Tommy Docherty facts for kids
Docherty in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Henderson Docherty | ||
| Date of birth | 24 April 1928 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 31 December 2020 (aged 92) | ||
| Place of death | Marple, England | ||
| Playing position | Right half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| Shettleston | |||
| 1947–1949 | Celtic | 9 | (2) |
| 1949–1958 | Preston North End | 324 | (5) |
| 1958–1961 | Arsenal | 83 | (1) |
| 1961–1962 | Chelsea | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 420 | (8) | |
| National team | |||
| 1951–1959 | Scotland | 25 | (1) |
| 1952–1953 | Scotland B | 2 | (0) |
| 1955 | Scotland A vs B trial | 1 | (0) |
| 1958 | SFA trial v SFL | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1961–1967 | Chelsea | ||
| 1967–1968 | Rotherham United | ||
| 1968 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 1968–1970 | Aston Villa | ||
| 1970–1971 | Porto | ||
| 1971–1972 | Scotland | ||
| 1972–1977 | Manchester United | ||
| 1977–1979 | Derby County | ||
| 1979–1980 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 1981 | Sydney Olympic | ||
| 1981 | Preston North End | ||
| 1982–1983 | South Melbourne | ||
| 1983 | Sydney Olympic | ||
| 1984–1985 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| 1987–1988 | Altrincham | ||
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Thomas Henderson Docherty (born April 24, 1928 – died December 31, 2020), known as The Doc, was a famous Scottish football player and manager. He played for many clubs, especially Preston North End. He also played for the Scottish national team 25 times.
After his playing days, Docherty became a manager. He managed 13 different clubs and the Scottish national team between 1961 and 1988. One of his most well-known jobs was managing Manchester United from 1972 to 1977. During this time, the team was relegated to the Second Division, but they quickly bounced back, winning the Second Division title and returning to the First Division.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Tommy Docherty was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He started his football journey at a junior club called Shettleston. A big moment in his early career was in 1946 when he joined the national service (a period of military training). While serving in the British Army, he played football for them.
After his service, he signed a contract with Celtic in 1947. He often said that Jimmy Hogan, a coach at Celtic, was a huge influence on him.
Playing for Clubs
In November 1949, after two years with Celtic, Tommy moved to England. He joined Preston North End. With Preston, he helped the team win the Second Division title in 1951. He also played in the 1954 FA Cup Final.
Docherty played nearly 300 games for Preston. In 1958, he moved to Arsenal for £28,000. He played 83 games for Arsenal, scoring one goal. He finished his playing career at Chelsea in 1962.
Playing for Scotland
While at Preston, Docherty earned his first of 25 appearances for the Scottish national team. He scored one goal for Scotland in a game against England in 1955. He was also part of the Scotland squads that played in the 1954 and 1958 FIFA World Cup tournaments. These World Cups were held in Switzerland and Sweden.
Managerial Career Journey
Leading Chelsea
In February 1961, Docherty became a player-coach for Chelsea. Less than a year later, he took over as manager. The team was struggling and was relegated from the top league in the 1961–62 season.
In his first year as manager, he sold many older players. He brought in new, young talent like Terry Venables, Bobby Tambling, and Peter Bonetti. He also changed the team's home kit, making the shorts blue, which is still their colour today. His team, known as "Docherty's Diamonds," quickly won promotion back to the First Division.
In 1964–65, Chelsea won the League Cup by beating Leicester City. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals. A year later, Chelsea reached the FA Cup Final in 1967, but they lost to Tottenham Hotspur. Docherty left Chelsea in October 1967. Many of the players he brought in, like Peter Osgood and Ron Harris, went on to win the FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup under the next manager.
Other Management Roles
After Chelsea, Docherty managed several other clubs. He managed Rotherham United for a year. He then had a very short spell at Queens Park Rangers, leaving after only 29 days.
In December 1968, he became manager of Aston Villa. He stayed there for 13 months before being sacked in January 1970 when the team was at the bottom of the Second Division. He then moved to Portugal to manage FC Porto for 16 months.
In 1971, he became the caretaker manager of the Scottish national team, a role that became permanent. Scotland was doing well in their World Cup qualification under him. Docherty managed Scotland for 12 games, leaving in December 1972.
Managing Manchester United
In December 1972, Tommy Docherty was offered the manager job at Manchester United. His first game ended in a 1–1 draw. The team was struggling with older players, but he managed to keep them in the First Division for the 1972–73 season.
However, in the 1973–74 season, United were relegated to the Second Division. But they quickly bounced back! The very next season, they won the Second Division championship and returned to the top league.
In 1975–76, Manchester United finished third in the First Division. They also reached the 1976 FA Cup Final, but lost to Southampton. Docherty led United to the FA Cup final again in 1977. This time, as underdogs, they beat league champions Liverpool 2–1.
Later Management Years
After Manchester United, Docherty managed Derby County for two seasons. He then returned to Queens Park Rangers in May 1979. QPR had just been relegated, and he worked to improve the team. They finished close to promotion but he was sacked in October 1980.
He then had a short time coaching Sydney Olympic in Australia in 1981. He returned to England to manage Preston North End, where he had played for many years. After a few months, he went back to Australia to manage South Melbourne and then Sydney Olympic again.
Time at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Docherty returned to England in 1984 to manage Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club had just been relegated from the First Division. This was a very difficult time for Wolves, as they were facing financial problems and losing key players.
Docherty's time at Wolves was tough. The club had a rich history, but it was struggling. He had to deal with a team that was not getting much investment. The 1984–85 season was very hard. Wolves had a long run of games without a win. They finished at the bottom of the table and were relegated again. Docherty left the club in July 1985.
He later said about his time at Wolves: "I could hardly say ‘no’ when a club as famous as that came in for me... But it was a hopeless task really. There was no money."
Docherty took his final management job at Altrincham. He retired from managing at the end of the 1987–88 season.
Personal Life
Tommy Docherty had six children. His son, Mick, also became a professional footballer and manager. Tommy Docherty passed away on December 31, 2020, at the age of 92, after a long illness.
Honours
Player
Preston North End
- Second Division: 1950–51
Manager
Chelsea
- Football League Cup: 1964–65
Manchester United
- Second Division: 1974–75
- FA Cup: 1976–77
Scotland
- British Home Championship: 1971–72 (shared)
Individual
- Scottish Football Hall of Fame: 2013
See also
In Spanish: Tommy Docherty para niños
- List of Scotland national football team captains
- List of Scottish football families
