2011.

Paul was sacked as Southend United manager on March 24, 2013. He was offered the chance to lead the players out for the Football League Trophy final at Wembley, but he declined the offer.

Yeovil Town

After a very brief advisory role at another club, Paul was appointed manager of Football League One side Yeovil Town on April 9, 2015. The club was almost certain to be relegated at that point. After a poor start to the next season, Yeovil announced on December 1, 2015, that they had parted ways with Sturrock.

After Management

After retiring from professional management, Paul Sturrock moved back to the South West of England. He stayed involved in local football, taking on an advisory role at a non-league club called Plymouth Parkway. He also writes a regular column for a local newspaper.

On March 8, 2018, Paul returned to Dundee United as the club's chief scout in England. Later that month, he joined the United coaching staff. He left the club during the 2018–19 season.

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Dundee United

• Scottish Football League Premier Division: 1982–83
• Scottish League Cup: 1979–80, 1980–81

Scotland

• The Rous Cup: 1985

As a Manager

St Johnstone

• Scottish League First Division (second tier): 1996–97

Plymouth Argyle

• Football League Third Division: 2001–02
• Football League Second Division: 2003–04

Sheffield Wednesday

• Football League One play-offs: 2004–05 (promotion)

Swindon Town

• Football League Two promotion: 2006–07

Individual Awards

• Football League Third Division Manager of the Year: 2001–02
• Football League Second Division Manager of the Year: 2003–04

Other Awards

• Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee: 2019

Books

Paul Sturrock wrote his autobiography, which was published in 2015. It is called Luggy: The Autobiography of Paul Sturrock.

See also

• List of Dundee United F.C. players
• List of Scotland international footballers