KyoPityus
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW: BOBBY DAVISON
Name: Bobby Davison
DOB: 17/07/1959
Position: Striker
Clubs: Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town, Derby County, Leeds United, Leicester City, Sheffield United, Rotherham United, Hull City (loan)
Stats: 201 goals in 527 games
Just 18 months ago Bobby Davison was scratching around trying to get a coaching job, in between scouting and bits of media work, now he's managing the biggest club in Hungary and aiming for the Championship League.
The 50-year-old former striker guided Ferencvaros back to the top flight last season as they ran away with the second division title and returned to the Soproni Liga after a three year absence.
Davison admits he still can't believe how things have changed for him in such a short space of time and all down to a chance text message!
"I sent Kevin McCabe (Sheffield United Chairman) a text message. I had read in the newspapers about Sheffield United's connections in China, I wasn't interested in going there but I read that they also had a club in Belgium. I just text Kevin to really say if there was anything else like that that came up then I would like him to keep me in mind. I had just finished a year's course in Spanish so I fancied going working in Spain."
A few months and conversations later Kevin McCabe did bear Davison in mind when he and his company, The Scarborough Group, bought the 28 time Hungarian Champions:
"My role initially was to represent Sheffield United and oversee everything on the football side that was happening and then do a report on the first team, staffing levels, the players and the academy."
After just a matter of months at the club things could have taken a turn for worse when Janos Csank was sacked but for Davison it was just the beginning of another exciting chapter:
"Obviously it's a massive massive club and the supporters demand success here and it was plain to see that they weren't going to get it towards the end of the 2007/08 season, they were too many points behind so the Manager left and they were looking for a new one - I said to Terry Robinson (Sheffield United's International Chairman 'I'll do it, I can do that job'. He said 'ok' so I took over for the last eight matches of the season and we lost just once against the top team who got promotion."
So being the Englishman abroad, spending long periods away from the family, and taking two Hungarian lessons a week to get by, would he recommend it?
"I think it's a fantastic experience. It's hard to get work in the UK as a coach, a friend of mine Frank Barlow has been in and out of work so many times and he said to me one day, when you are in work enjoy it because you know as a coach you are going to be out of work and that's what I try to do.
"I would certainly recommend going and working in a foreign country and seeing how other coaches work and seeing how other teams play.
"I have been out here now just over 12 months and if you had asked me 18 months ago where do think you'll be this time next year I would have said probably scouting or trying to get a coaching job in the UK and here I am sitting in Budapest working at a huge club."
Bobby isn't the only familiar name at Ferencvaros for British football fans with Craig Short also on the coaching staff while former Sheffield United players Paul Shaw and James Ashmore and Barnsley striker István Ferenczi are all on the books. Former Tranmere and Huddersfield midfielder Adnan Ahmed has also recently signed a two-year deal.
Name: Bobby Davison
DOB: 17/07/1959
Position: Striker
Clubs: Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town, Derby County, Leeds United, Leicester City, Sheffield United, Rotherham United, Hull City (loan)
Stats: 201 goals in 527 games
Just 18 months ago Bobby Davison was scratching around trying to get a coaching job, in between scouting and bits of media work, now he's managing the biggest club in Hungary and aiming for the Championship League.
The 50-year-old former striker guided Ferencvaros back to the top flight last season as they ran away with the second division title and returned to the Soproni Liga after a three year absence.
Davison admits he still can't believe how things have changed for him in such a short space of time and all down to a chance text message!
"I sent Kevin McCabe (Sheffield United Chairman) a text message. I had read in the newspapers about Sheffield United's connections in China, I wasn't interested in going there but I read that they also had a club in Belgium. I just text Kevin to really say if there was anything else like that that came up then I would like him to keep me in mind. I had just finished a year's course in Spanish so I fancied going working in Spain."
A few months and conversations later Kevin McCabe did bear Davison in mind when he and his company, The Scarborough Group, bought the 28 time Hungarian Champions:
"My role initially was to represent Sheffield United and oversee everything on the football side that was happening and then do a report on the first team, staffing levels, the players and the academy."
After just a matter of months at the club things could have taken a turn for worse when Janos Csank was sacked but for Davison it was just the beginning of another exciting chapter:
"Obviously it's a massive massive club and the supporters demand success here and it was plain to see that they weren't going to get it towards the end of the 2007/08 season, they were too many points behind so the Manager left and they were looking for a new one - I said to Terry Robinson (Sheffield United's International Chairman 'I'll do it, I can do that job'. He said 'ok' so I took over for the last eight matches of the season and we lost just once against the top team who got promotion."
So being the Englishman abroad, spending long periods away from the family, and taking two Hungarian lessons a week to get by, would he recommend it?
"I think it's a fantastic experience. It's hard to get work in the UK as a coach, a friend of mine Frank Barlow has been in and out of work so many times and he said to me one day, when you are in work enjoy it because you know as a coach you are going to be out of work and that's what I try to do.
"I would certainly recommend going and working in a foreign country and seeing how other coaches work and seeing how other teams play.
"I have been out here now just over 12 months and if you had asked me 18 months ago where do think you'll be this time next year I would have said probably scouting or trying to get a coaching job in the UK and here I am sitting in Budapest working at a huge club."
Bobby isn't the only familiar name at Ferencvaros for British football fans with Craig Short also on the coaching staff while former Sheffield United players Paul Shaw and James Ashmore and Barnsley striker István Ferenczi are all on the books. Former Tranmere and Huddersfield midfielder Adnan Ahmed has also recently signed a two-year deal.
