Paul Hart

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Paul Hart (born April 4, 1953 in Golborne, Greater Manchester) is an English football manager and former player. He is the son of [Johnny Hart (footballer)|Johnny Hart]], and is presently director of youth football at Portsmouth.

[edit] Playing career

Hart began his playing career as a 17-year-old defender in 1970, for Stockport County. Having made 87 appearances for the Cheshire side, Hart moved in June 1973 to Blackpool for £25,000.

He made his Blackpool debut on October 22, 1973, two months after signing for the Seasiders, and only made two more appearances that season. Eventually, though, he established himself as a regular first-teamer and, in 1976-77, when he scored six goals as Blackpool challenged for promotion, he was ever-present.

In March 1978, after making 143 league appearances, scoring fifteen goals in the process, Hart left relegation-bound Blackpool for Leeds United for £300,000, as a replacement for Gordon McQueen.

Hart spent five years at Elland Road, playing 191 games.

In 1983 Hart signed for Nottingham Forest to replace Willie Young, where he played 87 games and scored three goals. Hart actually scored in the controversial 1983-84 UEFA Cup semi-final against R.S.C. Anderlecht, but the goal was wrongly ruled out for no apparent reason and Anderlecht subsequently admitted having bribed the official. A year later Hart was sold to Sheffield Wednesday in May 1985.

Hart had further spells at Birmingham City (breaking his leg in his only game for them) and Notts County (as player-coach) before retiring from playing in 1986, having made 567 league appearances.

[edit] Managerial career

After the spell at Notts County, Hart was appointed manager of Chesterfield in 1988. Hart spent three years at the Saltergate helm, reaching the playoffs before a fall-out with the chairman and Hart's sacking in 1991, when they were in the Fourth Division.

Hart then moved into youth coaching firstly at Forest then subsequently took charge of Leeds United's fledgling academy. Hart's proteges won the FA Youth Cup in 1993 and 1997 and formed the backbone of the Leeds side that reached the European Cup semi-finals in 2000-01.

Hart then returned to take charge of Forest's academy after a high-profile fall-out with George Graham over the promise of Jonathan Woodgate. Forest's Under-19 side became immensely successful winning the Under-19 title in 1999-00. As the first team were faltering, and the club spiralling further into debt, players such as David Prutton, now at Southampton (who was initially blooded in an injury crisis), Jermaine Jenas (now at Spurs and a full England international), Keith Foy (now at Sligo Rovers F.C), Chris Doig, David Freeman, Kevin Dawson, Gareth Williams (a full Scotland international), Richard Cooper and Gareth Edds (all teenagers) were blooded, with a further line of players including Barry Roche (who saved a penalty on his debut as a last minute sub v Crystal Palace), Andy Reid (who scored on debut as an 18-year-old v Sheffield United and is now a full Republic of Ireland international), Brian Cash, Eugen Bopp, John Thompson (another full Ireland international) and most notably the highly-sought-after and highly-rated central defender Michael Dawson following subsequently.

In the summer of 2001 Forest's manager David Platt was appointed as manager of the England Under-21 side. Platt's expensive tenure had left the club in crippling debt, and Hart had to cope with loss of several experienced and key players, notably Andy Johnson, Alan Rogers and Stern John (and at one point put the whole squad up for sale) but to his credit still insisted Forest played good quality passing football. Hart's pioneering "diamond formation" was heavily behind this early success. With the financial problems alleviated somewhat, and having the benefit of a settled side, Forest reached the 1st Division play-off semi finals in season 2002-03, losing in extra-time to Sheffield United. Unfortunately, wage demands and poor decisions meant several key players were lost in the summer of 2003, and not replaced. Forest started the subsequent season well, but a run of two wins in Hart's last 22 games, including two months without even a goal (and 14 games without a win) at the end of his tenure. Hart was sacked on 7th February 2004 after a fifth-minute Patrick Suffo goal condemned Forest to a 1-0 defeat at home to Coventry City.

Shortly after being forced out of the City Ground, Hart accepted the offer of the manager's job at Division Two side Barnsley, but was sacked a year later having failing to mount a serious promotion challenge. Promotion was achieved the following year under Hart's successor Andy Ritchie.

In May 2006, Hart took over as manager of Rushden & Diamonds. After an average start to the season, Diamonds embarked on an eight match winless run, leading to Hart leaving the club in October.

On 19th March 2007, Hart was appointed Director of Youth Operations at Portsmouth FC

[edit] References

• Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.