Hungarian success comes at a cost for manager Davison

Last updated : 24 December 2009 By Richard Sutcliffe
By: Richard Sutcliffe (Yorkshire Post)
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The job being done by Simon Grayson at Leeds United, for instance, means the 40-year-old would be unlikely to have to buy a pint should he pop into the city centre any time soon. Likewise, Chris Hughton's sterling work amid the chaos that is Newcastle United will not be forgotten by the Toon Army no matter what happens from hereon in.

For Bobby Davison, however, the reward for restoring a sense of pride back to Ferencvaros, the traditional standard-bearer of Hungarian football and sister club to Sheffield United, was to be left so fearful for his own safety that even a trip to a restaurant saw the former Leeds and Huddersfield striker accompanied by security staff.

The 51-year-old spent 18 eventful months in Budapest where he led Ferencvaros back into the top flight after a three-year absence but still had to deal with a catalogue of unpleasant incidents that eventually led to him resigning a couple of months ago.

Now safely back in his adopted White Rose county, South Shields-born Davison told the Yorkshire Post: "I am proud of the job I did at Ferencvaros as we won promotion in what turned out to be my only full season in charge but the aggravation just became too much.

"The fans refused to accept me because I was not Hungarian. I did my best to adapt to the culture and I learned to speak the language but the fans just didn't want me and, by the end, I'll admit that I had become quite scared.

"It got so bad that, eventually, I had to make sure I took a different route home every night before always driving straight into the underground car park at my apartment. And if I wanted to go to a restaurant for a meal, security had to come with me.

"Thankfully, the security team were so good that I was always okay. Mind, there was one time when about 500 fans invaded the training ground and we had to leg it to the dressing rooms.

"The fans would also come down to the stadium to make their feelings known. There was one game that we won 3-0 away from home on a pitch that was a disgrace. We also had a man sent off after 10 minutes and yet when we got back to our stadium the bus was attacked.

"We had beaten the same team 7-1 on the opening day so the fans would not accept 'only' a 3-0 win. It was crazy but that is how demanding the fans could be. Eventually, we started to drop the players off at their own apartments rather than returning to the stadium."

Ferencvaros had been rescued from ruin by Sheffield United's takeover in 2008. Relegated to the second tier a couple of years earlier for continued financial problems, one of European football's most famous names were almost on their knees when the Blades took charge.

Davison was initially sent over by United owner Kevin McCabe to compile a detailed report on Ferencvaros after the club with 28 league titles to their name had joined Chengdu Blades among the South Yorkshire outfit's portfolio of clubs.

However, when Janos Csank left with eight games remaining of the 2007-08 season, the former Bradford City assistant manager was asked to take charge.

After carefully assessing the squad, he started to wheel and deal in the transfer market to bring in several new faces, including a couple that will be familiar to Yorkshire football fans such as former Huddersfield midfielder Adnan Ahmed and Blades striker Jordan Robertson.

Improved results followed and promotion was sealed with six games remaining last Spring, though it was still not enough to please Davison's critics.

He recalls: "The fans were still unhappy with me, while I was also getting a hard time off some of the press - including a truly bizarre press conference where I spent five minutes answering questions on why I wore shorts on a matchday rather than the suit jacket and jeans they thought I should be wearing. It was laughable."

Despite it being made plain that he had not been accepted by the supporters, Davison decided to stick around for the club's return to the top division. Eventually, however, the off-field aggravation became too much and he quit three games before the traditional winter break got underway, his assistant Craig Short subsequently taking charge.

Davison said: "It just became too much. I went to see the Ferencvaros chief executive one day and asked him if I was in danger and he just said 'yes, you are'. I spoke to (Sheffield United chairman) Terry Robinson a day or so later and he just said 'get the hell out of there'. So, I did.

"Despite the aggravation, I enjoyed the experience of managing such a massive club. We got the best out of the players we had and we won the league by 17 or 18 points in the end.

"The unfortunate thing after going up was that there was little money around to bring in new players. The club is building a new stadium so all the money has to go into that.

"To illustrate what we were up against, my top player was on 1,000 Euros a week. I tried to sign Mark Bower after he had been released by Bradford but Chester and Darlington offered him much better terms.

"Despite that, we were making progress and when I left Ferencvaros were in mid-table. But for the problems off the pitch I think, in time, we could have got the club back to where it should be."

Now back in West Yorkshire, Davison is looking to return to coaching once agreement has been reached with Sheffield United over his severance package and has not ruled out a return overseas.

He said: "I can't do anything until things are sorted out with Sheffield United and I have left that in the hands of the League Managers Association (LMA). But I am on the lookout for a job, either in England or abroad. For all the problems I had in Hungary, it was enjoyable to sample a different culture and a different way of life."

Factfile

Born: July 17, 1959.

Playing career: Huddersfield Town (1980-81), Halifax Town (1981-82), Derby County (1982-87), Leeds United (1987-1992), Derby (loan, 1991), Sheffield United (loan, 1992), Leicester City (1992-93), Sheffield United (1993-94), Rotherham United (1994-96), Hull City (loan, 1995).

Coaching career: Guiseley (manager, 2000), Bradford City (assistant, 2004-07), Sheffield United (2008) Ferencvaros (manager, 2008-09).