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Milestones - January 1982: The Blizzard announce the signing of David Byrne the son of Budgie Byrne, a former English player and South African national team coach.
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Houghton
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Bob Houghton |
Three depressing seasons and two coaches later, the Toronto Blizzard is still determined to build a successful franchise. The club's latest solution to poor results and meagre attendance is their new coach. Bob Houghton, a man with a remarkable record for turning losers into winners.
The task facing 35 year-old Houghton is daunting. Lat season the Blizzard finished with a 7-25 record, the second worst in the NASL. Some fans feared the Blizzard's record record might bury the sport in Toronto. As Blizzard president Clive Toye put it, "We are looking to dig the Blizzard out of the pits." In Toye's mind, Houghton is the ideal man for this excavation.
"Making a decision like this is not the lightest job," said Toye. "There were three or four on the short list, but my final decision was Bob. I feel confident about it. His ambitions mirror my ambitions for the club."
If Houghton can repeat his his past successes, then glum Toronto fans will have something to cheer about.
Houghton made a name for himself as coach of Sweden's Malmo FF. He joined the club in 1974, learnt Swedish in six weeks of night school and guided his club to the Swedish league championship four times and runners up twice. Malmo also won four national Cup titles. Houghton, a believer in taking the time to build a solid and steady team, was rewarded for his efforts in his fifth year as a coach.
Sweden, noted more for the tennis legend Bjorn Borg and the brilliant skiing of the Ingemar Stenmark, was not famed for producing soccer teams that could hold their own in international play. Houghton, much to the surprise of many European fans, took Malmo to the European Cup final in 1979. This was the first Swedish team to make the final.
Malmo, up against English league champion Nottingham Forest, opted for a defensive strategy, packed their own half of the field and gallantly defended against the unrelenting attack of Forest. Houghton knew that his team would not stand a chance if they tried to open the game up; Malmo's best chance was blanket defence and quick breaks.
However, a goal by the million pound striker Trevor Francis on the stroke of half time ended Houghton's dream. Forest won 1-0.
Before coaching in Malmo, Houghton had been the coach of the south African team, Arcadia, which finished fourth in the league and made the semi-finals of two South African Cup competitions.
Houghton started his career in soccer as a midfielder for Fulham from 1966 to 1969, the heyday of British soccer, under manager Gordon Jago, now the coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies; and when Houghton wnated to find how how a limey would cope with the NASL, and life in North America he contacted Jago.
Houghton started his coaching career in 1972 as an assistant to Ipswich town manager Bobby Robson. After leaving Malmo in 1980, Houghton joined Ethnikos of Greece in the summer and from there became the manager of Bristol City of the English Second Division.
Houghton had wanted to go back home, but the move turned out to be a disaster. Bristol City was relegated to the Third Division and the team's luck didn't change from the start of the 1981-82 season. Houghton accepted some of the responsibility for his team's bad fortunes, but really his hands were tied.
Bristol City faced bankruptcy and sold its seven best players just to last for the ensuing months. Houghton couldn't sign new players to help Bristol City get out of the slump and had to put in seven raw teenagers in the side for a home game against Wimbledon. Bristol lost 1-0 and Houghton made his resignation official.
Houghton received other offers from NASL teams, such as the Minnesota Kicks, but finally chose the Blizzard because he felt the challenge to be irresistible. Lack of challenge had forced him away from Malmo. The "substantial amount of money" in his three-year contract with the Blizzard no doubt helped him reach his final decision, but Houghton stresses the importance of the challenge.
"He's still young enough with an enormous hunger for success," said Toye. "He's brisk and demanding and endeavours to get the best out of his team. His record shows he can manage men."
Houghton implies that he is not bringing in any radical ideas. He will start by recruiting and moulding, using players such as Juan Carlos Molina to produce an entertaining as well as successful team.
However, in one respect at least Houghton may be an innovator; he wants to see a greater emphasis on the development of Canadian potential. His ultimate hope is to field home-bred players with whom the fans can identify. When Malmo played Forest, ten of the players on Houghton's team were from Malmo. This created, said Houghton, an "enormous connection" with the people of the town and between the players themselves.
Houghton doesn't like to think of himself as a coach who rules with an iron hand, getting the players to keep their jerseys tucked in and their hair neatly trimmed. Yet, he'll be looking for the Blizzard players to maintain a high level of discipline, something many fans feel has been lacking in the team.
Houghton of course can't wait to assume his new role. He prefers to concentrate on coaching and not involve himself with administration, as he had to do in Europe. His efforts will be aimed at making the Blizzard a more "balanced team," that is, a team that does not have to rely on one or two strong players.
Houghton starts his term of office when the Blizzard opens the 1982 outdoor season April 4th away to the San Jose Earthquakes. Toye has convinced Houghton that there is a great amount of potential in the Blizzard that merely needs orchestration. As Houghton puts it, "it will be an enormous challenge."