Gordon Hill

[rondwisan]

21/07/2010 20:05 - ManUtd.com, Ben Ashby
Merlin living the American dream



After playing a major role in Tommy Docherty's United side of the 1970s, flying winger Gordon Hill - dubbed Merlin for his trickery - move to America to play for several clubs including Chicago Sting, New York Arrows and Kansas City Comets. Now settled in McKinney, Texas, Gordon runs his own coaching school (called United FC, of course)...

What was your initial experience of the USA when you were loaned to Chicago Sting shortly before you joined United in 1975?
I knew nothing about the States the first time. I went for three months to get a bit of experience instead of pre-season. Bill Foulkes [former Busby Babe and manager of Chicago Sting at the time] asked if I’d be willing to come out. I looked at it and thought it would be a nice three-month vacation. And I don’t mean that in a bad sense because I would play, but I’d also see what America was like.

What were the fans like over there at that time?
Well, there weren’t too many back then but the grounds at certain venues were still full up – in places like Seattle and Portland. The supporters have always been here, but whereas in England we’d think of six million football fans as a lot, over here it is not because of the vastness of the country. The fans are here but they’re not concentrated.

When you returned to America in 1981 to play, did fans recognise you as an ex-Red?
Oh definitely. The football world out here knew exactly who I was. I came out in 1976 with England for the Bicentennial Cup [celebrating the 200th anniversary since adopting the Declaration of Independence] and I always remember it because of the players who turned out for Team America [the USA side made up of players in the American league]. They had Pele and Bobby Moore and we beat them 3-1. Before that we played Italy at the Yankee Stadium and beat them 3-2 in front of 40,000 screaming New Yorkers. Ray Wilkins and I made our debuts and it was fun. The Bicentennial showed a lot of Americans what the game was really about and I think people knew me from that.

Did you enjoy playing in the States?
I really had a great time because what Bill [Foulkes] said to me was go out and do what you’re good at – scoring goals. When coaches say to players ‘you can’t do this and you can’t do that’, it stifles you. But Bill was great because he’d say: ‘Listen Gordon, just be busy up front and look for openings, but most importantly put the ball in the net.’

How did you find the standard?
I found it fairly easy. It wasn’t a stroll in the park but it allowed you to express yourself more. You still had to work hard because the American players are tough and fit. I went to Montreal Manic in 1981, which wasn’t too long after Pele and [Franz] Beckenbauer had been with New York Cosmos and [Johan] Cruyff was at Washington Diplomats, and all these players were producing the goods. The fans were given entertainment of the highest order, and 60,000 to 70,000 watched every week. They were seeing players who could express themselves and were pioneering football in North America; supporters would say this week we have Cruyff in town and the
week after it would be Beckenbauer.

What made you start coaching in America?
I saw there was a niche in the market. Quality was needed – the game was played a lot from theory books, where somebody had played as a kid, come through and then started to coach. But then the Europeans and South Americans began to settle down here and they were a bit more serious about the game and started to create a better coaching environment. It has been a slow process and it has taken a long time but today we have the MLS, which is trying hard to be a top league.

Your coaching school is called United FC and it boasts a badge similar to United’s crest…
Yeah, it’s all about United. If a player comes along who is good enough, he certainly isn’t going to Liverpool! But there are a lot of clubs here who call themselves Chelsea and Liverpool but they only have a link because they sell kits and uniforms. I have the real link, I have the history and the club in my system. I love wearing the United stuff when I’m coaching; people ask: “Are you affiliated to the club?” And I say: “I am everything to do with the club.” And if I have someone who is decent the first thing I do is give United a call.

You were an attacking player – do you focus on that part of the game at your school?
Yes I do. You need to express yourself. We contain things too much in England. We clone players, each one has to follow the rules. Centres of excellence and academies are looking at foreign players who can do something special, and we have to encourage our next generation of young players to do just that and not stifle it.

Do you think America can produce any world-class players in the future?
I think so. I have a five-year-old who can do stuff that scares me. I see his ability and just think, ‘Wow!’ Maybe 20 years ago you wouldn’t have seen that. American soccer needs to get its own football culture and playing style that takes the best of what Europe and South America have to offer.

[ferly_Liemz]

Gordon Alec Hill

(born 1 April 1954 in Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Millwall, Manchester United, Derby County and Queens Park Rangers, and was capped six times for the England national team.

Player
In 1971, Hill began his club career with Staines Town F.C. of the Athenian League as a seventeen year old. In 1972, he moved to Southall F.C. , playing a few youth games there while his brother was on trial at the club. He drew the attention of Millwall F.C. and signed with them in 1973. Known to The Lions fans as Merlin, Hill had outstanding skill that earned him wide recognition. The Millwall youngster entertained the fans with some incredible shooting and dribbling and it was not long before scouts from the big clubs noticed him. He played 91 league games for Millwall, scoring 22 goals. After spending the summer of 1975 on loan with the North American Soccer League's Chicago Sting, and being named All League,

Hill subsequently signed for Manchester United in November 1975 for £70,000, a massive bargain for manager Tommy Docherty, forming a wing partnership with Steve Coppell. Hill helped United to the 1976 FA Cup Final, scoring both goals with typical long-range efforts in the semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium against Derby County. He was also part of the 1977 FA Cup champions. Hill left United for Derby County for £250,000 in 1978.

He spent two seasons with Derby County, most of it sidelined with a knee injury before moving to Queens Park Rangers in 1980. He left England for the Montreal Manic of the NASL in 1981. After a successful first season with the Manic, Hill began to publically air his desire to leave the team. He began the 1982 season in Montreal, but after five games the Manic sent him to the Chicago Sting. In the fall of 1982, the Sting entered the Major Indoor Soccer League for the winter indoor season. Hill began the season with the Sting, moved to the San Jose Earthquakes after eleven games. In January 1983, the Earthquakes turned around and traded Hill and Gary Etherington to the New York Arrows in exchange for Steve Zungul. In the summer of 1983, Hill played for Inter-Montreal of the Canadian Professional Soccer League. In the autumn of 1983, Hill signed with the Kansas City Comets of MISL. He played one season with the Comets, then began the 1984–85 season before being released. In December 1984, he signed with the Tacoma Stars.

He joined FC Twente in the Dutch Premier Division, for the 1985–86 season, playing 19 times and scoring four goals. He spent the summer of 1986 in Finland with HJK Helsinki, scoring two goals in as many appearances before returning to England where he played under his former team-mate Stuart Pearson at Northwich Victoria, before retiring from the game.

Manager

In the summer of 1991, Hill was Managing Director, Head Coach and Player of the Nova Scotia Clippers in the team's only year in the Canadian Soccer League, where he took the club to the playoffs. In 2001, he briefly managed Chester City during their spell in the Football Conference, and had a short spell managing Hyde United. He is the owner and head coach of United FC, a youth soccer club in McKinney, Texas. Although United FC has no formal connection to Manchester United, Hill admits that any promising players would be steered towards his former team. He returns to the UK several times a year to help run soccer schools in Newport and Cardiff.[9]

International career

During his career, Hill played at every stage for England: as an amateur, youth, under 23, England B and full International, at which level he won six full caps between 1976 and 1977