Tony Mowbray facts for kids
Mowbray in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Mark Mowbray | ||
| Date of birth | 22 November 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Saltburn, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1991 | Middlesbrough | 348 | (26) |
| 1991–1995 | Celtic | 77 | (5) |
| 1995–2000 | Ipswich Town | 128 | (5) |
| Total | 553 | (36) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989 | England B | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2002 | Ipswich Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2004–2006 | Hibernian | ||
| 2006–2009 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| 2009–2010 | Celtic | ||
| 2010–2013 | Middlesbrough | ||
| 2015–2016 | Coventry City | ||
| 2017–2022 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2022–2023 | Sunderland | ||
| 2024 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2025 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Anthony Mark Mowbray (born 22 November 1963) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a defender for teams like Middlesbrough, Celtic, and Ipswich Town.
After his playing days, Mowbray became a football manager. He has managed several clubs, including Hibernian, West Bromwich Albion, Celtic, Middlesbrough, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland, and Birmingham City. He is known for winning the Football League Championship with West Bromwich Albion in 2008.
Contents
Tony Mowbray's Playing Career
Playing for Middlesbrough
Tony Mowbray started his professional career at Middlesbrough in 1982. By 1986, when he was only 22, he became the team captain. Fans called him "Mogga."
He was a local hero because he helped the club recover from serious financial problems. He led them back into the top league of English football in just two seasons.
In 2007, a local newspaper listed him as one of Middlesbrough's top legends. He played 348 games for Middlesbrough before moving to Celtic in 1991 for £1 million.
Playing for Celtic
Mowbray played for Celtic from 1991 to 1995. During his time there, his first wife, Bernadette, sadly passed away from breast cancer.
A special tradition at Celtic, where players gather in a "huddle" before each match, is often linked to Mowbray. He suggested it during a pre-season trip to help the team feel closer.
Playing for Ipswich Town
After Celtic, Mowbray joined Ipswich Town. He played there for five years and also became their team captain.
In 2000, he scored an important goal in the Division One playoff final against Barnsley. Ipswich won 4–2, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League. This match was his first time playing at Wembley Stadium and also his last game as a professional player.
Tony Mowbray's Coaching Journey
After retiring as a player, Tony Mowbray became a coach. He started as a first-team coach at Ipswich Town. He even had a short time as a temporary manager there in 2002.
Managing Hibernian
In May 2004, Mowbray became the manager of Hibernian in Scotland. He was highly praised for his work. In his first season, he won the Scottish Football Writers' Association Manager of the Year award.
Under his leadership, Hibs finished in the top four of the Scottish Premier League for two seasons in a row. This was a big achievement for the club.
He also led the team to the later stages of cup competitions and two European tournaments. In 2006, he turned down an offer to manage Ipswich Town. Soon after, in October 2006, he moved to West Bromwich Albion.
Managing West Bromwich Albion
Tony Mowbray took over as manager of West Bromwich Albion in October 2006. His main goal was to get the team back into the Premier League after they had been relegated.
In his first season, Albion finished fourth in the Championship. They reached the play-off final at Wembley but lost to Derby County.
Mowbray then made many changes to his team. He sold several players and brought in 14 new ones, including Chris Brunt and James Morrison. Despite these big changes, he won the Championship Manager of the Month award in September 2007.
In 2008, Mowbray led West Brom to win the EFL Championship title, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. He won the League Managers Association Manager of the Year award for his success.
However, West Bromwich Albion was relegated from the Premier League in the 2008–09 season. Despite this, fans still liked Mowbray. He left the club to manage Celtic soon after.
Managing Celtic
On 16 June 2009, Tony Mowbray became the new manager of Celtic. He brought in Neil Lennon and other coaches to help him. In September 2009, he was named the Scottish Premier League Coach of the Month.
However, Celtic's results started to decline. They fell behind their rivals Rangers in the league. Mowbray tried to change the team by selling some players and bringing in Robbie Keane on loan.
But after a very heavy 4–0 defeat to St Mirren, Mowbray was dismissed on 25 March 2010.
Managing Middlesbrough Again
Mowbray returned to Middlesbrough as manager on 26 October 2010. When he joined, the club was near the bottom of the Championship league.
He helped Middlesbrough climb to safety, finishing 12th that season. He also gave young players like Joe Bennett and Luke Williams a chance to play in the first team.
Middlesbrough started the 2011–12 season well, and Mowbray won Manager of the Month in September. They finished 7th, just missing out on a play-off spot. In October 2012, he won the Manager of the Month award again. However, after a poor start to the 2013–14 season, Mowbray left Middlesbrough on 21 October 2013.
Managing Coventry City
On 3 March 2015, Mowbray became the manager of Coventry City. The team was in danger of being relegated to the fourth-tier league. His main job was to keep them in the third tier.
He succeeded, and Coventry City stayed in League One for the 2015–16 season. Mowbray then signed a new two-year contract. However, he resigned on 29 September 2016, after a long period without a win.
Managing Blackburn Rovers
Mowbray was appointed head coach of Blackburn Rovers on 22 February 2017. Despite his efforts, Blackburn was relegated to League One at the end of the 2016–17 season.
He signed a new contract and, in his next season, led Blackburn to promotion back to the Championship. They secured their promotion on 24 April 2018.
In the 2018–19 season, Blackburn finished 15th in the Championship. In the 2019–20 season, they finished 11th. Mowbray left Blackburn in May 2022 after five years with the club.
Managing Sunderland
On 30 August 2022, Mowbray became the head coach of Championship club Sunderland. In his first season, he led the team to the play-offs, finishing sixth.
Sunderland won the first leg of their play-off against Luton Town 2–1. However, they lost the second leg 2–0, meaning they lost 3–2 overall and did not reach the final. Mowbray was dismissed by Sunderland on 4 December 2023.
Managing Birmingham City
Mowbray was appointed manager of Championship club Birmingham City on 8 January 2024. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract.
However, on 19 February, the club announced that Mowbray needed medical treatment and would temporarily step away. His assistant, Mark Venus, took charge. On 19 March, Birmingham confirmed Mowbray was taking formal medical leave until the start of the 2024–25 pre-season. Former manager Gary Rowett took charge for the last eight games of the season.
The team was unable to avoid relegation. On 21 May 2024, Mowbray resigned as manager. He stated that his health would not allow him to return soon enough for the club's needs. He later confirmed he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Return to West Bromwich Albion
On 18 January 2025, Mowbray was reappointed head coach of EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract.
However, on 21 April 2025, Mowbray was sacked by West Bromwich Albion after a series of poor results.
Tony Mowbray's Personal Life
Tony Mowbray has three sons with his current wife, Amber Mowbray. His first wife, Bernadette Doyle Mowbray, passed away from breast cancer on New Year's Day 1995, when she was 26 years old. Tony's brother, Darren, works in football recruitment for Southampton.
Career Statistics
Source:
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1982–83 | Second Division | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| 1983–84 | Second Division | 35 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| 1984–85 | Second Division | 40 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 3 | |
| 1985–86 | Second Division | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 4 | |
| 1986–87 | Third Division | 46 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 58 | 7 | |
| 1987–88 | Second Division | 44 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 58 | 5 | |
| 1988–89 | First Division | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 3 | |
| 1989–90 | Second Division | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 1990–91 | Second Division | 40 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 5 | |
| 1991–92 | Second Division | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Total | 348 | 26 | 23 | 1 | 29 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 424 | 30 | ||
| Celtic | 1991–92 | Scottish Premier Division | 15 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| 1992–93 | Scottish Premier Division | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 1993–94 | Scottish Premier Division | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 1994–95 | Scottish Premier Division | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| Total | 77 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 95 | 5 | ||
| Ipswich Town | 1995–96 | First Division | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 3 |
| 1996–97 | First Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| 1998–99 | First Division | 40 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |
| 1999–2000 | First Division | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 2 | |
| Total | 128 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 152 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 553 | 36 | 37 | 1 | 43 | 3 | 38 | 3 | 670 | 43 | ||
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Ipswich Town (caretaker) | 11 October 2002 | 28 October 2002 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25.00 |
| Hibernian | 24 May 2004 | 13 October 2006 | 108 | 52 | 16 | 40 | 48.15 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 18 October 2006 | 16 June 2009 | 140 | 57 | 32 | 51 | 40.71 |
| Celtic | 16 June 2009 | 25 March 2010 | 45 | 23 | 9 | 13 | 51.11 |
| Middlesbrough | 26 October 2010 | 21 October 2013 | 153 | 61 | 37 | 55 | 39.87 |
| Coventry City | 3 March 2015 | 29 September 2016 | 76 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 34.21 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 22 February 2017 | 30 May 2022 | 267 | 108 | 70 | 89 | 40.45 |
| Sunderland | 30 August 2022 | 4 December 2023 | 65 | 26 | 18 | 21 | 40.00 |
| Birmingham City | 8 January 2024 | 19 February 2024 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 50.00 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 17 January 2025 | 21 April 2025 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 29.41 |
| Total | 883 | 363 | 212 | 308 | 41.11 | ||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Middlesbrough
- Football League Second Division third place: 1987–88
- Football League Third Division runner-up: 1986–87
Ipswich Town
- Football League First Division play-offs: 2000
Individual Awards
- Middlesbrough Player of the Year: 1984–85, 1985–86
- PFA Team of the Year: 1987–88 Second Division
- Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted 2016
As a Manager
West Bromwich Albion
- Football League Championship: 2007–08
Blackburn Rovers
- EFL League One runner-up: 2017–18
Individual Awards
- Scottish Premier League Manager of the Month: December 2004, May 2005, November 2005, August 2009
- Scottish Football Writers' Association Manager of the Year: 2004–2005
- Scottish Premier League Manager of the Year: 2004–2005
- BBC Scotland Off The Ball Manager of the Year: 2004–2005
- League Managers Association Manager of the Year: 2007–2008
- BBC North East Sports Personality of the Year: 2011
- Championship Manager of the Month: September 2007, October 2012, January 2019
- League One Manager of the Month: November 2017
See also
In Spanish: Tony Mowbray para niños
