|
Paul Hart was bought as the replacement for the traitorous Gordon
McQueen who had skipped over the Pennines to play for some other team,
and the £300,000 that Hart cost Leeds from Blackpool was repaid
many times over in the 5 years he was at Elland Road as a player. He
didn't get off to the best of starts, with the finger being pointed
his way for several defensive cock-ups and OGs, but in the end he
clocked up well over 200 games at the centre of the defence, and
although he was one of the side that saw the club relegated in 1982,
he wasn't the most culpable. An old-fashioned centre-half who could
also play in midfield, he lasted for a few years more as a player
up to the end of the 1980s.
He had not totally successful spells in management with Notts
County (as player-coach) and Chesterfield (as manager), before finding
his real niche - as a trainer of young players. He started out at
Forest before coming to Leeds and seeing his proteges take the FA
Youth Cup Final in 1993 and then again in 1997. Along with Eddie
Gray, he was responsible for many of the current crop of stars
when they were in the youth side, and his return to Forest to
take over their youth setup was a blow to Leeds, although Eddie
Gray, Roy Aitken and Brian Kidd look to have another promising
crop of young players lined up.
In July 2001, Paul was appointed manager at the City Ground
following the departure of David Platt to coach the England U-21 team
and after stabilising the team - and the club's finances with the
sales of talented young players like Jermaine Jenas and David Prutton
- he has got the club into an excellent position to challenge for
promotion as the 2002/03 season draws to a close.
Darren Kerry says: Paul Hart took me to Leeds in 1990 as a YTS from
Manchester United schoolboys and it was a move that I will always
thank him for. And as a Manchaster United fan that is saying a lot.
Mia says: Do you still talk with Darren Kerry? Darren Kerry, if we
are talking about the same one is our coach. He's awesome.
Scott Stevens says: I sold Harty boy a old Ford Granada when he was
playing for Leeds, i'm pretty sure it was about 1983, he was living on
a street called Norman Street.
paul hart says: hello, my name is paul hart. (not related) but i am
contacting all the paul harts in the world to form a symposium on
world issues... please contact me at paulyhart.com
|
