Latest news with #Docherty
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Dundee fans are right to be all shook up as Elvis enters the building
But it is fair to say that quite a number of the Dark Blues faithful are all shook up by the appointment of their new manager. Comments on social media websites are not always an accurate barometer of how a fanbase is feeling. Generally speaking, the younger and more partisan members of a support post messages online. Their missives are seldom complimentary. But the response to Pressley replacing Tony Docherty on the internet has been almost universally negative. Very underwhelming. Are season tickets refundable? If he was the standout candidate then who else was on that list? This is disappointing. Is this for real? And those were just the remarks which were printable in a family newspaper. Read more: Yep, it is fair to say the new incumbent of the Dens Park hotseat will have to win around a few doubters in the stands when the new season gets underway next month. The statement which confirmed the bombshell news revealed that the 51-year-old was currently on a pre-arranged silver wedding anniversary holiday in the Far East but will be cutting short his break so he can begin his new job as soon as possible. There will be no honeymoon period when he starts. The outcry is no reflection on Pressley either as a player or as a person. He enjoyed a long career at a high level and won many major honours. He represented his country with distinction on no fewer than 32 occasions. He has worked extensively in the media since retiring and always provides a good insight into the game when he appears on television or radio. He is a popular and well kent figure in the Scottish game. No, the problem that Dundee fans have with him succeeding Docherty, who led them to a top six Premiership finish two seasons ago and kept them up in the top flight last term, is his less than impressive track record as a coach. (Image: Ross Parker - SNS Group) Yes, he has had spells in charge at Falkirk, Coventry, Fleetwood Town, Pafos and Carlisle United during the past 15-years, but he has not enjoyed many significant successes. The Challenge Cup is the only piece of silverware he has deposited in a trophy cabinet since swapping his boots for a tracksuit. And that was back in 2012. He has had other roles in football since first moving into the dugout. He has been a scout at Southampton and has most recently worked as head of individual development at Brentford. He will have picked up invaluable experience and made numerous useful contacts in those positions. But the fact that he hasn't worked as a manager since being sacked by Carlisle five-and-a-half years ago hasn't exactly gone unnoticed. The last match which he oversaw was way back in the November of 2019. So why is he the right man to elevate the team to a higher level exactly? Would an individual who has impressed with his work in recent seasons and has something tangible to show for his efforts not be better placed to take them forward? Docherty's services were dispensed with last month because his board felt that 'results did not match the standards expected'. It was, considering that his captain and standout player Luke McCowan left for Celtic on the final day of the summer transfer window, a pretty bloodthirsty call. But the harshness of that decision has been exacerbated by the choice of his successor. Read more: Dundee fans will get behind Pressley – who will work closely with his technical director Gordon Strachan, his former manager at Celtic, and new technical manager David Longwell, who has previously worked at St Mirren, Orlando City, New York Red Bulls and Burnley – and hope that he can justify being brought on board. But at this particular moment in time they are struggling to see why a club which has, despite winning the Championship and promotion and then recording their best Premiership finish in nine years, been through four managers in the last three years has decided to go down this route. Many are already concerned about their ability to stay up in the 2025/26 campaign. Steven Pressley has much to prove and will be doing well to earn an encore.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Steven Pressley lands Dundee manager job as Hearts hero seals sensational Scottish football return
The Dee have a new man in the dugout after sacking Tony Docherty last month Dundee have announced Steven Pressley as their new manager following the former Scotland international's quickfire exit from Premier League side Brentford. The Dens Park side have been on the lookout for a new boss after opting to sack Tony Docherty just days after the end of the Premiership season. The ex Aberdeen number two had led Dee to a top-six finish in the 2023/24 season but a more challenging campaign last year saw the Tayside club slip to 10th place, only avoiding the relegation play-off zone on the final day of the season. Dundee chairman Tony Keyes and managing director John Nelms then took the decision to relieve Docherty and backroom team members Stuart Taylor, Alan Combe and Graeme Henderson of their duties, promising that the search for his replacement would begin immediately. And less than two weeks on from Docherty's dismissal, they now have their man. Pressley. 51, makes his return to management after six years away from the dugout. The ex Hearts captain and Celtic midfielder last managed Carlisle in 2019 and two years later joined Brentford as their Head of Individual Development. But the Scot has now left left his role to return to the sidelines in the Premiership, where he previously had a brief spell as Hearts caretaker boss and a season in charge of Falkirk where he was unable to prevent the Bairns from going down in 2010. Pressley has accumulated plenty of experience down south with the likes of Fleetwood, Coventry and Carlisle, as well as a brief stint with Cyrpiot top tier side Pafos. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Greg Docherty opens up on 'so hard' Rangers exit as crowning Wembley moment makes it all worthwhile
The midfielder skippered Charlton to glory in the League One play off final last weekend From rejection at Rangers to redemption at Wembley. Greg Docherty feared his career had reached an early peak after being overlooked at Ibrox. But now the captain of Charlton is looking to go up and up again after leading his London side out of League One and back into the Championship down south. The former Hamilton kid has had a couple of bumps on the road on the journey that took him to last Sunday's play-off triumph against Leyton Orient. As diligent and hard-working as they come, the 28-year-old's impressive commitment levels in the end did him no favours at the two clubs he served before moving to the Valley last summer. At Ibrox, former gaffer Steven Gerrard was a huge fan of the way Docherty went about his work on a daily basis. And that's why he was reluctant to let him leave, even when he had the likes of Ryan Jack and Steven Davis blocking Doch's path to the Rangers midfield. The same story emerged last year at Hull as Docherty found his minutes on the wane. But he's now found a home at last in the engine room of Nathan Jones' promotion winning Addicks outfit - and now he hopes they could be on the move again … this time to the Premier League. Looking back on his Ibrox exit, Docherty told MailSport: 'It was so hard. 'Obviously hindsight's a wonderful thing. I'm older now and heading into the middle part of my career. 'Would I change a few things? Of course I would, of course I'd maybe do things differently. 'But you do what you think's right at the time and when I was at Rangers I know I gave everything every single day. 'But it's tough in those situations, when you think you're fighting a losing battle. The hamster wheel's never ending and you can't get the opportunity you need. 'It's easy for me to say this now as I'm in such a good place here at Charlton, but you really do have to stand by your beliefs and cling to the hope things will get better. 'Even when I was at Hull, I stayed probably a year or two longer than I should have. 'I wanted to leave this summer before I did. I could see what was coming with my game time reducing. But I was caught under the same bracket I was at Rangers. 'I was classed as someone who'd always give everything — but that held me back because they didn't want to let me go. 'I wasn't playing regularly but was kept on in just in case I was needed. 'But here at Charlton, I'm in a much better place. 'I'm captain of a Championship club that wants to keep on progressing. 'It's up to us as players and staff to do that, but it really feels like I'm at a club that is going places now.' Docherty grew up a boyhood Bluenose, barely a goal-kick away from the club's Auchenhowie training base. But it stung to quit the club he loved just as Gerrard's team were finally on the brink of something special. 'It felt like my career had taken a right dunt leaving Rangers,' he admitted. 'But I could see how strong Rangers were getting. It was the season they won the league. I remember thinking, I'd have loved to have been involved in that but I didn't realistically see myself playing a real part. 'So that's why I pushed to go to Hull. I knew I could be part of a team that would compete and thankfully I helped them win League One that season.' And Docherty has been central to Charlton's success this term too. The former Scotland Under-21 ace admits he had some teething troubles transitioning to life in London with his young family. But once he found his feet, it's been a steady rise for both himself and his team. Charlton found themselves trapped in mid-table for much of the campaign but a late run from March onwards saw the Red Robins finally burst their way into the play-off hunt - culminating in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Orient under the Wembley arch. 'Honestly it was just pure euphoria,' said Docherty looking back on the celebrations. 'The whole day seemed to go by in a flash, even with the 11 minutes of added-on time! 'I didn't know what to do at the full-time whistle. The feeling was a mixture of euphoria, relief, sheer elation that we're just getting back into the Championship again. Just such a good feeling. 'Winning at Wembley is incredible, it's the stuff boyhood dreams are made of. 'I love Hampden, I've always been a big fan of it. I sat and watched the Scottish Cup final on the Saturday and thought Hampden looked great being so full. 'But then I realised I'd be playing in a crowd that was pretty much double that the next day. 'During the game they announced the attendance as 75,000, which was just mental. 'It's easily the biggest crowd I'd ever played in front of and it just shows the size of Charlton as a club. 'The demand for tickets was ridiculous, we had over 40,000 in there and it would have been 50,000 if they'd found the extra tickets for us. 'This is a proper, proper football club. 'When I joined in the summer, the manager believed we could get to this point where we get promoted. 'I'm sure he will now look to add to the squad. 'We're an attractive proposition, a big club in London that's back in the Championship. It's going to be a massive thing going forward. It's just such an exciting time. 'The manager said after the game, that even though we're in League One, we're all striving to get to the Premier League. Nothing will change next year other than we're a league closer. 'The level goes up massively, the quality, I've experienced it with Hull. 'But as long as we've got an identity that we stick to, I think we can give it a right go.'
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Scots child abuser jailed after causing starving boy to eat paint and cat food during years of cruelty
Three other children were severely punished by Keenan ABUSER CAGED Scots child abuser jailed after causing starving boy to eat paint and cat food during years of cruelty A WOMAN who caused a young boy to be fed paint from a ceiling after she made him go to bed hungry was jailed today for 32 months. Yvonne Keenan, 56, made the victim suffer at her hands at her home in Glasgow's Maryhill. 2 The four charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court span between 1994 and March 2001 Credit: Alamy The boy - aged between five and eight - was also made to eat cat food while in the care of Keenan. Three other children were severely punished by Keenan which included being made to face a wall for long periods of time. Keenan's victims - who are now all adults - have received justice after she pled guilty to cruel and unnatural treatment of children. The four charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court span between 1994 and March 2001. The court heard that the boy and a girl - now aged 32 - were frequently not fed by Keenan and sent to bed hungry. Prosecutor Sean Docherty said: 'The girl remembers the boy crying because he was so hungry and she did not know what to do. 'She decided to scrape paint off the ceiling from the top bunk and fed it to him. 'She described this as an act of desperation to help him as she did not know what else to do.' On another occasion, the girl recalled the boy pushing a button in the kitchen which was not allowed. Mr Docherty added: 'As a consequence, Keenan forced the boy to eat cat food which was lying in the kitchen.' Nurse Charged After Alleged Abuse of Stepson: Shocking Details Emerge The girl also recalled being made to stand in the dark kitchen overnight and was 'too scared to move.' Keenan was violent towards her which included being dragged off a bed which caused her head to strike a radiator. She further remembered being 'physically force fed' cereal and milk. Mr Docherty said: 'To this day, she cannot consume milk due to this experience.' 2 Keenan pled guilty to cruel and unnatural treatment of children Another girl - now aged 38 - stated Keenan was violent towards her which included shaking and throwing her around. She was also slapped on the face when Keenan overheard a telephone call which referenced alcohol. A boy - now aged 36 - claimed 'disciplinarian' Keenan would poke him on the body if he did not return home from school in a set time. He was also made to stand and stare at a wall for hours as well as be without dinner.
The Courier
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Courier
Dundee legend on surprise at Tony Docherty sacking: 'You shouldn't be judged on overachieving'
Sacked Dundee boss Tony Docherty shouldn't have been 'judged for overachieving', insists Dens Park legend Barry Smith. The Dark Blues fired Docherty on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after securing Premiership safety with a win at St Johnstone. A difficult second season saw them finish in 10th place, just one spot above the relegation zone. That was after Docherty led Dundee to the club's second top-six finish in the past 20 years. The decision shocked Smith, a former manager at Dens Park and the man third on the club's all-time appearance list. He said: 'I think everybody was quite surprised. 'You don't know the expectation that was set initially this season. 'Last season they finished in the top six, probably overachieved, and I don't think you should be judged for overachieving, if that's what they set the target at this season. 'It is a bit of a surprise. They are still in the league, it's the first time they've been three years in a row in the Premiership for a while. 'In that sense, they have done their job. 'Should they be higher up the league? Probably they would expect to be a wee bit higher but they conceded too many goals. 'But by the same token they are still in the league and they can still build on that for next season.' He added: 'I think there has got to be realism to it. I don't know what the budgets are and what the budgets are for the other teams. 'I guarantee it is not the same as Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts. So to get into the top six is a massive achievement. 'I don't think you should consider saying 'we want to stay in the league'. Ultimately you set off with that target and then you look to get as high as you can from there. 'I don't think you should be judged on that first season. The second season is always more difficult when you've been promoted. 'Given what Aberdeen and Hibs did this season, it shows Dundee are where they should be at this present time. 'But if you have stability then you are able to build on it. Changing a manager after two years makes it more difficult. 'The new manager might be starting from block one again rather than building on what you've already got.' Smith joined two other former Dundee players in Tam McManus and Scott Allan on PLZ's The Footballer's Football Show. Allan spent six months at Dens Park under Neil McCann's management and pointed to the loss of Luke McCowan as a mitigating factor for Docherty. 'I was (shocked). I think at a club like Dundee you want that continuity,' he said. 'Like Barry says, they overachieved last season. They lost Luke McCowan, a captain and a player who was the real focal point of the Dundee team. 'I think looking at them in terms of performance, they always looked like they would score goals. It was plain to see they were conceding goals but, for me, that would have been an easy solve come this summer. 'Tony Docherty would have known what he needed to build this team going into next season so for me it was a huge surprise.' McManus spent 18 months with Dundee after signing in January 2005, endearing himself to the support with a derby goal at Dundee United. He added: 'When you go in and do as well as Tony did in the first season, they have been a bit of a yo-yo club over the past 15, 20 years. 'I played with them in the Premier League and then the Championship. They had more than a few seasons in the Championship then back up and back down straight away. 'I just think when you finish top six in the first season, that bar, the supporters think we should be top six this season. 'They got a wee bit of a bounce from coming up from the Championship, a winning mentality coming up and I felt this season was going to be much more difficult. 'I was shocked at it but the Dundee owners pay the bills and make the decisions. 'It will be interesting to see where they go next.'
