John Toshack

John Toshack

Coaching Macedonia in 2011
Personal information
Full nameJohn Benjamin Toshack
Date of birth22 March 1949
Place of birthCardiff, Wales
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing positionStriker
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1965–1970Cardiff City162(74)
1970–1978Liverpool246(96)
1978–1984Swansea City63(25)
Total471(195)
National team
1968–1969Wales Under-234(0)
1969–1980Wales40(13)
Teams managed
1978–1983Swansea City
1983–1984[1]Swansea City
1984–1985Sporting CP
1985–1989Real Sociedad
1989–1990Real Madrid
1991–1994Real Sociedad
1994Wales
1995–1997Deportivo
1997–1999Beşiktaş
1999Real Madrid
2000–2001Saint-Étienne
2001–2002Real Sociedad
2002–2003Catania
2004Real Murcia
2004–2010Wales
2011–2012Macedonia
2013Khazar Lankaran
2014–Wydad Casablanca
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

John Benjamin Toshack OBE (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former footballer player, and a football manager now. His most recent managerial position was at Khazar Lankaran in the Azerbaijan Premier League. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.

As a player, he is remembered for being part of the Liverpool side of the 1970s, where he formed a forward partnership with Kevin Keegan.

Background

Toshack was born in 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, to a Scottish father and Welsh mother. He attended Canton High School for Boys in Canton, Cardiff.[2]

Playing career

Cardiff City

Toshack started his footballing career with Cardiff City, signing for them as a 16-year old. He became the youngest ever player to play in a league match for the club when he came off the bench to make a goalscoring debut during a 3–1 win over Leyton Orient on 13 November 1965 at the age of 16 years and 236 days old, a record which stood for 41 years until it was broken by Aaron Ramsey in 2007.[3] Establishing himself in the side over the next few years, scoring his first hat-trick in January 1968 in an 8–0 win over Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Cup, he went on to form one of the most lethal strike partnerships in the club's history alongside Brian Clark.

Liverpool

After four years at Cardiff City, Toshack was signed by Bill Shankly for Liverpool on 11 November 1970. Already a full international, Shankly paid £110,000 for the striker. Toshack made his debut 3 days later on the 14th in the goalless league draw with Coventry City at Anfield. His first goal came a week later on the 21st in a remarkable Merseyside derby at Anfield. With the game 0–0 at half-time Everton thundered into a 2–0 lead just after the start of the second half. 69 minutes in Steve Heighway pulled a goal back, Toshack's goal in the 76th minute completely turned the game around, then Chris Lawler prodded home the 84th minute winner.

In 1971, Kevin Keegan joined Liverpool from Scunthorpe United. Toshack and Keegan struck up an almost telepathic partnership with Toshack winning everything in the air and Keegan finishing the knock downs. They were a delight for commentators as their names rolled off the tongue easily, one famous piece of commentary by David Coleman went "Toshack, Keegan, one nil!" Such was their fame, the football magazine Shoot likened them to the comic book crimebusters Batman and Robin even taking a photograph of the pair dressed in the Dynamic Duo's costumes. By the time Keegan left for German side Hamburg SV he had scored exactly 100 goals with a large percentage of them being set up by Toshack.

During his time with Liverpool Toshack scored 96 goals; he was part of the team that won the First Division in 1973, 1976 and 1977, the FA Cup in 1974, and the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976.

Toshack is still held in high regard by the supporters of Liverpool and was voted in at No.34 on the Liverpool FC website poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, in which thousands of fans worldwide voted for their top 100 Liverpool players.

International career

Toshack played for Wales at schoolboy, under-23 and full international level earning 40 caps and scoring 13 goals, including a hat trick against Scotland in the 1979 British Home Championship.

Management career

Swansea City

Toshack's playing career was blighted by injuries and he was transferred to Swansea City as player-manager in 1978 (he already passed his coaching badge at the age of 18), where he succeeded Harry Griffiths.

He was an immediate success at the Vetch Field, taking them from the Fourth Division all the way to the First Division in four seasons. Once they reached the top flight, the Swans were predicted by many to go straight back down, but they kicked off with a surprise 5–1 victory over Leeds United and topped the league at several stages of the season before finishing sixth. However, they were relegated the following year and then suffered a second successive relegation.

European management

In 1984, Toshack was appointed manager of the Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, but he only lasted one season in the post. His greatest success as a manager so far came in Spain, where he managed Real Madrid twice, Real Sociedad three times, as well as Deportivo La Coruna and Real Murcia. He has also managed the Turkish side Beşiktaş J.K., French side AS Saint-Étienne and Italian side Catania.

Following the sudden resignation of Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager in February 1991, media reports strongly linked Toshack with a return to Anfield as manager, but he ruled himself out of the running and the job went to Graeme Souness instead.[4]

Welsh national team

Toshack was appointed manager of Wales for the first time in 1994, but only spent 41 days in the post, resigning after a 3–1 defeat to Norway. Despite this, he was appointed to the post for a second time in November 2004. It was announced on 5 September 2010 that he offered his resignation from the Wales job following a 1–0 away defeat to Montenegro in Euro 2012 qualifying.[5] He left the job by mutual consent on 9 September 2010.[6]

Macedonian national team

Toshack was appointed manager of the Macedonia national football team on 7 August 2011.[7] His contract with the national side was terminated on 13 August 2012 after he refused to relocate to the country.[8]

Khazar Lankaran

On 8 March 2013 it was announced that Toshack would take over as manager of Khazar Lankaran of the Azerbaijan Premier League on 15 March 2013.[9] At the time of his appointment, Khazar Lankaran were eighth in the league and competing in the Relegation group for the final 10 games of the season. Toshack's first game in charge of Khazar Lankaran was a one all home draw against AZAL.[10] Toshack's first win came in his second game in charge, a 1–2 away victory against bottom of the table Kəpəz.[11] Khazar Lankaran ended the season in 8th position, with a league record under Toshack of played 9, won 3, drawn 3, lost 3. Toshack also guided Khazar Lankaran to the final of the 2012–13 Azerbaijan Cup with a 2-1 aggregate victory over FC Baku in the semi-finals, resulting in a game against Premier League champions Neftchi Baku which Khazar lost 5-3 on penalties.[12] As a result of Neftchi Baku winning both the Premier League and Cup, Khazar qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Toshack won his first trophy with Khazar Lankaran on 23 October 2013, defeating Neftchi Baku in the 2013 Azerbaijan Supercup.[13][14] On 22 November 2013 Toshack resigned as manager of Khazar Lankaran following 14 points in the first 14 games of the season, leaving Khazar in 8th place in the league.[15] In total Toshack won 8 of his 27 games in charge.[16]

Wydad Casablanca

On 20 June 2014, Toshack was appointed as manager of Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca.[17]

Personal life

Toshack's son Cameron is also a former professional footballer, making five appearances for Cardiff City, having been attached with Swansea City for the 1989–90 season.[18]

Awards

Toshack won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 1981.[19]

He received the OBE for his services to football in the New Year's Honours list of 1981/2.[20]

Honours

Player

Cardiff City
Liverpool

Player-manager

Swansea City

Manager

Real Sociedad
Real Madrid
Deportivo
Beşiktaş
Khazar Lankaran

Individual honours

Managerial statistics

As of 26 January 2015
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Swansea City Wales 1978 1983 281 114 65 102 40.57
Swansea City Wales 1983 1984 16 2 5 9 12.50
Sporting Portugal 1984 1985
Real Sociedad Spain 1985 1989
Real Madrid Spain 1989 1990 64 41 15 8 64.06
Real Sociedad Spain 1991 1994
Wales Wales 1994 1994 1 0 0 1 0.00
Deportivo Spain 1995 1997
Beşiktaş Turkey 1997 1999
Real Madrid Spain 1999 1999 37 19 9 9 51.35
Saint-Étienne France 2000 2001
Real Sociedad Spain 2001 2002 52 16 13 23 30.77
Catania Italy 2002 2003
Real Murcia Spain 2004 2004
Wales Wales 2004 2010 53 21 8 24 39.62
Macedonia Republic of Macedonia August 2011 August 2012 9 2 4 3 22.22
Khazar Lankaran Azerbaijan March 2013 November 2013 27 8 8 11 29.63
Wydad Casablanca Morocco June 2014 19 8 10 1 42.11

References

  1. ↑ Toshack left Swansea in October 1983, only to return in December.
  2. ↑ Moira Sharkey (13 October 2007). "Ex-pupils are set to reunite for centenary". South Wales Echo. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "Jones hails record breaker Ramsey" BBC Sport, 30 April 2007; Retrieved 3 May 2007
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ John Toshack to quit as Wales boss Wales Online, 5 September 2010
  6. ↑ "John Toshack departs as Wales boss". BBC Sport. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "John Toshack named FYR Macedonia manager". BBC Sport (BBC). 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  8. ↑ "Toshack leaves Macedonia". Macedonian FA. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "John Benjamin Tosak – "Khazar Lankaran" new head coach". lankaranfc.com. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Khazar Lankaran vs. AZAL 1 – 1". soccerway. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  11. ↑ "Kapaz vs. Khazar Lankaran 1 – 2". soccerway.com.
  12. ↑ "Neftçi vs. Khazar Lankaran 0 - 0". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Khazar Lankaran 2-1 Neftchi Baku". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Xäzär win revived Azerbaijan Super Cup". UEFA. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  15. ↑ "Con Toşak istefa verdi" (in Azerbaijani). http://lankaranfc.com/az/. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  16. ↑ List of FK Khazar Lankaran managers
  17. ↑ رسميا: توشاك مدربا للوداد الرياضي. http://www.wydadclub.com'' (in Arabic). Wydad Casablanca. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  18. ↑ Plenderleith, Ian (March 2015). "Get with the programme ~ Leyton Orient v Swansea". wsc.co.uk (When Saturday Comes). Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  20. ↑ "London Gazette". 30 December 1981. Retrieved 2 November 2013.

External links