John McGovern
John McGovern was born in Montrose,
Scotland and moved with his family to Hartlepool at the age of seven. Educated
at Henry Smith’s Grammar School where rugby was the only accepted sport, John
discovered football during the school holidays spent at his grandmother’s back
in Scotland and fell in love with the game.
Back at school, his Headmaster was not impressed with John’s new passion and
gave him a severe dressing down on a number of occasions but despite this, and
his late introduction to football at the age of fifteen, John McGovern became
the youngest player to play in all four divisions of the Football League by the
time he was 19 and was to go on a play over 500 league games during his career.
During his playing career he won promotion with Hartlepool United, Derby County
and Nottingham Forest, and he also won two Scottish Under Twenty Three caps.
After winning a League Championship medal at Derby County, John went on to be
Captain of Nottingham Forest where he won the League Championship again along
with two League Cups and two European Cups.
John has been Player Manager at Bolton Wanderers, Assistant
Manager at Plymouth Argyle and Hull City, and Joint Manager at
A regular host on match days at Nottingham Forest and other football grounds
including the Champion Leagues Lounge at Manchester United for the last two
European Champion League Games, John is also a regular commentator for BBC
Nottingham. He continues to coach lads of all ages around the world including
workers in the oil fields of Azerbaijan and girls and boys attending summer
schools in the USA.
