Barry Hughes

For the international studies academic, see Barry B. Hughes.

Barry Hughes

Hughes in 1976
Personal information
Date of birth	(1937-12-31)31 December 1937
Place of birth	Caernarfon, Wales
Date of death	2 June 2019(2019-06-02) (aged 81)
Place of death	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1953–1960	West Bromwich Albion
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1960–1963	Blauw-Wit
1963–1965	Alkmaar '54
Managerial career
1965–1967	Alkmaar '54
1968–1970	HFC Haarlem
1970–1973	Go Ahead Eagles
1973–1980	HFC Haarlem
1980–1983	Sparta Rotterdam
1983–1984	FC Utrecht
1984–1985	MVV
1985–1986	FC Volendam
1986–1988	Sparta Rotterdam
1988–1989	Beerschot
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Barry Hughes (31 December 1937 – 2 June 2019) was a Welsh professional football player and manager, active primarily in the Netherlands. He played as a defender.

Early and personal life

Hughes was born in Caernarfon. In 1965 he married Elles Berger, a Dutch TV personality. The couple had three daughters and six grandchildren.

Playing career

Hughes began his career with the youth team of English team West Bromwich Albion, without making a first-team appearance in the Football League. He played in the Netherlands for Blauw-Wit, from 1960 to 1963, and for Alkmaar'54 from 1963 to 1965.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Hughes began his coaching career in 1965 with Alkmaar'54. He later managed a variety of Dutch club sides including HFC Haarlem, Go Ahead Eagles, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht, MVV and FC Volendam. While managing Haarlem in 1978, Hughes signed young player Ruud Gullit to his first ever professional football contract.

He also managed Belgian club Beerschot.

Music career

Hughes released a 7" music single in 1978 called "Voetbal is Koning" (Football is king).

In 1981, he released another single together with "De Kwaffeurs". The song is called "Ik wil op mijn kop een kamerbreed tapijt" ("I want on my head a wall to wall carpet"), a carnival song referencing his baldness. It was in the Dutch top 40 for eight weeks, where it reached place 7 between week 7 and 8 in 1981.

Death

Hughes died in Amsterdam on 2 June 2019, aged 81.