Went on to manage Benfica in Portugal from November 1997 to May 1999, taking many of the players who had served him in other sides or who he knew from British football, such as Dean Saunders, Brian Deane and Scott Minto.
graeme souness - fact file
1969 - 1973 midfielder
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FULL NAME : GRAEME JAMES SOUNESS Born on 6th May 1963 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Height : - .m Weight : - - kgs
Came to Spurs as a talented midfielder from Scotland, but could not bear to be away from his home land, so moved to Middlesbrough !! As a schoolboy, he attended the same school as Dave Mackay in Edinburgh - Carrickvale and played for Edinburgh Boys and Scotland Schoolboys.. Signed as an apprentice in April 1969 following a successful spell in our A team, scoring on his debut in a Metropolitan League game against the Metropolitan Police in December 1968. He was part of the successful Youth side of 1969-1970 which won the FA Youth Cup for the first time for the club (having been sent off in the final) and added the South East Counties League, the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup and the London Youth Cup, as they almost swept the board of silverware in every competition they took part in. While the FA Youth Cup Final went to a second replay against Coventry City, it was the goal from Souness that won it for Tottenham and he was signed as a professional just after the final in May 1970. He made an unauthorised trip to Scotland that year, claiming he was homesick and the MP, Tam Dalyell, raised a question in the Houses of Parliament about the player's employment rights. The following season, Graeme established himself at the club in the reserves and the season after, he came on as a substitute for Spurs in a UEFA Cup tie against Keflavik, in what turned out to be his only appearance for Tottenham. The player was loaned out to NASL side Montreal Olympic with Mike Dillon in 1972, but on his return, he felt frustrated that he was being kept out of the first team by other players and feeling homesick, he joined Middlesbrough in January 1973. Rumours of his demands to play in the first team ahead of more experienced players and a disagreement with Bill Nicholson over this were rife at the time, but unproven. Following a successful spell under Jack Charlton's management, he was transferred to Liverpool and won a haul of trophies with the Anfield club. After that, he played out his career at Sampdoria in Italy and then finished it in Scotland playing for Glasgow Rangers, where he managed the side at the same time. He controversially signed the Catholic player Celtic wanted to buy - Mo Johnston - bringing many supporters of the staunchly Protestant club to burn their season tickets in protest. On retirement in May 1989, he went into management. Among the clubs he was in charge of were Liverpool (from 1991 until 1994), Galatasaray (1995 until 1996), Southampton (1996), Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle. Went on to manage Benfica in Portugal from November 1997 to May 1999, taking many of the players who had served him in other sides or who he knew from British football, such as Dean Saunders, Brian Deane and Scott Minto. Moved to Italy, where he became manager of Torino between June and October 1999. Latterly concentrated on building a career in TV as a pundit for Sky Sports TV. As a player, he was noted for his uncompromising "enforcer" role in midfield, but he could pass very well and score goals of many types as he helped his sides to success. It is a shame that he could not have waited to do it for Tottenham, as he would have formed a formidable partnership with Steve Perryman in mifdield had he not moved to Middlesbrough so soon. NICKNAME : Souey
Career Record
Tottenham Hotspur Honours Honours as a manager |
| What Graeme Souness said about ... |
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... Pat Welton's comments (see
below)
"Most definitely. I wasn't prepared to wait; it had to happen then and there. That's why I ended up leaving Tottenham. I used to go in and tell Bill Nicholson that I was better than Steve Perryman, Alan Mullery and Martin Peters when I was 17 ! He'd tell me to wait and I'd get my chance. But that's no good to me." |
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... referee Graham Poll's
performance in a game against THFC when Blackburn manager
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"I didn't know you were a Spurs fan." |
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... stress as a manager
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"I was there the night Jock Stein died and I want to go when I'm in bed with my beautiful young wife." |
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| What they said about Graeme Souness |
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Pat Welton ... Spurs Youth
Team coach
"He was impatient, arrogant and tended to be flash. He wanted success and he wanted it yesterday" |
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Graham McColl ... about
Souness' time as Glasgow Rangers manager .. (When Saturday
Comes)
"If you can imagine spending five years with an overgrown child clambering around in your attic, then you'll have a fiar idea of the impact Graeme Souness has made on Scottish football." |
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about his leaving of the club ...
12.09.1970 (THFC Programme)
"In view of ill-informed comments in certain sections of the national press, we feel we would like to advise our supporters of the facts surrounding our player, Graeme Souness, who decided recently to return to his home in Edinburgh in full knowledge that by doing so, he would be breaking his contract with the Club. Under the circumstances we had no alternative but to take disciplinary action against him. Consequently, he was suspended without pay for 14 days from Monday 7th September, with the possibility of the suspension being further extended at fortnightly intervals if necessary. Graeme's sole reason for returning to Scotland was that he was home-sick. The many other reasons that have been printed were denied categorically by the boy when he came back to Tottenham for discussions with the Manager on Wednesday 2nd September. Graeme joined Tottenham on leaving school in 1968 and has served two full seasons as an apprentice player. He signed as a full professional on his 17th birthday in May of this year and with what should have been a very promising season ahead of him. It is very sad to think that he should suddenly decide to go back home. Naturally, the Club does not wish to lose a player of Graeme's promise, and we sincerely hope that in due course the matter will be mutually resolved." |
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Appearances
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