Tony Pulis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tony Pulis

Pulis as Crystal Palace manager in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Anthony Richard Pulis
Date of birth	(1958-01-16) 16 January 1958 (age 67)
Place of birth	Pillgwenlly, Newport, Wales
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
	Newport YMCA
	Bristol Rovers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1975–1981	Bristol Rovers	85	(3)
1981–1982	Happy Valley	13	(0)
1982–1984	Bristol Rovers	45	(2)
1984–1986	Newport County	77	(0)
1986–1989	AFC Bournemouth	74	(3)
1989–1990	Gillingham	16	(0)
1990–1992	AFC Bournemouth	16	(1)
Total		326	(9)
Teams managed
1992–1994	AFC Bournemouth
1995–1999	Gillingham
1999–2000	Bristol City
2000	Portsmouth
2002–2005	Stoke City
2005–2006	Plymouth Argyle
2006–2013	Stoke City
2013–2014	Crystal Palace
2015–2017	West Bromwich Albion
2017–2019	Middlesbrough
2020	Sheffield Wednesday
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Tony Pulis is a famous Welsh football manager and former footballer. He was born on January 16, 1958. He last managed Sheffield Wednesday.

Pulis became a coach very early in his career. He got his first coaching badge at age 19. By 21, he had his UEFA 'A' licence. This made him one of the youngest players to get such a high coaching qualification. His son, Anthony Pulis, also became a professional footballer.

Tony Pulis played as a defender for 17 years. He played for several teams like Bristol Rovers and AFC Bournemouth. He also had a short time playing in Hong Kong.

Pulis started his managing career at Bournemouth. He then managed Gillingham, helping them get promoted. After some short spells at other clubs, he joined Stoke City in 2002. He famously saved Stoke from being relegated on the very last day of the season.

He returned to Stoke in 2006 and led them to the Premier League in 2008. This was a huge achievement for the club. Stoke stayed in the Premier League for many years under his leadership. In 2011, he guided Stoke to their first ever FA Cup Final. They lost to Manchester City, but still qualified for European football.

After Stoke, Pulis managed Crystal Palace. He helped them avoid relegation and finished 11th in the Premier League. This earned him the Premier League Manager of the Season award. He later managed West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough. His last managing job was with Sheffield Wednesday in 2020.

Playing Career Highlights

Tony Pulis started his football journey at Bristol Rovers. He joined their special football school from Newport YMCA. He learned a lot there, especially about hard work and good values.

He played 85 league games for Bristol Rovers. Then, in 1982, he moved to Hong Kong to play for Happy Valley AA. His team finished second in the league and won a cup. After eight months, he came back to Bristol Rovers.

Pulis then joined his hometown club, Newport County, in 1984. He was a popular player there. Later, he moved to AFC Bournemouth and then Gillingham. An injury limited his time at Gillingham. He then returned to Bournemouth as a player and coach.

Tony Pulis: A Manager's Journey

Starting Out at Bournemouth

Pulis became the manager of Bournemouth in 1992. This happened after Harry Redknapp left the club. Pulis managed Bournemouth for two seasons. During this time, he spent little money on new players. However, he sold many players for a good profit.

Success at Gillingham

In 1995, Pulis took over as manager of Gillingham. He transformed the team. In his first season, they were promoted from the very bottom of the Football League. They also set a record for letting in the fewest goals in a season.

Gillingham continued to improve under Pulis. They finished 11th in the next season and 8th the season after. In 1999, they reached the play-off final. They were winning 2–0 against Manchester City with only minutes left. But Manchester City scored twice, including a goal in injury time. Gillingham then lost in a penalty shootout.

Challenges at Bristol City and Portsmouth

After Gillingham, Pulis became manager of Bristol City in 1999. His time there was short. He then moved to Portsmouth in January 2000. He helped Portsmouth move up the league table. But he only stayed for ten months before leaving.

First Time at Stoke City

Pulis took over as manager of Stoke City in November 2002. The team was struggling and faced relegation. Pulis signed new players like Ade Akinbiyi and Mark Crossley. These players helped turn the team's fortunes around.

Stoke avoided relegation on the very last day of the season. They won 1–0 against Reading, with Akinbiyi scoring the winning goal. Pulis considers saving Stoke from relegation that season one of his best achievements. He stayed for two more seasons. He left Stoke in 2005 due to disagreements about signing foreign players.

Time at Plymouth Argyle

In September 2005, Pulis became the manager of Plymouth Argyle. He helped improve the team's performance. They finished 14th in the Championship league.

Return to Stoke City: Premier League Glory

Pulis in his usual matchday outfit

In 2006, Pulis returned to Stoke City as manager. He brought in important players like Ricardo Fuller and Rory Delap. Stoke had a strong season in 2006–07. They finished eighth in the Championship, just missing out on the play-offs.

For the 2007–08 season, Pulis guided Stoke City to promotion to the Premier League. This was a huge moment for the club. It was Stoke's first time in the top league in 23 years. Pulis made sure to strengthen the team for the Premier League.

Stoke was expected to be relegated quickly. But they surprised everyone and finished 12th in their first Premier League season. Pulis received a lot of praise for keeping Stoke in the top league with a smaller budget.

In the 2010–11 season, Pulis made history. He led Stoke to their first ever FA Cup Final. They beat Bolton Wanderers 5–0 in the semi-final. Although they lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City, they still qualified for European football.

Stoke played in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. They won their first European two-legged tie against Hajduk Split. They also made it through the group stages. This was a big achievement for the club. Stoke faced Spanish giants Valencia in the next round and lost. Pulis managed Stoke for over 400 matches. He left Stoke City in May 2013.

Crystal Palace and Manager of the Year

On November 23, 2013, Pulis became the manager of Crystal Palace. He helped the team avoid relegation. They went on a great run of five wins in a row. This included wins against teams like Chelsea and Everton.

Palace finished 11th in the Premier League that season. Pulis was named the Premier League Manager of the Year for his amazing work. He left the club before the next season started.

West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough

Pulis became the head coach of West Bromwich Albion in January 2015. He had a strong start, winning his first game 7–0 in the FA Cup. He helped West Brom finish 13th in the Premier League that season. He was also named Premier League Manager of the Month in February.

In the 2016–17 season, Pulis reached 1,000 games as a professional manager. West Brom finished 10th in the league under his guidance. However, he was sacked in November 2017 after a poor run of results.

On December 26, 2017, Pulis was appointed manager of Middlesbrough. He led them to the play-offs in his first season. But they lost and missed out on promotion. He left Middlesbrough in May 2019.

Sheffield Wednesday

Pulis returned to management in November 2020 with Sheffield Wednesday. However, his time there was very short. He was sacked on December 28, 2020, after only winning one game out of ten.

Tony Pulis's Management Style

Tony Pulis is known for getting good results even with small budgets. He has a proud record of never being relegated as a player, coach, or manager. His teams often focus on strong defence. They also use set-pieces, like corners and free kicks, to score goals.

He is often seen as a manager who can save struggling clubs. Stoke City chairman Peter Coates said that Pulis studied Italian football styles. These styles often focus on strong defence.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Tony Pulis was born in Newport, Wales. His father was a steelworker. He grew up supporting Manchester United. His brother, Ray, also played football. His son, Anthony, is a retired footballer and now a coach.

Pulis has received honorary degrees from two universities. He is also very involved in charity work. He has run the London Marathon to raise money for a children's hospice. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and rowed from London to Paris for the same charity. These efforts raised a lot of money to help children.

Pulis is a Catholic and goes to church regularly. In 2010, his mother passed away. He returned to the dugout during a game that night. The crowd gave him a huge applause. Stoke went on to win that game.

Career Statistics

Player

A.  The "Other" column includes games in the Anglo-Scottish Cup, Football League Trophy and Full Members Cup.

Managerial Record

Awards and Honours

As a Player

Happy Valley

• Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield: 1982–83

AFC Bournemouth

• Football League Third Division: 1986–87

As a Manager

Gillingham

• Football League Third Division runner-up: 1995–96

Stoke City

• Football League Championship runner-up: 2007–08
• FA Cup runner-up: 2010–11

Individual Awards

• Championship Manager of the Month: February 2005, April 2007, February 2008
• Second Division Manager of the Month: February 1993
• Third Division Manager of the Month: September 1995
• Third Division Manager of the Season: 1995–96
• Premier League Manager of the Month: April 2014, February 2015
• Premier League Manager of the Season: 2013–14
• Inducted into LMA Hall of Fame 2016–17

Images for kids

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  Pulis as Crystal Palace manager in 2014

• 

  Pulis in his usual matchday outfit

See also

In Spanish: Tony Pulis para niños