Roy McFarland
The rock at the heart of Cloughie's back four
| Full name: | Roy Leslie McFarland |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | April 5, 1948 |
| Clubs played for: | Tranmere, Derby, Bradford |
| Clubs managed: | Bradford, Derby, Bolton, Torquay, Burton Albion |
Club Career
Liverpudlian McFarland started his career with local side Tranmere, but the tough defender was quickly identified by Brian Clough as the player around which the Derby manager wanted to build his back line, and he signed for the Rams at the age of just 19.
Over 14 years at the Baseball Ground, McFarland was the rock at the heart of the Derby defence, striking up two great partnerships, first with Dave Mackay and secondly with Colin Todd, as the club earned promotion from the Second Division and went on to win two First Division Championships.
Clough appointed McFarland skipper, and the defender enjoyed a close relationship with his manager and his assistant Peter Taylor, possibly because he shared their socialist views. McFarland also established himself as an England international, earning 28 caps in total.
International Career
McFarland made 28 appearances at the heart of England's defence, but unfortunately he will be best remembered as a member of the side that could only draw 1-1 with Poland in 1973, a result which meant England failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-77 | England | 28 | 0 |
Managerial Career
After leaving Derby to become player-manager at Bradford in 1981, McFarland returned to the club two years later and ended up as caretaker manager, before taking over as manager from 1993 to 1995. His long managerial career has seen him in charge of lower league outfits such as Chesterfield and Torquay, and he also had a difficult spell in charge of Premier League side Bolton. More recently, he succeeded Brian Clough's son Nigel at Burton Albion on a temporary basis.
Key Games
Crystal Palace 0-2 Derby (Second Division, November 30, 1968)
Derby’s charge to the Second Division title in 1969 caught fire when they beat Crystal Palace at the end of November with goals from Wille Carlin and McFarland. The victory took the Rams to the top of the table, a position they didn’t relinquish for the rest of the season.
Juventus 3-1 Derby (European Cup semi-final 1st leg, April 11, 1973)
Derby put in a superb run to reach the semi-finals of the 1972-73 European Cup and a meeting with Italian giants Juventus. Manager Brian Clough claimed the West German referee was bribed in the first leg in Italy, as key players McFarland and Archie Gemmill were both booked, thereby ruling them out of the return. County lost the first leg 3-1 and could only manage a 0-0 draw back in England, but Clough was convinced his side had been cheated out of a place in the final.
England 1-1 Poland (World Cup qualifier, October 17, 1973)
England needed a victory against Poland at Wembley to qualify for the 1974 World Cup. But despite peppering the Polish goal, it was the visitors who took the lead on 55 minutes. McFarland’s central defensive partner Norman Hunter missed a tackle by the halfway line, then McFarland failed to challenge and the ball was slipped to Jan Domarski, who duly scored. An Alan Clarke penalty gave England an equaliser, but a winner just wouldn’t come – and England were out.
Honours
| Club | Competition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Derby | League Championship | 1971-72, 1974-75 |
| Second Division Championship | 1968-69 |
Did You Know...?
McFarland once explained Derby manager Brian Clough’s secret of how he got his players to perform. "We used to stop in the Midland Hotel the night before home matches,” he explained. “And he'd walk in with a tray of beers and insist everyone had a drink. That made us sleep better!"
When Brian Clough and Peter Taylor left Derby, alleging interference from the board, it was skipper McFarland who led a player revolt. When the board wouldn’t listen to their grievances, he led a four-hour sit-in.
When McFarland started out in management with Bradford in 1981, he rang Brian Clough for advice. The response was typical Cloughie. “Good luck. You'll need it,” he said. “There's only one thing you've got to do, young man, and that's win football matches. Cheerio.”
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