About Roy McFarland
Roy Leslie McFarland (born 5 April 1948) is an English former football manager and player. With Derby County, he played 442 league games, helping him to earn 28 caps for England. Born in Liverpool, McFarland developed his skills at Tranmere Rovers, before stints at Derby County and Bradford City. Under the management duo of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, he was instrumental in Derby County's ascendancy to the First Division in 1969, subsequently leading them to league triumphs in 1972 and 1975, albeit his contribution was limited in the latter due to injury. Internationally, McFarland represented England, earning 28 caps and participating in notable matches, including a contentious encounter with Poland's Włodzimierz Lubański in 1973. Transitioning to management, McFarland began as player-manager at Bradford City in 1981, guiding them to promotion from the Fourth Division. His managerial career spanned several clubs, including Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, Cambridge United, Torquay United, Chesterfield, and a caretaker role at Burton Albion, where he led them to Football League promotion. McFarland's influence extended beyond coaching, culminating in his appointment to the Derby County board of directors in 2017. The season included a nine-game winning run, which was a club record at the time. In his first season, they reached the Division One play-off final but lost 2–1 to Leicester City.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.