Matt Gillies

Matthew " Matt" Muirhead Gillies (* August 12, 1921, † December 24 1998 in Nottingham ) was a Scottish football player and coach. As a player, he worked for the FC Motherwell, Bolton Wanderers and Leicester City. In his coaching career he was responsible for Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.

Career as a player

1946 Matt Gillies moved from his native Scotland to the English first division club Bolton Wanderers. With his new club, he reached in the first year just barely avoid relegation in the Football League First Division 1946/47. The previous best finish in his time at Bolton succeeded in season 1950/51 with the eighth place in the table. In the following season the team increased this performance with the fifth. The 31 -year-old Gillies then moved up to the second division Leicester City. In the season 1953/54, he reached with his new team as a table first promotion to the First Division in 1954/55. There, however, the climber rose as a table Penultimate directly from again. Gillies ended after the season his playing career.

Career as a coach

After his playing career Gillies worked on the coaching staff of Leicester City, before he took over as coach in the club on November 1, 1958. In 1959 he succeeded to the obligation of the 21 -year-old Gordon Banks from Chesterfield FC a transfer coup. In 1961, he reached with his team's FA Cup final in 1961, failed there, however, with 0:2 at Tottenham Hotspur. In 1963 he moved Leicester again the final of the FA Cup one, but the title, the team was after the 1-3 against Manchester United not back again.

The first title was won Gillies for the League Cup final in 1964. Stoke City was defeated with 0:0 and 3:2. The title defense failed a year later to a 2:3 and 0:0 against Chelsea in the final just barely. Also in the First Division Gillies was able to establish the club in the Football League First Division 1962/63 Leicester played even a long time around the track with. In the end, it was enough for a good fourth place. In the coming years, the club secured Gillies in the league before he finished his work the end of 1968 and a short time later moved to Nottingham Forest.

Forest in the First Division 1966/67 runners-up had become, but could not hold that level then. In the 1968/69 season was threatened with relegation, as Gillies early 1969 took over as coach. The class was ultimately secured Receive scarce and also in the following two years was enough space in the lower third of the table for further participation in the premier league. The season in the First Division 1971/72 ultimately led to the descent, but Gillies remained in the coming year in office. It was not until the start of the Second Division did not go as expected, took place on 14 October 1972, the separation.

Matt Gillies died on 24 December 1998 at the age of 77 years in Nottingham.

Achievements

• Second Division Champion: 1954 ( as a player with Leicester City )
• League Cup winner: 1964 (1:1 and 3:2 against Stoke City )
• FA Cup finalist: 1961 (0-2 against Tottenham Hotspur ) and 1963 ( 1-3 against Manchester United)
• League Cup Runners-up: 1965 ( 2:3 and 0:0 against Chelsea )