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Fourth Dutch boss in England


JAN Poortvliet is only the fourth Dutchman to manage an English professional club.

And he is the second to have managed outside the top flight.

Ruud Gullit and Martin Jol only ever too charge of high-profile Premiership clubs.

Gullit managed Chelsea between the summer of 1996 and midway through the 1997/98 season and Newcastle from the start of 1998-99 to five games into the 1999/2000 campaign.

After replacing the England-bound Glenn Hoddle at Stamford Bridge, Gullit led the Londoners to the FA Cup at the end of his first season in charge - the club's first major trophy for 26 years.

He was sacked midway through the following season with Chelsea second in the table.

Gullit also guided Newcastle to the FA Cup final at the end of his first season there, but they lost 2-0 to Manchester United at Wembley.

He caused a sensation on Tynside when he left Alan Shearer on the bench for a derby game at home to Sunderland shortly after the start of the following season. He resigned a few days later.

Jol, meanwhile, took over as Spurs boss in November 2004 after Jacques Santini was sacked.

He led the White Hart Lane to successive fifth places in the Premiership before being sacked last October.

The third Dutch manager in English football was Johan Boskamp, who had a short spell as Stoke City boss in the 2005/06 season before he was sacked and replaced by Tony Pulis. The Potters under Boskamp finished 13th in the second tier, level on points with Saints but a place worse off due to an inferior goal difference.


Martin Jol Martin Jol

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