{{Short description|English football coach}} {{for|the American basketball player|Tony Carr (basketball)}} {{for|the British scientist|Tony Carr (scientist)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Tony Carr<br /><small>[[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small> | image = TonyCarr.jpg | image_size = 200px | caption = | alt = | full_name = Anthony Carr | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1950|9|5}} | birth_place = [[Bow, London|Bow]], London, England | death_date = | height = | position = [[Centre-forward]] | currentclub = | youthyears1 = 1966–1969 | youthclubs1 = [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] | years1 = 1969–1971 | clubs1 = [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1971–1972 | clubs2 = [[Barnet F.C.|Barnet]] | caps2 = 13 | goals2 = 1 }} '''Anthony Carr''' [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 5 September 1950) is an English sports coach and former Director of Youth Development at the [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] football club's [[West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy|youth academy]] and is recognised as one of the most influential figures in English football.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100612/tony-carr-mbe_2236884_2069091 |title=Tony Carr MBE |publisher=West Ham United F.C. |accessdate=12 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614005432/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100612/tony-carr-mbe_2236884_2069091 |archivedate=14 June 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> A former graduate of the academy himself, whose footballing career was cut short by injury, he joined the club's staff as a youth coach in 1973. Since then in his tenure as director, as of 2010, Carr is credited with producing talent which has earned an estimated £80 million in [[transfer (football)|transfer]] fees for the club, while the [[2010 FIFA World Cup squads#England|23-man England squad]] for the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] contained no less than seven players trained by Carr – [[Rio Ferdinand]], [[Frank Lampard]], [[Joe Cole]], [[Michael Carrick]], [[Jermain Defoe]], [[Glen Johnson (English footballer)|Glen Johnson]] and [[John Terry]].<ref name="BBC2May2010WestHamHonourYouthBoss">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/8650295.stm |title=West Ham honour youth boss who nurtured £80m of talent |work=BBC Sport |date=2 May 2010 |access-date=3 May 2010 }}</ref>
==Early life and playing career== Carr was born in [[Bow, London|Bow]], [[East End of London|East London]] and was a West Ham youth player, joining in 1966 as a trainee striker, and cleaning the boots of the famous World Cup players [[Geoff Hurst]], [[Bobby Moore]] and [[Martin Peters]]. He had three seasons as a youth team player and two as a professional player for West Ham, reaching reserve team level. He played for one season at [[Barnet F.C.|Barnet]] before breaking his leg which put him out of the game for over 18 months. During this time he qualified as a [[Physical education|PE]] instructor.<ref name="WestHamWho'sWho">{{cite book|title=West Ham United Who's Who – A player by player guide to West Ham United F.C.|publisher=Independent UK Sports Publications|location=London |year=1995 |page=40 |isbn=1-899429-01-8}}</ref> He eventually stopped playing due to a career-threatening injury, although he has since admitted that he did not have the ability to play at the highest level.
==As West Ham academy director==
In 1973, Carr was appointed as the Director of Youth Development at West Ham. Since then he has overseen the development of many talented players at what has become known within the game as [[The Academy of Football]]. As a developer of young talent he may be among the most successful and influential coaches in the United Kingdom, but he modestly argues differently: "No way is it all down to me. It's very difficult to say why we've been so successful in youth terms; I suppose it's down to a number of factors but, most importantly, our recruitment area of east London and Essex is really fertile." (''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' interview, 14 June 2004) He was aided in his task by Chief Scout Jimmy Hampson, who is considered among the best talent-spotters in the United Kingdom.
For over thirty years Carr has arguably been the single most important member of West Ham's coaching staff.<ref name="BBC2May2010WestHamHonourYouthBoss"/> Since his original appointment in 1973, the club have had ten managers of the first team squad (not including Sir [[Trevor Brooking]] who had two stints as caretaker manager) but Tony Carr remains at his post developing the players of the future. Carr has collaborated with Better Football Coaching<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.betterfootballcoaching.co.uk |title=10 Proven Tips for a More Successful Football Season |publisher=Betterfootballcoaching.co.uk |date=16 March 2010 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> since 2007 to develop 'Smart Sessions', coaching advice for grassroots coaches. He has also participated in coaching seminars in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westhamacademyinternational.com/West_Ham_United_International_Academy/Press_Release_11_20_09.html |title=West Ham United International Academy- Launch Partner Clubs Program |publisher=[[West Ham]] Academy International |date=20 November 2009 |accessdate=18 May 2010}}</ref>
On 16 March 2009 it was announced that in recognition of Carr's 36 years of service to West Ham he had been awarded a [[testimonial match|testimonial]]<ref>[http://www.whufc.com/page/News/0,,12562~1592071,00.html Tony Carr granted testimonial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318041223/http://www.whufc.com/page/News/0,,12562~1592071,00.html |date=18 March 2009 }} West Ham United F.C.</ref> year. Scheduled throughout the year are a number of golf tournaments and dinners. A testimonial game featuring a West Ham first team against a team of former academy players was played on 5 May 2010 at the [[Boleyn Ground]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100505/all-stars-1-5-west-ham-united-ft_2236884_2044550 |title=All-Stars 1–5 West Ham United FT |publisher=West Ham United F.C. |accessdate=6 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507230851/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100505/all-stars-1-5-west-ham-united-ft_2236884_2044550 |archivedate=7 May 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/8663746.stm |title=Hammers honour Carr |work=BBC News |date= 5 May 2010|access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref>
Carr was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours for services to football.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59446 |date=12 June 2010 |page=14 |supp=y }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100612/carr-made-an-mbe_2236884_2069215 |title=Carr made an MBE |publisher=West Ham United F.C. |accessdate=12 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614005422/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100612/carr-made-an-mbe_2236884_2069215 |archivedate=14 June 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20101020/tonys-royal-appointment_2236884_2190828 |title=Tony's Royal appointment |publisher=West Ham United F.C. |date=20 October 2010 |accessdate=21 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023063340/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20101020/tonys-royal-appointment_2236884_2190828 |archivedate=23 October 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
He was replaced as West Ham's academy director in 2014 by [[Terry Westley]] after which time he took an ambassadorial role at West Ham. In 2016, he was offered a continuation of this role but with reduced terms and in a part-time capacity which he declined. He left the club after 43 years service.<ref name="43 years">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jul/27/tony-carr-departs-west-ham-after-43-years-of-service | title=Tony Carr departs West Ham after 43 years of outstanding service | work=The Guardian | date=27 July 2016 | accessdate=28 July 2016}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Carr has two sons and a daughter. He lives near Brentwood, Essex.
==Selected works==
Tony Carr, ''A lifetime in football at West Ham United'' (London, 2022) ISBN 9781785787607
==Academy Graduates== {{main|West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Tony}} [[Category:1950 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]] [[Category:People from Bow, London]] [[Category:West Ham United F.C. players]] [[Category:West Ham United F.C. non-playing staff]] [[Category:Barnet F.C. players]] [[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:English men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]