Houghton could become lone ambassador at finals

With England managed by a Swede, the rest of the home nations out of contention and the Republic of Ireland reverting to an Irishman, the responsibility of maintaining the honour of the British coaching fraternity rests - assuming there are no changes at, say, Soho Square - upon the unlikely shoulders of an ex-Fulham reserve now managing the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan.

Bob Houghton briefly managed Bristol City in the 1980s but has usually worked overseas, most notably when leading Malmo to the 1979 European Cup final, where they lost to Nottingham Forest. His career has now reached Uzbekistan, who are attempting to reach their first World Cup finals. Uzbekistan's hopes rest on beating Bahrain in the Asian zone play-off, then defeating the Concacaf play-off representatives, Trinidad & Tobago or Guatemala. Having been held to a 1-1 draw at home, the Uzbeks need a result in Manama tonight.

Houghton hopes to follow a long tradition. Although no home nation entered the World Cup prior to 1950, their coaches did. Englishmen Bob Glendenning and George Kimpton managed the Netherlands and France in the 1934 finals, and Scot Jimmy McRea the Egyptians. Glendenning was joined in 1938 by Jack Butler, who coached Belgium.

More recent Britons to coach foreign finalists include the former England goalkeeper Tony Waiters, who led Canada in 1986, and Roy Hodgson, who coached Switzerland in 1994.

British coaches at the World Cup

1930: None

1934: B Glendenning (Neth), J McRea (Egypt), G Kimpton (Fr)

1938: Glendenning, J Butler (Bel)

1950: W Winterbottom (Eng), B Jeffrey (US), G Raynor (Swe)

1954: Winterbottom, A Beattie (Scot), D Livingstone (Bel)

1958 *: Winterbottom, Raynor, P Doherty (N Irl), J Murphy (Wales)

1962: Winterbottom

1966: A Ramsey (Eng)

1970: Ramsey

1974: W Ormond (Scot)

1978: A MacLeod (Scot)

1982: R Greenwood (England), B Bingham (N Ireland), J Stein (Scotland)

1986: Bingham, B Robson (Eng), A Ferguson (Scot), T Waiters (Can)

1990: Robson, A Roxburgh (Scot), J Charlton (Irl)

1994: Charlton, R Hodgson (Swit)

1998: G Hoddle (Eng) C Brown (Scot)

2002: M McCarthy (Irl)

2006: ?

* Scotland had a selection committee but, with Matt Busby injured, no coach