Brian Horton

Brian "Nobby" Horton (born 4 February 1949) is an English former footballer and manager.

He spent 16 years as a professional player and 22 years as a manager, making 689 appearances and managing 1,098 matches.

In addition to this he spent four years as a semi-professional player and around 11 years as a coach and assistant manager.

Horton played at wing-half, though was forced to find employment as a builder after being released from Walsall's youth team in 1966.

He joined Hednesford Town in the West Midlands (Regional) League, winning the Staffordshire Senior Cup in his final appearance for the club in 1970.

He turned professional in signing with Port Vale of the English Football League in July 1970.

Horton returned to the Football League at the age of 21 when he signed for newly-promoted Third Division club Port Vale in July 1970.

It was reported that his transfer fee was a pint of shandy, as Vale were struggling financially and simply haggled with the Hednesford Town chairman by plying him with alcohol, therefore his transfer fee was 'a pint of shandy'.

In fact Port Vale agreed to play a pre-season friendly with Hednesford and allowed them to keep all the gate receipt money from the match.

Horton had been earning £7-a-week at Hednesford, rising to £20 with win bonuses, supplemented by a £20-a-week income from building work, and so actually took a significant pay cut to turn professional at Port Vale on wages of £23-a-week.

A first team regular from the start under manager Gordon Lee, Horton played 40 games in the 1970–71 season, and scored his first competitive goal in a 3–2 win against Bury at Gigg Lane.

He then found his scoring form in the 1971–72 campaign, as he hit eight goals in 47 appearances; he also became the club's penalty taker, with half of his goals coming from the spot.

He established himself in the first team, making 258 appearances, before being sold on to Brighton & Hove Albion for £30,000 in March 1976.

Installed as club captain, he helped the club to win promotions to the First Division from the Third Division in 1976–77 and 1978–79, being named on the PFA Team of the Year on both occasions.

He also won the club's Player of the Year in 1977.

Having played 251 games for the club, he was transferred to Luton Town in August 1981.

He captained the team to the Second Division title in 1981–82 and helped the club to remain in the First Division, playing 132 games in league and cup competitions.

Horton was installed as player-manager at Hull City in June 1984 and led the club to promotion out of the Third Division in 1984–85.

He was sacked in April 1988 and was appointed as Oxford United's assistant manager the following month.

He succeeded Mark Lawrenson as Oxford manager in October of that year and managed to keep the club in the Second Division for five seasons despite a financial crisis caused by the death of owner Robert Maxwell.

Horton was the surprise appointment as Manchester City manager in August 1993 and kept the club competitive in the Premier League before being dismissed by new club chairman Francis Lee in May 1995.

He took charge at Huddersfield Town the following month, but was sacked with the club bottom of the Second Division in October 1997.

He returned to former club Brighton & Hove Albion as manager in February 1998, who were struggling near the foot of the Third Division and forced to play home games at Priestfield Stadium in Gillingham.

He moved on to another former club, Port Vale, in January 1999.

Vale were relegated out of the First Division in 2000, though Horton won his first trophy in management as they secured the Football League Trophy in 2001.

He resigned in February 2004, following a change in ownership.

He took charge at Macclesfield Town in April 2004, steering the club away from the Third Division relegation zone.

He spent two full seasons in charge before being sacked in October 2006.

Having spent some time out of the game, he returned to Hull City as Phil Brown's assistant manager in May 2007.

The club were promoted to the Premier League, though the two were sacked in March 2010.

He spent 2011 as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End and then returned to management with Macclesfield Town in March 2012, though was unable to prevent the club being relegated out of the Football League.

He joined Doncaster Rovers as Paul Dickov's assistant in June 2013, before he was appointed as football coordinator at Southend United by Phil Brown in August 2015.

He later assisted Phil Brown at Swindon Town for two months, leaving the club in May 2018.

He has been married twice and has twins.

Born in Hednesford, Staffordshire, Horton's father, Richard, was a coal miner at the North Staffordshire Coalfield and his mother, Irene, worked as a cook at Cannock Grammar School.

He started his career as a member of Walsall's youth team at the age of 15.

He played regularly in the West Midlands (Regional) League, though was released after two years without having appeared for the first team, and joined hometown club Hednesford Town in the West Midlands (Regional) League after being signed by player-manager Dick Neal.

During his time at the club he worked in the building trade in the Walsall area.

He became known as Nobby to fans, a nickname that stuck with him throughout his career, after a supporter stated that Horton played like Nobby Stiles.

He won the Staffordshire Senior Cup in his final appearance for the club, a victory over Kidderminster Harriers.