Tony Loughlan

Tony Loughlan (born 19 January 1970) is an English retired footballer who played as a midfielder. He has held senior coaching positions at Sunderland, Watford and Ipswich Town under Roy Keane.

Tony Loughlan
Personal information
Full name Antony John Loughlan
Date of birth (1970-01-19) 19 January 1970
Place of birth Croydon, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1986–1988 Leicester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Leicester United
1989–1993 Nottingham Forest 2 (1)
1993–1994 Kettering Town 5 (1)
1993–1994 Lincoln City 12 (2)
1994–1995 Dundalk 11 (0)
1995–1996 Hinckley Town
1996–1998 Corby Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Loughlan began his career in the youth team at Leicester City but failed to turn professional and, instead, dropped into non-league football with Leicester United.

In August 1989, Loughlan and teammate Neil Lyne were signed by Nottingham Forest; the transfer would later be highlighted in the 1997 Premier League report of Rick Parry, Robert Reid QC and Steve Coppell on bung culture in football.[1] Brian Clough and Ron Fenton would later be charged with misconduct by the FA over the affair though the charges against Clough were later dropped.[2] Loughlan made his debut for Forest against Wimbledon on 30 March 1991; he scored after just 36 seconds. He would make one further league appearance before injury blighted his progress and he was released at the end of the 1992–1993 season.

In the summer of 1993 he joined Kettering Town, a club his father John had played for in the 1970s. In October 1993, he returned to the Football League with Lincoln City, marking his debut on 30 October 1993 with the only goal as Lincoln defeated Rochdale at Spotland for the first time in 26 years.[3] Once again, he struggled with injury and left Lincoln at the end of the season.

He linked up with Dundalk for the 1994–95 season, picking up a League of Ireland winner's medal as Dermot Keely's side captured the title on the final day of the season with a 2–0 win over Galway United. He returned to England, joining Hinckley Town at the beginning of the 1995–96 season. After another spell on the sidelines due to injury, he joined Corby Town in December 1996 where he remained for over a season before injuries forced him into retirement.

Coaching career

In 2001, he began coaching on a part-time basis at Leicester City's academy, moving into a full-time role in the summer of 2003 with responsibility for the eight to 13-year-old groups.[4] In August 2006 he left his role as Academy Coach at Leicester[5] to become Head Coach at Sunderland under the management of his former Forest teammate and long-term friend Roy Keane, with Keane being quoted as saying "he is someone I trust and I have great faith in him. He's the one person I've kept in touch with over 20 years."[6] Following the departure of Keane as manager on 4 December 2008,[7] Loughlan was placed on gardening leave whilst a severance package could be agreed.[8] In January 2009, media speculation linked him with a coaching role with Leeds United under their newly appointed manager Simon Grayson after reports emerged that Grayson had agreed a deal in principle with a coach that is currently on gardening leave from a Premier League club.[9] However, the coach in question was not Loughlan but Glynn Snodin who had been on similar leave from West Ham United following the departure of Alan Curbishley and who was appointed to Grayson's staff on 2 February 2009.[10]

On 23 April 2009, the same day that Roy Keane was appointed manager, he joined Ipswich Town as assistant manager on a two-year contract.[11]

On 30 June 2011 he joined Championship side Watford, under new manager Sean Dyche, a former teammate at Nottingham Forest. After Dyche's departure from Watford, Loughlan also left with immediate effect. He later rejoined Dyche at his new club Burnley. [12]

References
  1. Henry Winter (20 September 1997). "Bung-busters prepare to act on 'cult of dishonesty'". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 November 2004. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  2. Jon Culley (23 January 1998). "Forest plan vigorous defence to FA 'bungs' charges". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  3. "We've Met (Rochdale) Before". Lincoln City F.C. Official Website. 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  4. "Academy latest". Leicester City Football Club. 18 August 2003. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  5. "Loughlan joins Black Cats". Leicester City Football Club. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  6. Sam Wallace (30 August 2006). "Tony who? The loyal friend thrown into the limelight". The Independent. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  7. "Keane resigns as Sunderland boss". BBC Sport. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  8. Louise Taylor (24 January 2009). "Sbragia wants a director of football at Sunderland". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  9. Leon Wobschall (13 January 2009). "Leeds United: Snodin move in balance as Little rejects Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  10. "Glynn Snodin returns". Leeds United A.F.C. Official Website. 2 February 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  11. "Tony joins Town". Ipswich Town F.C. Official Website. 23 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  12. "NEWS: COACHING DUO APPOINTED". Watford F.C. Official Website. 30 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.

Honours
  • League of Ireland
    • Dundalk – 1994–95
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