Gary Johnson (footballer)
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Gary Johnson (born September 28, 1955) is a British football manager. He is currently the manager of Bristol City. He was formerly with Cambridge United, Kettering Town, Watford (as director of their youth academy) and Yeovil Town. He has also managed the Latvian National Team.
As assistant manager of Cambridge, Johnson helped John Beck organise the U's remarkable rise in the early 1990s, in which they came within two matches of becoming the first club to rise from the old Fourth Division to the top flight in successive seasons. Johnson was briefly caretaker manager in late 1992 and then took charge from 1993 until 1995.
After being sacked by Cambridge, Johnson move to Watford, where he had spent much of his playing career, as director of their youth academy. He was approached by the Latvian football authorities for help, and became coach of their national team for two years from 1999 to 2001.
Returning to England, Johnson was appointed manager of Yeovil. In his first year in charge the Glovers won the FA Trophy and finished third in the Football Conference; the following year they won the greater prize of the Conference championship and promotion the Football League. Yeovil were immediately contenders in the League and were Division Three champions at the second attempt.
Despite turning down an approach from Derby County in the summer of 2005, Johnson became Bristol City's target when their manager Brian Tinnion resigned that September. Yeovil agreed compensation terms and he became City's manager on 26 September. Despite a long losing streak through October and November, City's fortunes turned around under Johnson and a good run of form in the second half of the season saw them in play-off contention, eventually finishing ninth. Johnson won the League One Manager of the Month award for April 2006 however has still a long way to go before winning over the majority of the fans.
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