Ipswich Town - Tony Loughlan - Nottingham Forest Webjam

When Roy Keane was appointed manager of Sunderland in 2006 the announcement of his number two as Tony Loughlan was greeted with cries of “Tony who ?” but for Forest fans that can remember the Easter weekend of 1991 could recall Loughlan as a Forest player that made a remarkable start to his Forest career.

Loughlan had played his youth football at Leicester City but after not getting a professional deal dropped into non-league and played for Leicester United. It was at Leicester United that he was spotted by Nottingham Forest who not only signed Loughlan and his team mate Neil Lyne in August 1989 but also the then United manager John Perkins, who became a valuable member of Brian Clough’s backroom staff at youth level. Perkins is still today serving the Clough family as he is now at Derby after a successful spell in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers academy.

The transfer of Loughlan/Lyne & Perkins hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in 1997 when it was highlighted in the crackdown of “Bung” transfers and saw Clough and Forest’s assistant manager at the time Ron Fenton charged with misconduct.

Loughlan worked his way through the ranks at Forest during which time he forged a friendship with a young Irish midfielder called Roy Keane who had just arrived in England from Cobh Ramblers.

Due to an injury crisis on Easter Saturday 1991 that ruled out Gary Crosby, Tommy Gaynor, Nigel Jemson and Phil Starbuck Loughlan made his debut at Wimbledon alongside his friend Keane who by now was a regular after an impressive debut season at the club. Whilst Wimbledon’s old Plough Lane ground was not the most impressive surroundings for a debut it would provide Loughlan a memorable start to his Forest career as he scored the opening goal after only 36 seconds. However this would prove to the only Forest highlight of the day as Wimbledon’s jinx over the club continued as they ran out 3-1 winners.

Loughlan retained his place for the Easter Monday fixture at home to another of Forest’s bogie clubs Sheffield United but Forest would record a rare win over the Blade with the returning Tommy Gaynor scoring both the goals in a 2-0 victory. These two games in three days would be the total Forest career for Loughlan as he would lose his place for the next game to Lee Glover.

After that bright start his career would peter out after a number of injuries saw him drop down the pecking order and he would eventually be released at the end of the 1992/93 season. Upon his release from Forest he dropped back into non-league where he joined Kettering Town, a club his father had previously played for in the 1970’s. But it would be only a quick return to non-league as Lincoln City gave him another crack at League football in October. Injury would restrict him to only 12 appearances at Lincoln before leaving the club at the end of the season.

He then had a spell at League of Ireland club Dundalk in 1994/95 where he helped them to win the league title before having a season at Hinckley and then moving to Corby in December 1996. Further injuries whilst at Corby forced Loughlan into an early retirement in 1998.

In 2001 he joined Leicester City as a part time coach at their academy and eventually his role was upgraded to full time in the summer of 2003. He was still at Leicester in the summer of 2006 when he was approached by his old Forest friend and team mate Roy Keane to join him at Sunderland where he had just been appointed to his first managerial role. Keane responded to why Loughlan was appointed with the comment “He is someone I trust and I have great faith in him. He’s the one person I’ve kept in touch with over 20 years.”

Loughlan would remain at Sunderland until Keane left in December 2008 and would then join his friend again to take up a similar role at current club Ipswich Town in April 2009.

CAREER STATS

PLAYING CAREER

Leicester City (Youth) 1986/87 to 1988/89

Leicester United 1988/89

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1989/90 to 1992/93 2 (1)

Kettering Town 1993/94 5 (1)

Lincoln City 1993/94 12 (2)

Dundalk 1994/95 11 (0)

Hinckley Town 1995/96

Corby Town 1996/97 to 1997/98

NFFC SEASON BY SEASON

1990/91 League 2 (1)

COACHING CAREER

Leicester City (Academy Coach) 2001/02 to 2005/06

Sunderland (Assistant Manager) 2006/07 to 2008/09

Ipswich Town (Assistant Manager) 2008/09 to Current

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