PORTERFIELD MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR REACHES ARMENIA
by Tony Halpin
The Times (London)
October 7, 2006, Saturday
Tony Halpin on the latest posting for a man who knows a bit about
miracles
LOCATED within sight of biblical Mount Ararat, where Noah landed
his ark, the tiny former Soviet republic of Armenia knows a thing
or two about miracles. So it seems an appropriate place to find Ian
Porterfield, who earned football immortality with his winning goal for
unfancied Sunderland in the 1973 FA Cup Final against Billy Bremner’s
mighty Leeds United.
Porterfield, 60, was appointed Armenia head coach in August, the
latest stop on a foreign management career that has taken him to
Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
His mission is to qualify for the 2008 European Championship finals
and, as miracles go, this is a tall order.
Armenia, who are bottom of group A, face Finland, the leaders, at
home in Yerevan today in a group that includes Portugal, Poland,
Serbia and Belgium. Armenia are not without hope, however, because
Porterfield has made a specialty of improving unheralded teams.
Dismissed by Chelsea in 1993 after eight years at the club, the Scot
was recruited to coach Zambia. Most of the first-choice players had
been killed in a plane crash and Porterfield agreed to stay for six
months to complete Zambia’s qualifying matches for the 1994 World
Cup. His makeshift young team came within a whisker of reaching the
finals in the United States.
"We lost 1-0 in Morocco when one point would have taken us to the
USA," Porterfield said from his Yerevan hotel after training with
Armenia’s squad. "I was really sad for the players but after that game
in Morocco, I was going to go home because I had sacrificed a big part
of my life being there. I didn’t realise that I was going to sacrifice
a lot of my life over the next 12 years to work outside (abroad)."
The Zambian authorities persuaded him to return and Porterfield led
his young team to the African Cup of Nations, going all the way to
the final before losing 2 1 to Nigeria.
Spells in Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe followed, before a brief and
unsuccessful return to the Premiership in 1996 as assistant manager
with Bolton Wanderers.
Porterfield moved abroad again, first to Oman and then to Trinidad &
Tobago to seek qualification for the 2002 World Cup. "When I went
to Trinidad, I won the Caribbean Cup of Nations and I was so near
qualifying for the World Cup, but just missed it," Porterfield said.
"That team went to 25th in the world."
Porterfield moved again in 2003, to South Korea and the club side,
Busan I’Park.
"I won the league and cup and went to the semi-finals of the Asian
Champions League," he said.
He left Korea in May but soon after his return to Britain he was
offered another national team’s coaching job. "Not many of my friends
knew much about Armenia," Porterfield said. "But I went to have a
look and I was surprised by the friendliness of the people."
He signed a 16-month contract and Armenia played their first match
under Porterfield on September 6, losing 1-0 to Belgium. On their
Euro 2008 challenge, Porterfield said: "This is a very difficult
group and no one is expecting us to win it, but what I would love to
see is that the football improves and develops here.
"When I look back over being on four different continents, it has
made me a better human being, more patient and understanding."