Theo Foley
George Graham’s right-hand man at Arsenal and Tottenham
THEO FOLEY, who has died aged 83, was an Irish international footballer who captained Northampton Town during their sole season in the top division; he was best known, however, for the managerial partnership he forged with George Graham at Millwall, Spurs – and Arsenal, where he played a key role in the glories of the late 1980s.
Foley had come to know Graham a decade earlier when he was the reserve team coach at Queens Park Rangers and the Scot was youth team manager. On landing the job at Millwall in 1982, Graham took Foley with him.
The Lions were odds-on to be relegated from the Third Division. Graham saved them from the drop, then won promotion. His disciplinarian approach and shrewd eye for signings were evident from the first.
The more extrovert Foley, who had had a previous spell at Millwall, and had managed Charlton, acted as Graham’s link to the players, defusing tensions as well as taking coaching sessions.
The former full-back had become convinced of the benefits of greater fitness while at Northampton. On moving to Arsenal in 1986 he and Graham told the players in their first training session that they wanted to see “wet shirts”.
He helped Graham bring through a young squad, among them Tony Adams, Michael Thomas and David Rocastle, to whom Foley was close. Having been deprived of trophies for eight years, the fans were treated to victory over Liverpool in the League Cup final of 1987, with another appearance, a defeat to Luton Town, a year later.
The pinnacle was the last-gasp victory against Liverpool at Anfield in 1989 which won the League title. Foley was saddened when Graham told him the following year that he wanted to bring in Stewart Houston as his assistant.
Foley speculated that the change may have been prompted by his perceived closeness to the players, but his bond with Graham was unaffected, though he left to manage Northampton.
Foley’s lively presence was much missed by those he had coached at Arsenal. Tony Adams observed: “There are not enough Theo Foleys in football any more.”
The second of four children, Theodore Cornelius Foley was born in Dublin on April 2 1937. The son of a woodworker, he grew up in Inchicore, a suburb of the city. His childhood memories were of big families, church, and poverty; one boy in his class never wore shoes to school.
Theo was educated locally by Christian Brothers at St Michael’s. He was driving a tractor at the railway depot when, at 16, he was invited for a trial with high-flying Burnley. Though rejected as too small, he was signed in 1955 by Exeter. There he met Sheila, to whom he was married in 1960.
He joined Northampton in 1961, when under Dave Bowen the Cobblers were rising through all four divisions. With Foley as captain, they won the Third Division in 1964 and promotion again the next year. The County Ground saw top-flight football in 1965-66, but it was a step too far, and they suffered successive relegations.
Foley left for Charlton, having played 220 times and scored 11 goals. He was proud of never having missed a penalty. He won nine caps for Ireland – one as captain. Injury ended his career at 29, and he managed Charlton from 1970 to 1974.
Two years back at Northampton ended in 1992 amid financial crisis. He had posts at Southend, Leeds and Fulham before rejoining Graham, at Spurs; they won another League Cup, in 1999. Foley retired in 2001 to play more golf.
In 2018 he published a memoir, Theo Give Us a Ball – a chant sung by Arsenal fans during warm-ups. It was written with his son Paul, who died of cancer this year. He is survived by his wife Sheila, and by two sons and a daughter.
Theo Foley, born April 2 1937, died June 26 2020