John Prentice (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = John Prentice


fullname = John Prentice
dateofbirth = 1926
cityofbirth = Shotts
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date|2006|2|10|mf=y
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath = Australia
height = height|ft=6|in=2
nickname =
position = Full-back, Half-back
currentclub =
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1942-1944
1944-1950
1950-1956
1956-1959
1959-1960
clubs = Carluke Rovers
Heart of Midlothian
Rangers
Falkirk
Dumbarton
caps(goals) = - (-)
6 (0)
142 (37) - (-) - (-)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 1960-1962
1962-1966
1966
1966-1968
1968-1971
1973-1975
managerclubs = Arbroath
Clyde
Scotland
Falkirk
Dundee
Falkirk

John Prentice (1926 – February 10, 2006), was a Scottish football player and manager. He played for Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Falkirk and Dumbarton, and managed Arbroath, Falkirk, Dundee, Clyde and Scotland.

Prentice was born in Shotts, Lanarkshire. After playing for the non-league club Carluke Rovers, Prentice signed for Hearts in 1944. A defender, he played for the Edinburgh side for seven years, before signing for Rangers in 1951 for £7000. He joined Falkirk in 1956 and the high point of his playing career was captaining Falkirk to their Scottish Cup triumph over Kilmarnock in the 1957 Scottish Cup Final. He left Falkirk in 1959 and signed for Dumbarton, where he finished his playing career. He also played for the Scottish League representative team.

Prentice began his managerial career at the age of 33 in April 1960, when he was appointed as manager of relegated First Division side Arbroath and took up his post for the final two games of the season. In his first full season, Arbroath finished in 12th place in the 19 team Second Division after he had controversially sold top striker Dave Easson to Raith Rovers. In his second season, after a good start to the season, they finished in 6th place. Prentice suddenly resigned as manager in September 1962. No official reason was given for his exit, but a few weeks before his departure, Arbroath Town Council had refused to allocate him a house on the grounds that his job was not considered to be that of a ‘key worker’.

In November he was appointed as manager of Clyde. In his first half-season he was unable to stop Clyde being relegated but in 1964 he guided them to promotion to the First Division as Second Division runners-up. In season 1964-65 Clyde finished seventh in the eighteen team First Division and played well the following season.

The quality of his teams performances and his management talents were recognized when, in March 1966, he was appointed as full-time manager of the national team, succeeding Jock Stein who had managed the side on a part-time basis in addition to his post at Celtic.

He spent six months in charge of the national team in 1966, and recorded a 1-1 draw with reigning World champions Brazil prior to the World Cup finals. He returned to club management with his old club Falkirk in October 1966 after defeats by England, Holland and Portugal.

He later managed Dundee, his only experience of managing in European competition but left in 1972 to return to Falkirk where he remained until 1975. He emigrated to Australia in 1987.

He died in Australia of a brain tumor aged 79.

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/4701398.stm "Ex-Scotland manager Prentice dies"] from BBC News
* [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=216632006 "Former Scotland manager Prentice dies, aged 79"] The Scotsman, 11 February 2006