Barry Hughes (31 December 1937 – 2 June 2019) was a Welsh professional football player and manager, active primarily in the Netherlands. He played as a defender.[1]

Barry Hughes
Hughes in 1976
Personal information
Date of birth (1937-12-31)31 December 1937
Place of birth Caernarfon, Wales
Date of death 2 June 2019(2019-06-02) (aged 81)
Place of death Amsterdam, Netherlands
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1953–1960 West Bromwich Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1963 Blauw-Wit
1963–1965 Alkmaar '54
Managerial career
1965–1967 Alkmaar '54
1968–1970 HFC Haarlem
1970–1973 Go Ahead Eagles
1973–1980 HFC Haarlem
1980–1983 Sparta Rotterdam
1983–1984 FC Utrecht
1984–1985 MVV
1985–1986 FC Volendam
1986–1988 Sparta Rotterdam
1988–1989 Beerschot
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early and personal life

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Hughes was born in Caernarfon.[2] He attended Glyndwr Secondary Modern school.[2] In 1965 he married Elles Berger, a Dutch TV personality.[3] The couple had three daughters and six grandchildren.[2]

Playing career

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Hughes began his career with the youth team of English team West Bromwich Albion,[4] but left after six years,[2] without making a first-team appearance in the Football League.[5] He played in the Netherlands for Blauw-Wit, from 1960[6] to 1963, and for Alkmaar'54 from 1963[7] to 1965.[8] He was captain of Alkmaar.[2]

Coaching career

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After retiring as a player, Hughes began his coaching career in 1965[9] with Alkmaar'54.[2] He later managed a variety of Dutch club sides including HFC Haarlem, Go Ahead Eagles, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht, MVV and FC Volendam. While managing Haarlem in 1978, Hughes signed young player Ruud Gullit to his first ever professional football contract.[2][4]

He also managed Belgian club Beerschot.[10][11]

Music career

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Hughes released a 7" music single in 1978 called "Voetbal is Koning" (Football is king).[12]

In 1981, he released another single together with "De Kwaffeurs". The song is called "Ik wil op mijn kop een kamerbreed tapijt" ("I want on my head a wall to wall carpet"), a carnival song referencing his baldness. It was in the Dutch top 40 for eight weeks, where it reached place 7 between week 7 and 8 in 1981.[13]

Death

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Hughes died in Amsterdam on 2 June 2019, aged 81.[2][8][14]

References

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  1. ^ Barry Hughes at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Dutch footballing world pays tribute to cult hero who played for Flintshire Schoolboys". The Leader. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  3. ^ Elles Berger getrouwd, Het Parool, 13 May 1965 (via Delpher).
  4. ^ a b Phil Shaw (30 August 1999). "Football: Gullit sunk by Shearer gamble". The Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2010.[dead link]
  5. ^ "WEST BROMWICH ALBION : 1946/47 - 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  6. ^ Barry Hughes na zes jaar weer beste verdediger, Algemeen Handelsblad, 11 September 1961 (via Delpher).
  7. ^ Nieuws van de transfermarkt, Limburgsch Dagblad, 30 July 1963 (via Delpher)
  8. ^ a b "Barry Hughes overleden". az.nl.
  9. ^ Trainer Barry Hughes: ik geef en vraag 100 procent, De Stem, 6 juni 1966
  10. ^ "Markante ex-Beerschot-trainer Barry Hughes is overleden". sporza.be. 2 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Zingende ex-trainer van Beerschot op 81-jarige leeftijd overleden". Voetbalkrant.com. 2 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Football and Music". Rate Your Music. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  13. ^ "Eerdere Top 40 Lijsten". Mediamarkt Top 40.
  14. ^ "Voormalig voetbaltrainer Barry Hughes (81) overleden". VTBL. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.