Experienced former EFL manager Paul Sturrock reveals Parkinson’s disease is eating away at him when opening up the media about his illness.
The 63-year-old, who has a few trophies to his name, spoke of how he couldn’t even put on his own shoes now and comes to the reality that he will face further deterioration to how he lives the rest of his life.
Plymouth Boss Paul Sturrock who led The Pilgrims to The Div 3 Title in 2002#pafc #plymouth #manager #winners pic.twitter.com/xSNtTxedos
— Football Memories (@footballmemorys) June 15, 2014
It was back in 2008, when he was manager of Plymouth Argyle, that he revealed he had Parkinson’s, although he had been living with it before then.
Now he’s trying to make the most of life before the inevitable happens, and in the meantime watches the Pilgrims from time to time.
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Sturrock said in an interview with Graham Spiers for The Times: “I now know that my Parkinson’s has cost me in terms of my managerial career.
“I did well as a manager. I ahd quite a bit of success at various clubs but I think a lot of club chairmen looked at me, looked at my Parkinson’s, and said ‘No, not him’.
“It didn’t affect me professionally for years. I was at Plymouth, then Southampton, then Sheffield Wednesday, then Swindon Town, then back to Plymouth in 2007. In all that time, while I was living with Parkinson’s, I was fine.
“The one thing was, I got knackered in the evenings. Parkinson’s saps your strength, but I was working away fine.
The former EFL manager added on life with Parkinson’s disease: For all my troubles, I still enjoy life and I have had a great life. I have remained an optimist and I have no complaints.
“But I also have to face facts. I have always cracked on with things but the day will come soon when I can’t crack on with it.
“I know that one day I’m going to be in a wheelchair.
“As a disease it slowly gnaws away at you. You get to the stage – I’m getting there now – where you can’t dress yourself and you can feel the deterioration.
“Down the line you know your body is packing up. That’s what I’m facing.”
HIS CAREER AS PLAYER AND MANAGER:
Senior career*
1974–1989 – Dundee United – 385 matches (109 goals)
National team
1977–1982 – Scotland under-21 – 9 matches (0 goals)
1981–1987 – Scotland – 20 matches (3 goals)
Teams managed
St Johnstone – 1 August 1993 until 5 September 1998 – 197 games, 90 wins, 56 draws, 51 losses, 45.69 % win
Dundee United – 5 September 1998 until 7 August 2000 – 85 games, 27 wins, 19 draws, 39 losses, 31.76 % win
Plymouth Argyle – 31 October 2000 until 4 March 2004 – 178 games, 85 wins, 47 draws, 46 losses, 47.75 % win
Southampton – 4 March 2004 until 23 August 2004 – 13 games, 5 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses, 38.46 % win
Sheffield Wednesday – 23 September 2004 until 19 October 2006 – 104 games, 35 wins, 29 draws, 40 losses, 33.65 % win
Swindon Town – 7 November 2006 until 27 November 2007 – 52 games, 26 wins, 11 draws, 15 losses, 50.00 % win
Plymouth Argyle – 27 November 2007 until 10 December 2009 – 99 games, 28 wins, 22 draws, 49 losses, 28.28 % win
Southend United – 5 July 2010 until 24 March 2013 – 161 games, 67 wins, 43 draws, 51 losses, 41.61 % win
Yeovil Town – 9 April 2015 until 1 December 2015 – 30 games, 6 wins, 8 draws, 16 losses, 20.00 % win
HIS HONOURS:
As a player at Dundee United
– Scottish Football League Premier Division: 1982–83
– Scottish League Cup: 1979–80, 1980–81
Runner-up: 1981–82, 1984–85
– UEFA Cup: runner-up 1986–87
– Scottish Cup: runner-up 1980–81, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88
As a manager
St Johnstone
– Scottish League First Division (second tier): 1996–97
Plymouth Argyle
– Football League Third Division: 2001–02
– Football League Second Division: 2003–04
Sheffield Wednesday
– League One play-offs: 2004–05
Swindon Town
– League Two promotion: 2006–07
Individual
Football League Third Division Manager of the Year: 2001–02
Football League Second Division Manager of the Year: 2003–04
Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee: 2019
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