Peter Houston facts for kids
Houston in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Houston | ||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1958 | ||
| Place of birth | Baillieston, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Scotland U21 (assistant) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1977–1978 | Airdrieonians | 1 | (0) |
| 1978–1979 | Livingston United | ||
| 1979–1983 | Albion Rovers | 123 | (33) |
| 1983–1986 | Falkirk | 135 | (33) |
| 1986–1988 | Dumbarton | 80 | (8) |
| 1988–1991 | Falkirk | 77 | (5) |
| 1991–1993 | East Stirlingshire | 47 | (3) |
| Total | 463 | (82) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2009–2013 | Dundee United | ||
| 2014–2017 | Falkirk | ||
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Peter Houston was born in Scotland on July 19, 1958. He is a well-known Scottish football player and manager. Currently, he helps coach the Scotland under-21 team.
Peter Houston played as a striker for several Scottish clubs. These included Airdrieonians, Livingston United, and Albion Rovers. He also played for Falkirk, Dumbarton, and East Stirlingshire.
After his playing days, Houston became a coach and manager. He worked with famous managers like Jim Jefferies and Craig Levein. He led Dundee United to win the 2009–10 Scottish Cup. Later, he managed Falkirk, guiding them to a Scottish Cup final and promotion playoffs.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Peter Houston was born in Baillieston, Scotland, on July 19, 1958. From a young age, he showed a passion for football. This passion would lead him to a long career in the sport.
Playing Career Highlights
Houston started his football journey in 1977 with Airdrieonians. He then moved to junior football with Livingston United. In 1979, he joined Albion Rovers. Here, he played over 100 league games and scored 33 goals.
He then spent four years at Falkirk, scoring another 33 goals. By 1986, he had played over 250 senior league matches. After two years with Dumbarton, he returned to Falkirk for three more years. His playing career ended with a spell at East Stirlingshire.
Coaching and Management Journey
Starting as a Coach
After retiring as a player in 1993, Peter Houston returned to Falkirk. This time, he was a coach. He helped set up Falkirk's youth academy. He also worked as a development officer for the SFA.
In 1995, he joined Jim Jefferies at Hearts. He managed their reserve and youth teams. When Jefferies left in 2000, Houston became caretaker manager. He later became assistant manager to Craig Levein. Houston followed Levein to Leicester City in 2004.
In 1998, Houston guided a young Hearts team to win the Scottish Youth Cup. This team included future Scotland players like Scott Severin and Robbie Neilson.
Leading Dundee United
In October 2006, Houston became assistant manager at Dundee United. He worked again with Craig Levein. In December 2009, Levein left to manage the Scotland national team. Houston then took over as caretaker manager at Dundee United.
After a strong run of games, Houston was appointed manager until the end of the 2009–10 season. He also helped Levein with his Scotland duties part-time. He led Dundee United to third place in the league. They also reached the Scottish Cup final.
On May 15, 2010, Dundee United defeated Ross County 3–0 in the final. This win at Hampden Park secured their first major trophy in 16 years. After this success, Houston signed a three-year deal to stay as manager.
In his first full season, United finished fourth in the league. This meant they qualified for European competition again. In 2011, key players like David Goodwillie and Craig Conway left the club. Despite a tough start to the 2011–12 season, United's form improved. They finished fourth again, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. Houston was very proud of his players' efforts.
Houston left Dundee United in January 2013. He had decided not to sign a new contract.
Managing Falkirk
After leaving Dundee United, Houston worked as a scout for Celtic in December 2013. He enjoyed his time there.
In June 2014, Houston became manager of Falkirk. He led the team to the 2015 Scottish Cup Final, where they lost 2–1 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Falkirk finished second in their league for the next two seasons. However, they lost in the promotion playoffs both times. Houston left Falkirk in September 2017 after a slow start to the season.
Scotland U21 and Morton Assistant
In March 2018, Houston joined the Scotland U21 side as assistant manager. He worked with Scot Gemmill. In September 2018, he also became assistant to Jonatan Johansson at Greenock Morton. He held both roles at the same time. Houston left Morton at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Achievements and Awards
As a Player
- Falkirk
- Won promotion to the top tier of Scottish football in 1985–86.
- Won the Scottish Football League First Division in 1990–91.
As a Manager
- Dundee United
- Won the Scottish Cup in 2009–10.
Individual Awards
- Named SPL manager of the month three times: March 2010, March 2011, and March 2012.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % | |||
| Dundee United | 23 December 2009 | 28 January 2013 | 150 | 63 | 44 | 43 | 42.00 |
| Falkirk | 12 June 2014 | 24 September 2017 | 152 | 71 | 41 | 40 | 46.71 |
| Total | 302 | 134 | 85 | 83 | 44.37 | ||
Images for kids
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Houston in 2011
