Player Profile: Owen Coyle

Yeah yeah, Owen Coyle has guided Burnley into the Premier League for the first time in their history in only his second season at Turf Moor, but who cares when you’ve starred in Hollywood film, A Shot At Glory, alongside Oscar winner Robert Duvall.

The film made in 2000 follows the story of an underdog Scottish team from the second tier of football made good, with Owen ‘Coylie’ Coyle, as he’s referred to in the credits playing himself, a goal machine for fictional team Kilnockie.

Born in Paisley, Scotland, Coyle made one appearance for the Republic of Ireland due to his Irish ancestry in a 20 year playing career that saw him play for eleven different clubs.

After a successful spell with Airdrie where he helped them to the Scottish Cup Final and a short lived adventure into the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1992/93 season, his achievements attracted the interest of former Bolton manager Bruce Rioch, who paid £250k to bring him to Burnden Park. He would fall short though of becoming a top flight regular, instead would become a player renowned for helping teams to that pinnacle.

In October 1995 he was sold to Dundee United for £400k after only a brief stay in the Premier League and was again part of a promotion-winning side, scoring the winning goal in the play-off replay against Partick Thistle.

Spending the rest of his playing career as a journeyman striker with just a few less clubs than Steve Claridge, he began his managerial career with Falkirk in 2003 as a co-player-manager with John Hughes.

Later given the role as a coach of Dundee United, he eventually was appointed his first solo managerial position with St. Johnstone and tasted immediate success, guiding them to both Scottish FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals and were narrowly denied promotion to the Premier League by Gretna on the final day of the season.

His successes again saw him attract interest from south of the border and in November 2007 he was appointed manager of Championship side Burnley.

Narrowly missing out on a place in the League Cup final by a last gasp goal from Roman Pavlyuchenko, Burnley’s season flourished in the league as well as the cup and knocked out Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal on the way. Further achievement was to come as he guided The Clarets into the top flight for the first time in 33 years, with a 1-0 play-off final win against Sheffield United.

Already a celebrity across the pond thanks to his foray into acting in 2000, Coyle’s name was again on the tips of sports fans tongues everywhere after a placard stating ‘Owen Coyle is God’ repeatedly popped up during WrestleMania XXV held in Houston, Texas in April 2009, shown above.

Doubtlessly the American wrestling audiences were bemused and confused as to who Owen Coyle is, but one exiled Burnley fan clearly couldn’t hold in his appreciation.

Renowned as a player able to help teams in to the top flight, but hardly a perennial success at the top level, Coyle will have a massive job on his hands if he is to change this as a manager, although the like of Stoke have proved it is certainly achievable, although they will need a lot of luck and a Rory Delap like secret weapon to survive in the Premier League.

Tags: Burnley, Owen Coyle