A hard working central midfield team-player, McGovern passed the ball comfortably with either foot. John Robertson said, "As far as I'm concerned John McGovern is what epitomises what every good side needs." McGovern played over 650 senior first team games during his playing career spanning 19 seasons.
McGovern won two Scottish under-23 caps.[5] He is one of only two Scots players to win UEFA's premier club trophy to never win a full international cap. He was a 2017 Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee.
McGovern was born in Montrose, Angus, in north east Scotland.[1] He lived in Montrose until he was seven years old before moving to Hartlepool[6][7] when his family relocated when his father needed to find work. McGovern's father subsequently moving to work on the Kariba Dam meant he and McGovern would never see each other again. McGovern's father was killed in an accident on the last day of his 2 years working in Africa before he was scheduled to return home.[8] His father died when McGovern was aged 11.[9] The young McGovern attended Henry Smith's Grammar School, a rugby-playing school. However, during school holidays his mother sent him to stay with his grandmother in Boness. It was in Boness that McGovern started to play football with a band of friends he made there. Despite being captain of the school teams at rugby and cricket, football became his preferred sport. Back in Hartlepool he played for his first team when he was 15. His football heroes were both strikers, Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves, and as a boy McGovern also wanted to become a striker.[10] Central Park FC then sent him for a trial with local senior club, Hartlepool United.[6]
Career
Hartlepools United / Hartlepool
The young McGovern initially wanted to play as a striker for the glory that came with scoring goals but was unsuited to that role. He then played as a winger. He began his senior career in English football's fourth tier with local club Hartlepools United in 1965–66. 'Pools were under the management of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. It was Taylor who advocated they get McGovern on the books.[10] His senior debut was aged 16 on 21 May 1966 in a 1–1 draw v Bradford City in Pools' last home league game of the season.[11] He became a first team regular the season after. On 3 September 1966, he signed a pro contract on apprentice terms. In the 1966–67 season the club finished on a decent 8th spot, however, the following campaign 1967/68, Hartlepool finished third earning promotion to the Third Division. His last game for Pools was on 6 September 1968 in a 2–1 defeat at Bristol Rovers.[11] After playing six games in that 1968/69 season he moved up a division by transferring to Derby County.[6]
Derby County
Clough and Taylor moved to Derby County in May 1967. They signed 18-year old McGovern to Derby for a fee of £7,500 in September 1968. For the 1968–69 season his mother and brother relocated with him to Derby (his sister had already moved to California). Shortly after arriving at Derby, on 2 October 1968 while in the reserves he watched the first team 3-1 replay win v Chelsea in the 1968–69 Football League Cup. On seeing Dave Mackay play, McGovern realised the level he had been playing at was a long way short of what was needed to be a footballer. He responded with dedication and hard work. His first team debut arrived in a game for which there was an opening to play on the right side of midfield. It was at Derby during the 1969–70 season that Taylor then moved McGovern to central midfield to capitalise on McGovern's playing strengths of vision and being able to pass and control the ball with both feet.[10] He allied this by learning how to tackle. By January 1969 he had established himself in the Derby side that won promotion to the First Division at the end of his first season there.[12][13] Within an 18-month period and by the age of 19 he had played in all four divisions of the Football League.[14]
After a disappointing 1970–71 season, Liverpool contesting a 1971–72 four-way league title fight lost 1–0 in their penultimate game to McGovern's 62nd-minute goal at Derby County.[15] Derby had now completed their fixtures with that win. On Monday 8 May 1972, Leeds' 2–1 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers gave Liverpool their bite at the title. Needing to win the same evening if Leeds lost, Liverpool drew 0–0 at Arsenal with Shankly furious an 88th minute Toshack goal was disallowed. Derby stayed top.[16][17] to win that 1971–72 First Division title. McGovern played in 40 matches in that league winning campaign scoring 3 goals. He was 22 when they lifted the title. In the following 1972–73 season, during the European Cup McGovern scored in a 3–0 home win against Benfica. Derby were eliminated in the semi-finals in controversial circumstances to Juventus.[12]
Clough resigned on 15 October 1973 in his ongoing dispute with Derby Chairman Sam Longson leading to uproar among Derby fans. Longson appointed another crowd favourite as manager, Dave Mackay. The saga continued so MacKay decided to bring matters to a head. Mackay gave the players a piece of paper stating those who wanted to play for him should sign it. McGovern was first to sign and when challenged by other players he said "I want to play football. I'm not interested in politics."[14] Calm was restored and Derby finished the 1973–74 season third in the league behind Liverpool and Leeds.[12]
His final Derby first team game was at Manchester City on 6 February 1974. In all competitions he played in 227 first team games (including four as a substitute), scoring 20 goals.[18] Mackay gave McGovern's regular starting place to the more attack minded Bruce Rioch.[10]
Leeds United
During the 1973–74 season Clough had tried to sign McGovern for Brighton and Hove Albion but McGovern found the prospect of Third Division football unpalatable. Clough replaced Don Revie as Leeds manager in August 1974 and again made an approach for McGovern. Leeds paid £125,000 for the double transfer of McGovern (now aged 24) and John O'Hare. McGovern was not selected to play when Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles were available. McGovern made four first team appearances all when Bremner was suspended after his sending off for fighting in the 1974 FA Charity Shield with Kevin Keegan. Leeds won one, drew two and lost one of McGovern's four games in August and September 1974. He otherwise played no higher than the reserves in his seven months at Elland Road. He later said of his time at Leeds:
"When I arrived at Elland Road after leaving Derby County, I found out I was unwanted by anybody at the club, and it was a very difficult time for me. And I spent about six months at Leeds not being involved in the squad, and even in those days they used to have the players names on the back of the squad tracksuits. Well I was there six months and I never got a track suit with my name on the back of it. I think that was a big hint from the club that I didn't really belong there."[19]
Clough's reign was only 44 days but even after his departure, McGovern, O'Hare and trainer Jimmy Gordon were tarred with being part of the Clough regime. McGovern declined offers Leeds accepted for him to join Carlisle United and Norwich City.[10] Clough did not forget any of the three men and soon returned to take all three in early 1975 to his new club, Nottingham Forest.[14]
Clough signed McGovern and O'Hare in February with McGovern debuting on 22 February 1975 in a 0–0 home league draw v Cardiff City.[22] Forest were 13th in English football's second tier when Clough joined. They finished that season 16th. The season after Forest finished eighth in Clough's 1975–76 Football League first full season in charge.[20] It was in this season McGovern became long standing club captain taking over from a game in which Bob 'Sammy' Chapman and Liam O'Kane were both injured.[23]
Peter Taylor on 16 July 1976 rejoined Clough becoming his Assistant Manager as he had been when winning the league at Derby.[20] Taylor included being the club's talent spotter in his role. After assessing the players Taylor told Clough "that was a feat by you to finish eighth in the Second Division because some of them are only Third Division players".[24]
Together Clough and Taylor took Forest to new heights with McGovern the club captain throughout the success the two brought to Forest. Their first trophy at Forest was the 1976–77 Anglo-Scottish Cup. Forest beat Orient 5–1 on aggregate in the two-legged final played in December 1976.[20] Clough valued winning a derided trophy as the club's first silverware since 1959. He said, "Those who said it was a nothing trophy were absolutely crackers. We'd won something, and it made all the difference."[25]
On 7 May Alan Moore's own goal meant Forest in their last league game of the season beat Millwall 1–0 at the City Ground.[26] This kept Forest in the third promotion spot in the league table and dependent on Bolton Wanderers dropping points in three games in hand in the fight for third place.[27] On 14 May Kenny Hibbitt's goal from his rehearsed free kick routine with Willie Carr gave Wolves a 1–0 win at Bolton.[23][28] McGovern later said Bolton's defeat reached the Forest team mid-air en route to an end of season break in Mallorca.[23] Forest's third place promotion from the 1976–77 Football League Second Division was the fifth-lowest points tally of any promoted team in history, 52[20][29] (two points for a win in England until 1981).
Taylor secretly followed Kenny Burns concluding Burns's reputation as a hard drinker and gambler was exaggerated. Taylor sanctioned his £150,000 July signing. Burns become FWA Footballer of the Year in 1977–78 after being moved from centre-forward to centre-back.[30][31] Forest started their return to the top league campaign with a 3–1 win at Everton. Three further wins in league and cup followed without conceding a goal. Then came five early September goals conceded in losing 3–0 at Arsenal and beating Wolves 3–2 at home.[32]Peter Shilton then signed for a record fee for a goalkeeper of £325,000. Taylor reasoned: "Shilton wins you matches."[33] 20 year old John Middleton was first team goalkeeper pre-Shilton. Middleton later in the month went in part exchange with £25,000 to Derby County for Archie Gemmill transferring to Forest to rejoin McGovern in midfield.[34] Gemmill was another Scottish former 1972 Derby title winner bringing something to central midfield in which McGovern was deficient; pace.[30][35][10]
Forest lost only three of their first 16 league games the last of which was at Leeds United on 19 November 1977. They lost only one further game all season, 11 March FA Cup sixth round defeat at West Bromwich Albion.[32] Forest won the 1977–78 Football League seven-points ahead of runners-up Liverpool. Forest became one of the few teams (and the most recent team to date) to win the First Division title the season after winning promotion from the Second Division.[citation needed] This made Clough the third of four managers to win the English league championship with two different clubs.[citation needed] Forest conceded just 24 goals in 42 league games.[33] They beat Liverpool 1–0 in the 1978 Football League Cup Final replay despite cup-tied Shilton, Gemmill and December signing David Needham missing out.[36]Chris Woods chalked up two clean sheets in the final covering Shilton's league cup absence. McGovern missed the replay through injury meaning Burns lifted the trophy as deputising captain. Robertson's penalty was the only goal of the game.[25][37]
Forest started season 1978–79 by beating Ipswich Town 5–0 for an FA Charity Shield record win.[20] In the 1978–79 European Cup they were drawn to play the trophy winners of the two previous seasons, Liverpool. Home goals by Birtles and Colin Barrett put Forest through 2–0 on aggregate.[38] McGovern opened the scoring in the second round 2–1 victory at AEK Athens.[39] On 9 December 1978 Liverpool ended Forest's 42 match unbeaten league run dating back to the November the year before.[20] The unbeaten run was the equivalent of a whole season surpassing the previous record of 35 games held by Burnley in 1920/21.[40] The record stood until surpassed by Arsenal in August 2004 a month before Clough's death. Arsenal played 49 league games without defeat.[41]
In February 1979 Taylor authorised the English game's first £1 million transfer signing Trevor Francis from Birmingham City.[42] In the April European Cup semi final home first leg against 1. FC Köln Forest were two goals behind after 20 minutes. Forest scored three to edge ahead before Köln equalised to start the German second leg ahead on the away goals rule. Ian Bowyer's goal in Germany put Forest through. Günter Netzer asked afterwards, "Who is this McGovern? I have never heard of him, yet he ran the game." Forest beat Malmö 1–0 in Munich's Olympiastadion in the 1979 European Cup Final. Francis on his European debut scored with a back post header from Robertson's cross. When later interviewed for "My Forest Story" McGovern said when he lifted the European Cup the first time he was thinking of his father.[9]
Forest beat Southampton in the final 3–2 to retain the League Cup. Birtles scored twice as did Woodcock once. Forest finished second in the 1978–79 Football League eight points behind Liverpool.
In the 1980–81 European Cup first round Forest lost 2–0 on aggregate to 1–0 home and away defeats by CSKA Sofia.[46] McGovern subsequently said the double defeat by CSKA affected the team's self-confidence in that they had lost out to modestly talented opponents.[23] Forest lost the 1980 European Super Cup on away goals after a 2–2 aggregate draw against Valencia C.F. Bowyer scored both Forest goals in the home first leg.[47] On 11 February 1981, Forest lost 1–0 in the 1980 Intercontinental Cup against Uruguayan side, Club Nacional de Football. The match was played for the first time at the neutral venue National Stadium in Tokyo before 62,000 fans.[48]
The league and European Cup winning squad was broken up to capitalise on player sale value. Clough and Taylor both later said this was a mistake.[21] The rebuilt side comprising youngsters and signings such as Ian Wallace, Raimondo Ponte and Justin Fashanu did not challenge for trophies. Taylor said in 1982,[49] "For many weeks now I don't believe I've been doing justice to the partnership and I certainly haven't been doing justice to Nottingham Forest the way I felt. And consequently after a great deal of thought, there was no option. I wanted to take an early retirement. That's exactly what I've done." Jimmy Gordon retired and McGovern transferred in the same close season.[21]
McGovern started 329 competitive games for Forest that combined with substitute appearances gave him 334 competitive first team appearances for Forest. 77 appearances in non-competitive first games gave him a total of 411 Nottingham Forest first team games.[22]
Scotland
McGovern played twice for Scotland at under-23 level, both against Wales while at Derby County. The first was on 26 January 1972 in a 2–0 win at Pittodrie. He was substituted by Denis McQuade of Partick Thistle, who direct from a corner scored the second goal. McGovern's second and final international game was on 14 March 1973 at the Vetch Field in Swansea. He was again substituted this time by Pat McCluskey of Celtic as Scotland won 2–1.[6]
McGovern and Ken McNaught are the only two Scottish players to win Europe's premier club trophy to never have gained a full international cap.[50][51] He later said, "I would have walked up the M74 over broken glass to get one cap for Scotland. I just wish I'd have got one cap because that would have been the proudest moment of my life."[10]
Bolton Wanderers
McGovern joined Bolton Wanderers as player-manager in July 1982. He initially made a total of 16 League appearances for Bolton before retiring as a player to focus on the demands of management. He remained there until January 1985 when he lost his job after a new chairman wanted to bring in his own manager.[6]
McGovern was subsequently hired as manager of Woking and had a spell as assistant at Hull City before joining Ilkeston Town to replace Keith Alexander as manager in November 2000. He was sacked by the club in March of the following year after an eight-game winless run.[52]
He has since worked as a club ambassador for Forest, as a pundit on Radio Nottingham and as an after dinner speaker.
Style of play
Brian Clough said of him, "He never stopped going, never stopped running, and he was a reasonably intelligent young man." John Robertson said of McGovern, "As far as I'm concerned John McGovern is what epitomises what every good side needs."[53]
A profile of the young McGovern on Sporting Heroes states, "John's ability to do the simple things well, allied to his work ethic and willingness to act as a man marker saw him return a series of solid displays; often against much older and experienced opponents."[54]
The same article closes by stating of his time at Derby, "He scored twenty goals and at his best demonstrated ball control and passing skills of the highest level, a talent that frequently allowed others to shine."[54]
Legacy
McGovern was a 2017 inductee to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.[55] He said, "It is a fantastic feeling that I have to be inducted into the Scottish Hall of Fame. Although I may not sound Scottish having left there when I was seven-years-old, I am a proud Scotsman having been born and bred in Montrose and any honour that you get in football is very well received."[7] John was a friend of former AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young and would invite him to Nottingham Forest home games when the band were in the UK.
Career statistics
As a player
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[56]
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.
Brian Howard Clough was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the English league with two different clubs. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time. Charismatic, outspoken and often controversial, his achievements with Derby and Forest, two clubs with little prior history of success, are rated among the greatest in football history. His teams were also noted for playing attractive football and for their good sportsmanship. Despite applying several times and being a popular choice for the job, he was never appointed England manager and has been dubbed the "greatest manager England never had".
John Neilson Robertson is a Scottish former professional footballer. He provided the assisting cross for Trevor Francis to score the only goal when Nottingham Forest won the 1979 European Cup Final. A year later he scored when Forest retained the trophy 1-0 this time against Hamburger SV. At Forest he also won promotion from the 1976–77 Football League Second Division, the 1977–78 Football League First Division, the UEFA Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the 1978 FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.
The 1977–78 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England.
Archibald Gemmill is a Scottish former footballer. During his career, he won the European Cup and three English league titles, and captained his national side.
David Craig Mackay was a Scottish football player and manager. Mackay was best known for a highly successful playing career with Heart of Midlothian, the Double-winning Tottenham Hotspur side of 1961, and winning the league with Derby County as a manager. He also represented Scotland 22 times, and was selected for their 1958 FIFA World Cup squad. Mackay tied with Tony Book of Manchester City for the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award in 1969 and was later listed by the Football League in their "100 Legends", as well as being an inaugural inductee to both the English and Scottish Football Halls of Fame. He was described, by Tottenham Hotspur, as one of their greatest players and was known as 'the heartbeat' of their most successful ever team.
Peter Thomas Taylor was an English football player and manager. A goalkeeper with a modest playing career, he went on to work in management alongside Brian Clough at Derby County and Nottingham Forest, winning the Football League with both clubs and the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest.
The 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in England.
The 1973–74 season was the 94th season of competitive football in England. Leeds United became league champions for the second time, finishing five points ahead of runners-up Liverpool in the First Division. Middlesbrough, Oldham Athletic and Peterborough United won the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions, respectively. Liverpool won their second FA Cup, beating Newcastle United in the final, while the League Cup final saw Wolverhampton Wanderers defeat Manchester City. In European club football, Tottenham Hotspur reached the UEFA Cup final but lost over two legs to Feyenoord.
Kenneth Burns is a former Scotland international footballer. The peak of his playing career was Nottingham Forest, with whom he won the 1977–78 Football League title and the FWA Player of the Year award. He also won two European Cups and two Football League Cups.
John O'Hare is a Scottish former footballer. O'Hare's clubs included Sunderland, Derby County, Leeds United and also Nottingham Forest and was part of their European Cup victory in 1980, coming on as a substitute in the final. O'Hare also won thirteen caps for the Scotland national team, scoring five goals.
The history of Nottingham Forest Football Club covers the complete history of the club since its formation in 1865. Forest have won 11 major honours during their history: one league title, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one FA Charity Shield, two European Cups and one UEFA Super Cup.
The Damned United is a 2009 sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel The Damned Utd – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's ill-fated tenure as football manager of Leeds United in 1974.
Football matches held between Derby County F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C. are often referred to as an 'East Midlands Derby' and are the focus of a lengthy and intense rivalry. According to an unofficial survey on 'football rivalries' the 'East Midlands Derby' is the sixth fiercest rivalry in English football, with 9 out of 10 fans from the two clubs naming the other as their "fiercest rival".
John Middleton was an English under-21 international football goalkeeper. He won honours playing 137 first team games with Nottingham Forest. After 80 competitive first team games for Derby County he retired due to injury aged 23 in 1980.
Kieron Samuel Freeman is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back. Born in England, he represented the Wales national team.
The 1971–72 season was Derby County's 72nd in the Football League and their 45th season in the top flight. They won their first ever league title to qualify for the 1972–73 European Cup, as well as winning the Texaco Cup. In addition, their reserve side won the Central League for the first time since 1936.
The 1974–75 season was Nottingham Forest's 110th year in existence and third campaign consecutive in the Second Division since their relegation in 1972.
The 1967–68 season was Derby County's 68th in the Football League and their 10th consecutive season in the Second Division.
The 1968–69 season was Derby County's 69th in the Football League and their 11th season in the Second Division. The team finished in 1st spot to clinch promotion to the First Division after being relegated 16 years ago.
↑ Kelly, Stephen F. (1988). The Official Illustrated History of Liverpool FC: You'll Never Walk Alone. London: Queen Anne Press. p.100. ISBN0-356-19594-5.
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