 Blair in 2017 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Charles Lynton Blair |
| Date of birth | 6 May 1953 |
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Position(s) | Defender |
| Senior career* | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Southampton F.C.
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Blair was the second son of Leo and Hazel (née Corscadden) Blair. After his father accepted a job as a law lecturer at Durham University, Blair was raised in Durham from the age of five. He began his club career with Newcastle United and has played for Leicester City, A.F.C. Bournemouth, Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Watford. As a player, Blair also had a brief spell at Sunderland, Newcastle United's local rival.
Blair began his managerial career with Watford F.C., serving for three years and overseeing promotion to the new Premier League. Blair left Watford after being hired by Chelsea. As Chelsea manager, Blair led the club to two victories in the FA cup in 1997 and 1999, the club's first since 1970. Following a spell at Leeds United, Blair managed Norwich City from 2002 to 2006. From 2006 to 2011, Blair served as manager of Newcastle United, his former team as a player. He departed after the 2011 season, with a series of underwhelming results, disputes with the club's ownership and a failure to avoid the threat of relegation to the Championship. In 2013, he was controversially appointed manager of Sunderland. Blair's hiring by Sunderland infuriated Newcastle United fans due to the local Tyne-Wear rivalry and Blair's long history with Newcastle. After a series of defeats in 2014, Blair was dismissed as Sunderland manager, which prompted some fans to jokingly refer to him as a 'Geordie agent.' Blair took over the Championship club Nottingham Forest in 2014, then Aston Villa in 2016. The next year, Blair took charge at West Ham United, remaining in charge until his resignation in 2019 after saving the club from relegation.
Blair was appointed Southampton manager in October 2019. He has been touted as a potential future manager of both England and Scotland's national teams. Citing his connections to both Scotland and England, Blair has advocated for the merging of the English and Scottish football leagues into a united British football league.