Bobby Williamson

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Other people Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Robert Williamson (born 13 August 1961) is a Scottish football player and manager.

Williamson played as a striker for Clydebank, Rangers, West Bromwich Albion, Rotherham United and Kilmarnock. He then became manager of Kilmarnock, winning the 1996–97 Scottish Cup. Williamson moved to Hibernian in 2002, but had less success there and left in 2004 to manage Plymouth Argyle. He was sacked by Argyle after just over a year in charge. After a short stint with Chester City, Williamson became manager of the Uganda national football team. After a spell with Kenyan Premier League club Gor Mahia during which he won the league title, Williamson was appointed as the manager of Kenya national football team.

Playing career

As a player, Williamson was a striker. He began his career at Clydebank and scored 35 goals in 85 matches. Williamson earned a £100,000 move to Rangers during the 1983–84 season.<ref name = "broken leg">Template:Cite news</ref> Five months after signing for Rangers, Williamson broke his right leg while on a night out during an end of season tour of Australia.<ref name = "broken leg"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The injury was initially expected to keep him out of action for two or three months,<ref name = "broken leg"/> but Williamson did not return to full training until December 1984.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After an injury-hit spell with Rangers, Williamson moved to West Bromwich Albion in 1986, in part-exchange for Jimmy Nicholl.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Williamson also played in the Football League for Rotherham United. He returned to Scotland in 1990 to join Kilmarnock, which proved to be his last club as a player.

Managerial career

Kilmarnock

Williamson became the manager of Kilmarnock following the departure of Alex Totten. In his first season as manager, the club won the 1997 Scottish Cup final by beating Falkirk 1–0 at Ibrox.<ref name = "weegie hun"/> Kilmarnock finished highly in the Scottish Premier League and he guided them into Europe, playing a total of four two-legged ties over three seasons. He also attracted high-profile players including former Scotland internationals Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant, and the former French international Christophe Cocard.

Hibernian

Williamson took up a new challenge at Hibernian in February 2002, where he inherited a team that had gone 18 league games without a win.<ref name = "Hibs kill">Template:Cite news</ref> A win against St Johnstone in Williamson's first match in charge effectively removed the danger of relegation.<ref name = "Hibs kill"/> Due to financial problems at the club, Williamson had to move on several senior players,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but he did not endear himself to the Hibs fans.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name = "hibees">Template:Cite news</ref> He lightheartedly joked about this relationship by referring to himself as a "weegie hun".<ref name = "weegie hun">Template:Cite news</ref> Nonetheless, Hibs produced several excellent young players, including Scott Brown, Derek Riordan, Garry O'Connor, Kevin Thomson and Steven Whittaker. Williamson guided his young team to the 2004 Scottish League Cup final,<ref name = "weegie hun"/> but they were beaten 2–0 by Livingston.

Plymouth

Williamson moved to Plymouth Argyle on 20 April 2004.<ref name = "hibees"/> By winning his first match in charge, the club won promotion to the Football League Championship. After keeping the Pilgrims in the division in his first full campaign, a poor run of results at the start of the 2005–06 season led to his dismissal on 6 September 2005. Financial constraints at Plymouth Argyle resulted in a number of signings which contributed to his demise, most notably Taribo West. He was replaced by Tony Pulis, who had recently been sacked by fellow Championship side Stoke City.

Chester

Williamson appeared as a pundit on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound before he was appointed as Chester City manager on 11 May 2007.<ref name="Bobby is the new Blue for City">Template:Cite news</ref> Williamson's first Football League match in charge of Chester ended in a 0–0 draw with Chesterfield on 11 August 2007 and has established them as a promotion contender in the opening months of the season. After mid-season, Chester's form began to drop rapidly, winning only 1 out of 14 games since Boxing Day; Williamson was sacked on 2 March 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Uganda

On 19 August 2008, Williamson was appointed by FUFA to be the coach of the Uganda national football team.<ref name = "uganda"/> Williamson replaced Csaba László, who resigned in July 2008 to join Scottish Premier League side Hearts.<ref name = "uganda">Template:Cite news</ref> Within days of being appointed, Williamson was given the ultimatum of winning his first two games against Niger and Benin to earn a longer contract.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He succeeded in doing that, and their FIFA World Ranking steadily improved during his first two years in charge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Williamson led his Uganda team to the 2011 CECAFA Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Uganda almost qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, losing on a penalty shootout in their qualifying playoff tie against Zambia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Uganda had a bad start to 2014 World Cup qualifying, taking just two points from three games.<ref name = "uganda sacked"/> It was announced on 8 April 2013 that Williamson had been sacked by Uganda.<ref name = "uganda sacked">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gor Mahia

On 5 July 2013, it was announced that Williamson agreed terms with Kenyan Premier League side Gor Mahia to join the club as their new head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He replaced Croatian counterpart Zdravko Logarusić, who was sacked by the club 9 days earlier, on 25 June.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Williamson led Gor Mahia to their first national league championship in 18 years.<ref name = "fifa kenya"/>

Kenya

In August 2014, Williamson was appointed manager of the Kenya national team.<ref name = "fifa kenya">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Bobby Williamson appointed Kenya coach, BBC Sport</ref><ref>Bobby Williamson signs contract to become Kenya coach, BBC Sport</ref> He took over the post after his last game with Gor Mahia in a league game against Sony Sugar on 24 August.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was replaced by ex-Mathare United manager Stanley Okumbi in February 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Honours

Player

Rotherham

• Football League Fourth Division: 1988–89

Kilmarnock

• Scottish First Division promotion: 1992–93

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 1989–90 Third Division<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Manager

Kilmarnock

• Scottish Cup: 1996–97
• Ayrshire Cup: 1998<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2000–01

Hibernian

• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2003–04

Plymouth Argyle

• Football League Second Division: 2003–04

Uganda

• CECAFA Cup: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012

Gor Mahia

• Kenyan Premier League: 2013
• President's Cup runner-up: 2013
• Kenyan Super Cup runner-up: 2013

Personal life

Since retiring, Williamson lives in Kenya with his wife, Michelle, and daughter Saoirse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was diagnosed with cancer of the nasal passages in the summer of 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of July 2018 Williamson is in remission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:NeilBrownPlayers
• Template:Soccerbase (manager)
• [1]
• Bobby Williamson Interview