Johan Boskamp

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Jan ("Johan") Boskamp (born October 21, 1948 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch football manager and a former player. He is the former Standard Liège and Stoke City F.C. manager. At his arrival at Stoke, he transferred some players from the Jupiler League (namely Gabriel N'Galula, Martin Kolar from Anderlecht, Carl Hoefkens from Germinal Beerschot and Sambegou Bangoura from Standard Liège), a league he used to play in.

His former clubs as a player include R.W.D. Molenbeek with whom he won the Jupiler League in 1975. Boskamp was furthermore voted Belgian Golden Shoe winner that year.

Boskamp used to coach Belgian clubs too (a.o. R.S.C. Anderlecht and K.S.K. Beveren).

Contents 1 Stoke City FC 2 Standard Liège 3 Honours 3.1 Club honours 3.1.1 As a player 3.2 Individual honours

[edit] Stoke City FC

Johan Boskamp was an extremely outspoken manager in his time at Stoke City. His appointment was a controversial one, having been appointed after the sacking of steady coach Tony Pulis. Pulis was officially sacked for "not exploiting the foreign market" although it is alleged that major contributor to Stoke City 's finances, Magnus Kristiansson was not in support of Tony Pulis' continuing position, so the board may have had their hand forced.

Boskamp was given money to spend in the transfer market, spending a undisclosed club record fee on Sambegou Bangoura. Bangoura made an immediate impression at Stoke, scoring 8 goals and winning the Championship player of the month in his second month at the club. Despite his good start, supporters questioned his commitment when he returned late from the African Cup of Nations. Bangoura has only scored one goal to date since his incident and many supports feel the money would have been better spent on a more reliable player. Boskamp's other notable signing was Carl Hoefkens for a fee in the region of £200,000. Hoefkens had a very successful first season at Stoke operating as a centre half for the first half of the season and as an attacking right back ever since. Hoefkens went on to win Stoke's player of the season award for 2005/06.

Boskamp had an encouraging start to the season, taking Stoke towards the top of The Championship. However, his side lacked consistency and Stoke's poor home form lead to criticism of his tactics from supporters. Things began to fall apart for Boskamp on 2 November, when Stoke took on Coventry City in the Championship. Stoke triumphed 2-1 but as so often happens at Stoke, off-field events took centre stage. John Rudge, Stoke's director of football was alleged to have come down from the executive boxes to pass on an instruction to the players. Jan De Koning, his assistant, heard these instructions and relayed them straight to the team. He had not consulted Boskamp before proceeding with this and Boskamp was informed of this by a player. Boskamp was extremely angry with both De Koning and Rudge and has refused to forget the event ever since. De Koning has been a long standing friend of Boskamp's and has made up his differences with Boskamp but they have vowed never to work together again. Boskamp has made it quite clear he can "forgive, but not forget". The feud left fans frustrated, many feeling Boskamp should have put the matter aside to concerntrate on improving the side's mid table position.

At the end of the 2005-2006 season Boskamp left as the manager of Stoke City, amid speculation of a takeover from Peter Coates. The club's owners at the time, Stoke Holding, refused to offer Boskamp a new contract as they negiotated the sale of the club. Boskamp was a colourful character who divided Stoke fans, some appreciated his efforts to play attacking football whereas others bemoaned the side's inconsistent form and his refusal to work with his coaching staff following the "note passing" incident.

He had a way with words akin to Ian Holloway, the very quotable Plymouth manager. In one Christmas interview he was asked for a secret about himself, to which he replied: "I'm really a woman!" Fits of jovial laughter from both interviewer and Boskamp followed.

[edit] Standard Liège

In May 2006, Boskamp returned to Belgium and became head coach of Standard Liège, but due to the disappointing start of his team in the Jupiler League and the non-qualification for the Champions League group stages, he was fired on August 30, 2006.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Club honours

[edit] As a player

• Jupiler League - 1975

[edit] Individual honours

• Belgian Golden Shoe Horn - 1975

Preceded by Tony Pulis	Stoke City F.C. manager 2005-2006	Succeeded by Tony Pulis
Preceded by ?	Standard Liège manager 2006	Succeeded by Michel Preud'homme

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Preceded by Paul Van Himst

Belgian Golden Shoe Horn 1975

Succeeded by Rob Rensenbrink

	Netherlands squad - 1978 FIFA World Cup Runners-up
1 Schrijvers | 2 Poortvliet | 3 Schoenaker | 4 van Kraay | 5 Krol | 6 Jansen | 7 Wildschut | 8 Jongbloed | 9 Haan | 10 R. van de Kerkhof | 11 W. van de Kerkhof | 12 Rensenbrink | 13 Neeskens | 14 Boskamp | 15 Hovenkamp | 16 Rep | 17 Rijsbergen | 18 Nanninga | 19 Doesburg | 20 Suurbier | 21 Lubse | 22 Brandts | Coach: Happel