“After five games we had won four and drawn one. He then transferred to Rangers in 1988, where he won the Scottish Premier Division in six consecutive years and the Scottish Cup onc "Even if the homecoming call never arrives, it won't deter Stevens. “There used to be a football club over there,” said Keith Burkinshaw famously as he left Spurs in 1984.One wonders what the Yorkshireman would make of his former player Gary Stevens being put on gardening leave by Army United in May after just eight games of the Thai Premier League season and then, with the team in fourth, put out to pasture permanently.Just a few nights in Bangkok and such shabby treatment by a club nicknamed “The Gentlemen” would have humbled many a hard man but Stevens, appointed after the end of the 2014 season, stayed positive, stuck around and sealed a new deal with Port FC the following month in June.It may mean swapping a potential title challenge for a relegation dogfight but, when the bullet comes from the country’s military club, there’s not much you can do.“I’ve got the letter here and the official reason was due to poor on-pitch performances,” Stevens says. Stay in touch with Tribal news, updates and special offers direct to your inboxIn a town on the east coast of Thailand, around two-and-a-half hours drive from Bangkok, lies a football academy nestled in the mountains, and there you will find Tottenham and Brighton legend Gary Stevens on the pitch, bestowing his vast knowledge to the next generation of Thai footballers...If given the chance, Stevens explains how he will follow the same philosophical tact as top level managers such as Stay in touch with Tribal news, updates and special offers direct to your inboxAd revenue is what keeps this site running. "And with this Black Mountain Hua Hin Academy we've got some initiatives where local youngsters are given scholarships so that they can be involved because they can't afford to be there. “To do so in Thailand takes so much time but for people with the money, they can get involved in English football almost immediately.” It is something that the young English-educated tycoon, who has received plenty of invitations from English clubs, may consider in the future.With teams such as Bangkok Glass and Bangkok United getting tastier on the pitch and pushing the powerhouses such as Buriram United and Muangthong United, football is improving.
Credit: Paul Murphy "Rested" is the new buzzword in Southeast … The problem is all the people who appoint the managers in England want someone who has done the rounds so they can say ‘he had some success at Burnley’ or ‘he did a really good job at Crewe’. "I remember as a relatively young player and this was as a professional player, the manager pinning me up against the wall at half-time. It’s been harder for the former assistant at Sligo Rovers in Ireland and Gabala FC, with Tony Adams in Azerbaijan, to get opportunities back home and he believes that spending over a decade out in the real world after playing harmed his chances.“I’ve applied for a number of positions in England.
A ninth-placed finish in 2014, half of which was spent with the former Leicester City defender Matt Elliott at the helm, was about par for a team that never finished higher than fifth so there was no sense of impending doom in early May.“I was in the office preparing for afternoon training on Thursday, a meeting was called and I was told face to face. If we are top of the league after five games, it doesn’t mean we will be champions. Please disable your adblocker so we can continue to provide great content for readers like you!Can't stand the ads? But those material things don't guarantee that you're happy, they really don't. Gary Stevens: I'm loving life in Thailand. I've been chasing the big bucks and the big house and the fast cars etc. Such businessmen see investing in the English game, one that is so popular in south-east Asia, as a cool thing to do.Pavin Bhirombhakdi is the president of Bangkok Glass, currently challenging for the title. He was later named by Everton supporters as part of the clubs' greatest ever side. Peter Withe as well as Stevens’ 1986 World Cup team-mates Peter Reid and Bryan Robson are recent head coaches of the national team. "[Thai football] needs the conveyor belt. "All in all I've really enjoyed Thailand and the experience, the change of environment really, and the culture. "But if they really, really want to progress then [grassroots] has to be put in place.