Paul Hart

Paul Hart ( 2002)

Paul Anthony Hart ( born May 4, 1953 in Golborne, England ) is a former English footballer and last coach of Crystal Palace.

Playing career

Hart played the first three years of his playing career at Stockport County before moving to the English second division side FC Blackpool 1973. After five years in the Football League Second Division, he moved to the relegation of his team in the season 1977/78 for £ 300,000 to Leeds United. Leeds played at this time in the Football League First Division. After five years in Leeds and the intermediate relegation to the second division, to Hartman decided in 1983 to a switch to Nottingham Forest.

Forest had years earlier denied very successful coach Brian Clough was now compelled, however, to rebuild the team. Hart came to his new team along well and earned itself a permanent place. The highlight of his time in Nottingham was the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1983/84 against RSC Anderlecht in the Hart won with his team 2-0 at home and lost the return match under dubious circumstances with 0:3. Paul Hart had scored a regular goal just before the end, which was not given by the Spanish referee. Later it became known that the referee had received from the President of RSC Anderlecht a higher sum of money.

After 1 ½ years at Sheffield Wednesday, he transferred to Birmingham City in 1986, but broke up in single game for his new club the leg and spent his final season as player manager of Notts County.

Coaching career

After the end of his playing career at Notts County Paul Hart started his coaching career at FC Chesterfield, who played at the time in the third division. Even after the decline in the fourth division, he remained in office until he was dismissed in 1991.

Hart moved first in the youth division Nottingham Forest, before he was working as youth coach at Leeds United. 1993 and 1997 he won with his team the FA Youth Cup and saw that several of his young players made ​​it into the senior squad from Leeds.

After disagreements with the coach of the first team, George Graham, however, he joined as a youth coach back to Nottingham Forest. Complete surprise There he succeeded with his team winning the British Youth Championship in season 1999/2000. Paul Hart trained in this time players like Andy Reid, Jermaine Jenas, Michael Dawson and Eugen Bopp.

Due to his success with the youth team of the Board of Forest resorted to hard, than the previous coach David Platt left the club. Nottingham Forest was at this time in serious financial difficulties and hard so had the opportunity to incorporate many of the previously trained by him youth players in the senior squad. In the season 2002/ 03 he reached with his team the play- off round, but lost already in first round with 1:1 and 3:4 against Sheffield United. The 2003/ 04 was disappointing due to player sales and injuries and Paul Hart was released early February 2004 lying on the relegation zone.

After just a month he took over the office manager at third division FC Barnsley, but was released again there after one year.

Hart decided for now to take a break from football business, but moved again in May 2006 to coach Business at fourth division Rushden & Diamonds. Also, there is little success it was granted and his activity was limited to a few months.

In March 2007 he returned to the field of youth, in which he had acted much more successful. This time he made his way to Portsmouth. After the coach of the first team Tony Adams was dismissed in February 2009, Paul Hart took over a transitional period this office. After his work was surprisingly successful design, the Executive Board decided to keep him in office. Portsmouth managed this season's relegation in the Premier League 2008 / 09 and Hart was equipped with a 2 -year contract.

However, in the Premier League 2009/10 Portsmouth started very badly with seven defeats in their first seven games. End of November 2009 Paul Hart was sacked after only two wins after the 13th game day. Already in mid-December 2009, he took over as coach at Queens Park Rangers, but left after only one month and five games his new club.

In March 2010, Hart took his date last coaching job at Crystal Palace and managed with his new team on the last game in the Football League Championship in a direct duel at Sheffield Wednesday with a 2-2 draw against relegation. Paul Hart then left the club.