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)
Position(s)	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)
Managerial career
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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Anthony Richard Pulis, known as Tony Pulis, is a Welsh former professional football manager and footballer. He was last the manager of Sheffield Wednesday.

Pulis earned his first coaching badge at age 19. He then got his UEFA 'A' licence at 21. This made him one of the youngest professional players to achieve this qualification. His son, Anthony, also played professional football. Tony Pulis had a 17-year career as a defender. He played for teams like Bristol Rovers, Newport County, AFC Bournemouth, and Gillingham. He also played for a short time in Hong Kong with Happy Valley.

Pulis started his management career at Bournemouth. He was a player/coach and then an assistant. He took over as manager when Harry Redknapp left. He then managed Gillingham before leaving in 1999 after a disagreement. Pulis then had short spells at Bristol City and Portsmouth. He became manager of Stoke City in 2002. He helped Stoke avoid relegation in a tough 2002–03 season. He was later sacked by Stoke's owners. He then managed Plymouth Argyle for a season.

Pulis returned to Stoke in 2006. He led Stoke to the Premier League in the 2007–08 season. This was after they finished second in the Championship. Stoke was expected to be relegated from the Premier League. However, they finished in a safe 12th place. In the 2010–11 season, Pulis led Stoke to their first FA Cup Final. They beat Bolton Wanderers 5–0 in the semi-final. Stoke lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City. But they still qualified for European football. In the UEFA Europa League, Stoke lost to Valencia. Pulis left Stoke City in May 2013.

Pulis became manager of Crystal Palace in November 2013. He helped Palace avoid relegation. They finished 11th in the 2013–14 Premier League. This earned him the Premier League Manager of the Season award. He left Crystal Palace before the next season started. He then joined West Bromwich Albion in January 2015. He managed them until November 2017. Pulis led West Brom to a 10th-place finish in the 2016–17 season. He was sacked after a poor start to the next season. In December 2017, Pulis was appointed manager of Middlesbrough. He stayed there until May 2019. On November 13, 2020, Pulis became manager of Sheffield Wednesday. He was sacked on December 28, 2020, after only 10 games. After this, he announced his retirement from football management.

Playing Career Highlights

Pulis started his football journey at Bristol Rovers. He joined their youth program from Newport YMCA. He learned a lot there, and it helped him become a successful manager. He believes the old-fashioned values taught at Bristol Rovers were very important.

Pulis played 85 league games for Bristol Rovers. In 1982, he moved to the Hong Kong club Happy Valley AA. The team finished second in the league and won a cup during his eight months there. He then returned to Bristol Rovers. He played 45 more league games before joining his hometown club, Newport County, in 1984. At Newport, Pulis was a popular player.

When Newport County faced money problems, Harry Redknapp signed Pulis for AFC Bournemouth. Pulis played there for three years. He then joined Gillingham in 1989. An injury limited his playing time at Gillingham. After thinking about a career outside football, Pulis returned to Bournemouth. He took on a role as both a player and a coach. He played 16 games and scored one goal in this role.

Managerial Journey

AFC Bournemouth Leadership

Pulis became the manager of Bournemouth in 1992. This happened after Harry Redknapp left for West Ham United. Pulis managed Bournemouth for two seasons. In both seasons, the team finished 17th. During his time, Pulis spent less money on new players. But he earned a lot from selling players. One of his important signings was Steve Fletcher. Fletcher went on to play a record 728 games for the club.

Gillingham's Rise

Pulis joined Gillingham in 1995. He managed the team for four seasons. He transformed a struggling team into one that won promotion in his first year. He helped set the stage for the club to reach the First Division for the first time.

In the 1995–96 season, Gillingham finished second and earned promotion. They set a record for the fewest goals conceded in a 46-game season. Their goalkeeper, Jim Stannard, kept 29 clean sheets. The next season, Gillingham started slowly but improved to finish 11th. In the 1997–98 season, they finished 8th.

In the 1999 Second Division play-off final, Gillingham was winning 2–0. But Manchester City scored twice late in the game. Manchester City then won the game in a penalty shoot-out. After this loss, Pulis left the club.

Bristol City and Portsmouth Spells

Pulis became manager of Bristol City in July 1999. His past with rival club Bristol Rovers caused mixed feelings among fans. He made some big player purchases. But his popularity dropped quickly. He moved to Portsmouth in January 2000. He helped Portsmouth move up the league table. However, he was sacked after only ten months.

First Time at Stoke City

Pulis was out of work for two years. Then, in November 2002, he became manager of Stoke City. Stoke was in danger of being relegated. Pulis signed striker Ade Akinbiyi and goalkeeper Mark Crossley. These players helped turn the team's performance around. Stoke avoided relegation on the last day of the 2002–03 season. Pulis considers saving Stoke from relegation that season one of his best achievements.

In the next season, Stoke finished 11th. Pulis had disagreements with the club's chairman. He was unhappy about not having enough money for new players. Pulis left Stoke City in June 2005. He was replaced by Dutch manager Johan Boskamp.

Plymouth Argyle Challenge

After leaving Stoke, Pulis joined Plymouth Argyle in September 2005. He helped improve the team's performance. Plymouth Argyle finished 14th in the Championship league that season.

Return to Stoke City and Premier League Success

Pulis in typical matchday dress

In May 2006, Pulis was asked to return to Stoke City. He officially came back as manager on June 14, 2006. Pulis strengthened his team with new players. Stoke had a poor start to the 2006–07 season. But they improved and reached fourth place in the league. Pulis was named Manager of the Month for April 2007. Stoke finished eighth in the Championship that season.

Pulis led Stoke City to promotion to the Premier League in the 2007–08 season. This was Stoke's first time in the top league in 23 years. Pulis knew he needed to make the team stronger for the Premier League. Stoke signed several new players, including striker Dave Kitson.

Stoke had a good start to the Premier League season. But they struggled in the middle of the season. New players like James Beattie and Matthew Etherington helped the team. Stoke secured their Premier League survival in May 2009. Pulis received much praise for keeping Stoke in the Premier League with a limited budget.

In the next season, Stoke continued to do well in the Premier League. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Stoke finished 11th in the Premier League. Pulis managed his 300th game for Stoke in February 2010.

Pulis led Stoke to the semi-finals of the FA Cup again. They then beat Bolton 5–0. This made Pulis the first manager to lead Stoke to an FA Cup Final. Stoke lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City. But by reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. Stoke's chairman, Peter Coates, called Pulis Stoke's greatest ever manager.

In the Europa League, Stoke won their first two-legged European match. Pulis signed former England players Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson. He managed his 800th competitive match in August 2011. Stoke also signed Peter Crouch for a club record fee of £10 million. Stoke qualified for the knock-out stages of the Europa League. Pulis called this a "milestone" for the club. Stoke faced Valencia in the round of 32. Stoke lost both games and exited the Europa League. Stoke finished the 2011–12 season in 14th place.

In 2012, Pulis brought in new midfield players. These included Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu, and Charlie Adam. Stoke had a steady start to the 2012–13 season. Stoke had a ten-match unbeaten run and a strong defense. However, Stoke struggled in early 2013. Pulis faced criticism from fans. Stoke avoided relegation and finished 13th in the Premier League. Pulis left the club on May 21, 2013. He was replaced by Mark Hughes.

Crystal Palace Success

On November 23, 2013, Pulis became manager of Crystal Palace. His first win was a 1–0 home victory against West Ham. In early 2014, the team won five games in a row. This run included wins over Chelsea and Everton. This good form helped Palace avoid relegation. Pulis was named Manager of the Month for April 2014. Palace finished 11th in the Premier League. Pulis was named the Premier League Manager of the Year.

Pulis left Crystal Palace before the 2014–15 season started. He said it was because he did not get enough support for new players.

West Bromwich Albion Tenure

On January 1, 2015, Pulis became head coach at West Bromwich Albion. He won his first game 7–0 in the FA Cup. Pulis signed former Manchester United player Darren Fletcher. Fletcher became the team captain. West Brom had a strong February, keeping three clean sheets. Pulis was named Premier League Manager of the Month for February. West Brom beat Chelsea and Manchester United. Pulis led the team to a 13th-place finish.

For the 2015–16 season, Pulis signed striker Salomón Rondón. In 2016, Pulis worked as a football expert for ITV during UEFA Euro 2016.

In the 2016–17 season, Pulis reached 1,000 games as a professional manager. He signed a contract extension until 2018. He was nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Season award. The club finished 10th in the league. Pulis signed another contract extension until 2019. However, Pulis was sacked as West Brom manager on November 20, 2017. This was after a poor run of results.

Middlesbrough Challenge

On December 26, 2017, Pulis was appointed manager of Middlesbrough. His first game in charge was a 1–0 home loss. Pulis's first win came on January 1, 2018. Middlesbrough won 3–2 against Preston North End. Pulis helped the team improve. They finished fifth in the league and qualified for the play-offs. However, they lost to Aston Villa.

In Pulis's first full season, Middlesbrough had a strong start. They stayed in the top six until March. But a run of six losses saw them drop out of the top six. Middlesbrough finished the season in 7th place. Pulis left the club when his contract was not extended.

Sheffield Wednesday Short Spell

On November 13, 2020, Pulis returned to management. He joined Sheffield Wednesday. His first game was a 1–0 loss. He got his first point in the next game, a 1–1 draw. Pulis broke the record for the worst start for any Sheffield Wednesday manager. He won his first game as manager in his ninth attempt. This was a 1–0 win against Coventry City. On December 28, 2020, Pulis was sacked as Wednesday manager. He had only won one game out of ten. After this, he announced his retirement from football management.

Management Style

Pulis is known for getting good results with small budgets. He also has a proud record of never being relegated as a player, coach, or manager. Throughout his career, Pulis has focused on strong defense. He also uses set-pieces to score goals. He is known for helping struggling clubs stay in their leagues.

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates said Pulis studied Italian football styles. He was interested in the "Catenaccio" defensive system.

Personal Life

Pulis was born in the Pill area of Newport, Wales. His father, Angelo, was a steelworker. His mother was Jean. He grew up with his brothers and sisters. He supported Manchester United as a child. He also watched games at Cardiff City and Newport County. His brother, Ray, also played football. Tony's son, Anthony, is a retired footballer. He is now an assistant coach for Real Salt Lake.

Pulis received an honorary degree from the University of Staffordshire in 2009. He got it for helping sports journalism students. He also received an award from the University of Wales, Newport, in 2013. Pulis ran the 2009 London Marathon. He raised money for the Donna Louise Trust, a children's hospice. He finished the marathon in 4 hours, 31 minutes, and 57 seconds.

In May 2010, Pulis climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He did this with Nick Hancock to raise money for the Donna Louise Trust. In March 2012, he avoided a driving ban. His lawyer argued that Stoke-on-Trent would suffer if he couldn't drive. On May 31, 2012, Pulis was an Olympic Torch bearer for the 2012 Summer Olympics. On June 1, 2015, Pulis completed a 450-mile rowing challenge. He rowed from Tower Bridge in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He raised over £250,000 for the Donna Louise Hospice.

Pulis is a Catholic and goes to church regularly. His mother passed away on September 13, 2010. This was the same day Stoke had a game against Aston Villa. Pulis returned to the dugout at half-time. Stoke won the game 2–1.

Career Statistics

Player

• Tony Pulis at the English National Football Archive (subscription needed)

A.  The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Scottish Cup, Football League Trophy and Full Members Cup.

Manager

Honours

Player

Happy Valley

• Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield: 1982–83

AFC Bournemouth

• Football League Third Division: 1986–87

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

• 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

See also

In Spanish: Tony Pulis para niños