74 Facts About Brian Horton

Brian "Nobby" Horton was born on 4 February 1949 and is an English former footballer and manager.

Brian Horton spent 16 years as a professional player and 22 years as a manager, making 689 appearances and managing 1,098 matches.

Brian Horton joined Hednesford Town in the West Midlands League, winning the Staffordshire Senior Cup in his final appearance for the club in 1970.

Brian Horton turned professional in signing with Port Vale of the English Football League in July 1970.

Brian Horton was sacked in April 1988 and was appointed as Oxford United's assistant manager the following month.

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Brian Horton was the surprise appointment as Manchester City manager in August 1993 and kept the club competitive in the Premier League before being dismissed by new club chairman Francis Lee in May 1995.

Brian Horton took charge at Huddersfield Town the following month, but was sacked with the club bottom of the Second Division in October 1997.

Brian Horton moved on to another former club, Port Vale, in January 1999.

Vale were relegated out of the First Division in 2000, though Brian Horton won his first trophy in management as they secured the Football League Trophy in 2001.

Brian Horton resigned in February 2004, following a change in ownership.

Brian Horton took charge at Macclesfield Town in April 2004, steering the club away from the Third Division relegation zone.

Brian Horton spent two full seasons in charge before being sacked in October 2006.

Brian Horton spent 2011 as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End and then returned to management with Macclesfield Town in March 2012, though was unable to prevent the club being relegated out of the Football League.

Brian Horton joined Doncaster Rovers as Paul Dickov's assistant in June 2013, before he was appointed as football coordinator at Southend United by Phil Brown in August 2015.

Brian Horton later assisted Phil Brown at Swindon Town for two months, leaving the club in May 2018.

Brian Horton started his career as a member of Walsall's youth-team at the age of 15.

Brian Horton became known as Nobby to fans, a nickname that stuck with him throughout his career, after a supporter stated that Horton played like Nobby Stiles.

Brian Horton won the Staffordshire Senior Cup in his final appearance for the club, a victory over Kidderminster Harriers.

Brian Horton returned to the Football League at the age of 21 when he signed for newly promoted Third Division club Port Vale in July 1970.

Brian Horton had been earning £7-a-week at Hednesford, rising to £20 with win bonuses, supplemented by a £20-a-week income from building work, and so actually took a significant pay cut to turn professional at Port Vale on wages of £23-a-week.

Brian Horton missed a period around Christmas due to injury, and during this time his teammates struggled to find results; this ultimately cost the "Valiants", as they finished four points behind promoted Notts County.

Brian Horton was named as the club's Player of the Year, ahead of 36 goal record-breaking top-scorer Peter Ward.

Brian Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year for a second time, alongside teammate Mark Lawrenson.

Brian Horton left the Goldstone Ground having scored 47 goals in 251 league and cup games.

Brian Horton transferred to Luton Town in August 1981, as the club were competing in the Second Division under the stewardship of David Pleat.

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Brian Horton was signed to replace Alan West, who had been sold on to Millwall.

Brian Horton was installed as captain and told to play a more attacking midfield role than he had previously been used to, playing in between a midfield three with Lil Fuccillo and Ricky Hill.

Brian Horton was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the third time in his career, alongside teammates Kirk Stephens, Ricky Hill, and David Moss.

Pleat ran straight to Brian Horton after finishing his dance and kissed his out-of-contract midfielder, telling him "you can go anywhere you want to".

However, in the tunnel Brian Horton was punched by Dennis Tueart, starting a brawl amongst the players.

Brian Horton was offered a contract by Chelsea, but could not agree terms with chairman Ken Bates, and instead signed a new two-year contract with Luton.

Brian Horton had played 131 first-team games for the club, scoring 14 goals.

Brian Horton's next move was to Hull City, who appointed him their player-manager, and with whom he ended his playing career in 1986 after making 46 competitive appearances.

Brian Horton was a fiercely competitive wing-half who was skilled at tackling and passing.

Brian Horton signed former Luton Town teammate Frankie Bunn as a replacement for top-scorer Billy Whitehurst, who he sold to Newcastle United for £232,000.

Brian Horton brought in defender Richard Jobson from Watford for £40,000 and Garry Parker from former club Luton for £72,000.

Brian Horton attempted to sign Mark Bright from Leicester City for £45,000, but the chairman could not agree terms with the player.

Brian Horton's next move was to become assistant to former Brighton teammate Mark Lawrenson, now rookie manager at Second Division Oxford United in May 1988.

The million pound fee for Saunders allowed Brian Horton to build a squad of his own: former Brighton teammate Steve Foster, Wales international Andy Melville, New Zealand international Ceri Evans, defensive midfielder Mickey Lewis, Jim Magilton, John Durnin, and England under-21 international winger Paul Simpson.

Club faced a financial crisis following the mysterious death of Robert Maxwell, and over the summer Brian Horton was forced to sell striker Martin Foyle to Port Vale for £375,000.

Brian Horton made no major signings in Foyle's place, and instead handed debuts to Paul Wanless, Chris Allen, and Bobby Ford.

Brian Horton sold Paul Simpson to Derby for £650,000 in February 1992.

Brian Horton initially told chairman Peter Swales that "we have the makings, the backbone of a really good squad" and that he was satisfied in not making many additions if it meant keeping hold of the existing squad; he cancelled a pre-arranged sale of Steve Lomas to Preston North End.

Brian Horton traded eight-year club veteran striker David White to Leeds United in exchange for David Rocastle; Rocastle failed to live up to expectations, and scored just two league goals.

Brian Horton's sacking was predicted by many, as Francis Lee had taken over as chairman after Horton's appointment, and wished to have his 'own man' in the dugout at Maine Road.

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City went on to suffer relegation the following season under Alan Ball and Brian Horton said that "once I had left, Francis made transfers which I could not fathom".

Brian Horton made a swift return to management with Huddersfield Town, a club that had just won promotion to the First Division under Neil Warnock, who announced his surprise resignation days after the club's play-off success.

Brian Horton broke the club's transfer record when he splashed out £1.

Brian Horton was sacked in October 1997 following a defeat to Nottingham Forest at the Kirklees Stadium that left Huddersfield bottom of the table.

Brian Horton led the club to victory over Chester City, Brighton's first win in five months.

One unusual but effective piece of business was midfielder Paul Holsgrove, who Brian Horton signed on a free transfer from Stoke City and then sold on to Hibernian for £113,000 in the same transfer window.

Brian Horton further sold highly rated young centre-back Anthony Gardner to Tottenham Hotspur for £1 million, and sold Tony Butler to West Bromwich Albion for £140,000.

Brian Horton's side finished second-from-bottom were relegated in his first full season as manager.

In preparation for life in the Second Division, Brian Horton signed Dean Delany, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Michael Twiss on free transfers.

Brian Horton described it as "the greatest embarrassment of my football career".

Brian Horton responded to this humiliation by placing five players on the transfer list.

Brian Horton signed Steve Brooker for £15,000; brought in Onandi Lowe and Richard Burgess on free transfer, whilst offloading Jeff Minton to Rotherham United.

Brian Horton won his first trophy as a manager as Vale lifted the Football League Trophy, coming from behind to beat Brentford at the Millennium Stadium.

Brian Horton found his replacement in Everton's reliable young George Pilkington; he signed goalkeeper Jonny Brain and Austrian defender Andreas Lipa.

Brian Horton allowed Martin Carruthers to leave, though extended Tommy Widdrington's contract, and offered fresh deals to six others.

Brian Horton later added to his squad by signing Mark Boyd and Simon Weaver; whilst transfer listing Tommy Widdrington and Michael Welch.

Brian Horton placed Kevin Townson on the transfer-list, before sacking the striker after Townson displayed "serious misconduct".

Brian Horton signed versatile attacker Colin Heath, defender Carl Regan, and former Port Vale goalkeeper Jonny Brain; whilst releasing five players.

Brian Horton was sacked in October 2006, after his team failed to win any of their opening twelve league games, leaving them bottom of the Football League.

In May 2007, Brian Horton returned to Hull City as assistant manager to Phil Brown; this appointment came 19 years after he resigned as Hull manager.

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Brian Horton's contacts were instrumental in bringing in Fraizer Campbell on loan from Manchester United, who would scored 15 goals in 37 games for Hull.

Brian Horton helped the club win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in May 2008, the first time Hull City made it to the top-flight in their 104-year history.

In March 2009, Brian Horton was featured heavily in the press after accusing Arsenal club captain Cesc Fabregas of spitting following an encounter in the FA Cup.

Brian Horton offered to stay on until the end of the campaign but Hull instead appointed Iain Dowie, who could not keep the club from being relegated.

Brian Horton left Preston when Phil Brown was sacked on 14 December 2011.

Brian Horton turned down the chance of joining Phil Brown for a third time, now at Southend United.

Brian Horton was appointed as football coordinator at Southend United by Phil Brown in August 2015.

Brian Horton left Roots Hall on 17 January 2018 after Brown was placed on gardening leave.

However Brian Horton left the club just two months later, ending the pair's 11-year partnership in management.