Colin Todd

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Colin Todd (born 12 December 1948 in Chester-le-Street) is a former English football player and currently manager of Bradford City. He previously managed Bolton Wanderers in the FA Premier League. As a player, he won 2 league titles with Derby County in the early to mid-seventies. Well regarded in English football circles, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1975. He also played for Sunderland, Everton, Birmingham, Nottingham Forest, and Oxford United. He won 27 England caps.

He entered management in March 1990 with Middlesbrough, succeeding Bruce Rioch. He had coached the club from the Third Division to First Division in successive seasons but on taking the manager's job, Middlesbrough were struggling in the Second Division and facing the real threat of moving from the Third to First Division and back again in successive seasons. But Todd kept the club in the Second Division and they qualified for the playoffs a year later, although they were denied the chance of promotion after losing to eventual winners Notts County in the semi-finals. Todd quit soon after this disappointment to be succeeded by Lennie Lawrence, who gained promotion in his first season.

In October 1993, Todd was named as assistant manager of Derby County under Roy McFarland. They reached the 1993-94 Division One playoff final but lost to Leicester City. Following this he became assistant to Bruce Rioch at Bolton Wanderers. He was joined later by McFarland after Rioch became manager at Arsenal following Wanderers' promotion. Meanwhile, Derby won promotion under new manager Jim Smith, and stayed in the Premiership for six seasons.

McFarland's men were unable to adjust to the pace of the Premiership football and he was dismissed after the turn of 1996 with the Trotters rooted to the foot of the division. Todd, assisted by Ian Porterfield, took over the reins but was unable to prevent relegation.

Bolton began the 1996-97 Division One campaign in a determined mood and were leaders virtually all season long, clinching the championship with 100 goals and 98 points. This ensured that Burnden Park received the best possible send-off, and the new Reebok Stadium would host Premiership football. Todd made several big-name signings, including Newcastle's Robbie Elliott and Wimbledon's Dean Holdsworth, to bolster Bolton's squad for the 1997-98 campaign but from day one it was a struggle. They went down on the last day of the season on goal difference and Todd quit seven games into the 1999/2000 Season following a poor start to the season and the sale of star midfielder Per Frandsen. Bolton regained their Premiership place two years later under Sam Allardyce.

Colin Todd made his football comeback in June 2000 with Swindon Town, who had just been relegated to Division Two. There were high hopes that he could steer the club to promotion, but they began the 2000-01 campaign fighting a relegation battle rather than challenging for promotion. Todd resigned after just five months at the helm to become Derby's assistant manager for the second time, and Swindon won their relegation battle under Todd's successor Andy King.

When Jim Smith stepped down as Derby manager in October 2001, Todd was promoted to the manager's seat. But he was unable to improve their flagging Premiership fortunes and lost his job after just three months in charge - the final straw coming in the shape of a 3-1 home defeat against Division Three strugglers Bristol Rovers. Todd's successor John Gregory was unable to prevent relegation and Derby have yet to return to the Premiership.

In December 2003, Todd returned to football as Bryan Robson's assistant at Bradford City. The Bantams had struggled in Division One under previous manager Nicky Law and during the second half of the season their form went from bad to worse before they were finally relegated in second from bottom place. Robson's short-term contract was not renewed and Todd was promoted to the manager's seat - the fourth time he has been promoted from assistant manager to manager. He is still in charge at Bradford now, but has yet to gain promotion back to the second tier of the league (now the League Championship).

Colin Todd is currently not popular with many of the Bradford City fans due to his public outburst about his players. Many players have been publicly named and shamed during his reign at Valley Parade with the latest being Jamaican International Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.^{[citation needed]} Ricketts, who appeared to be hurting after Bradford's heavy defeat against Blackpool, staged a sitdown protest at the end of the game. Colin Todd announced how disappointed he was about his actions to Sky Sports News rather than keep the matter behind closed doors.

Many fans fear this will affect team spirit in a time where Bradford City have been very poor and Colin Todd's job has been put in question. Last season, after a cup defeat against Barnsley in which only 4,000 Bradford fans attended, Colin Todd used the local newspaper to criticise the fans for not turning up; this caused an angry reaction by many and the scars still remain.

His son Andy Todd is currently a Premiership player with Blackburn Rovers.

Footballing legend Kenny Dalglish, in an interview in September 2006, said that Colin Todd had been the best player he had ever played against.

"He was very intelligent," said Dalglish.

[edit] External links

• bbc.co.uk biography
• Colin Todd management career stats at Soccerbase