Gary Stephen Johnson (born 28 September 1955) is a former football player and is currently manager at Torquay United.
Johnson was formerly with Cambridge United, Kettering Town, Watford (as director of their youth academy), the Latvia national team, Yeovil Town in two spells, Bristol City, Peterborough United, Northampton Town and Cheltenham Town.
His son Lee is also a manager, who is currently the manager of EFL League One side Fleetwood Town
Playing career
Johnson signed for Watford as an apprentice at sixteen and turned professional at the age of eighteen. He then left Vicarage Road and moved to play football in Sweden for Malmö FF. After building up a successful football holiday business, Johnson then returned to England and played part-time football for Soham Town Rangers, Newmarket Town and Cambridge United.
After his playing career ended, Johnson spent the next six years training to earn his coaching badges and took his first managerial job at Newmarket Town in 1986.
Management career
Cambridge United
Johnson was the manager at Newmarket Town, when he was persuaded to join Cambridge United as reserve team manager in 1988. Appointed as assistant manager in 1990, 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 (Northampton Town having spent two seasons in both the third and second divisions before promotion to the first division in 1966). Johnson was briefly caretaker manager in late 1992 and then took charge from 1993 until 1995. Under Johnson's stewardship, the U's were contenders for a play-off place in Division Two in 1993–94, before eventually finishing tenth. The following season, many players were sold to balance the books and Johnson moved to take over at Kettering Town.
Kettering Town
After leaving Cambridge, Johnson took over as manager of Kettering Town as the club introduced full-time football for the first time in the club's history. However, once the decision was made to revert to being a part-time club, Johnson moved to Watford as director of their youth academy by request of former England manager Graham Taylor.
Latvia
He was approached by the Latvian football authorities for help, and became coach of their national team for two years from 1999 to 2001.
Whilst coaching Latvia, he spotted the potential of Marians Pahars and recommended him to Southampton's manager Dave Jones, who invited Pahars for a trial before signing him in March 1999. He also recommended Igors Stepanovs to Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger.
Johnson left the job after Latvia drew 1–1 with San Marino. He then returned to England and eventually took over as manager of non-league side Yeovil Town.
Yeovil Town
In his first year in charge at Huish Park, the Glovers won the FA Trophy by beating Stevenage 2–0 in the final at Villa Park as well as finishing third in the Football Conference; the following year they won the greater prize of the Conference championship by a record margin of seventeen points and topping the hundred goals mark too, winning promotion to the Football League. Yeovil were immediately contenders in the League and after their debut season ended by missing out on the playoffs by goal difference, they were Division Three champions at the second attempt, scoring ninety goals in the process.
During a League Cup game against Plymouth Argyle, Johnson's son (Lee Johnson) accidentally scored a goal after attempting to play the ball back to Argyle's keeper (who had kicked the ball out because of an injury to a Plymouth player). In a show of good sportsmanship Gary Johnson told his players to allow Argyle to walk the ball into the net to level the score at 1–1, avoiding controversy. Yeovil went on to win the game 3–2, with Lee Johnson scoring a hat-trick.
Bristol City
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 2005. Despite their lowly position of 22nd in the table, City's fortunes turned around under Johnson and a great run of form in the second half of the season saw them in play-off contention, eventually finishing ninth after a run of 55 points from 36 games.