Dougie Freedman

Douglas "Dougie" Freedman (born 25 May 1974 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scotland football (soccer) who plays as a striker for Football League One side Southend United F.C.. He is most famous for playing for Crystal Palace F.C., for whom he has totalled ten years of service over two spells.

Playing career

Early years

Freedman began his career with top flight Queens Park Rangers F.C. in 1992, but never made their first team. Instead, he moved to Football League Third Division Barnet F.C. on a free transfer in July 1994. He made his league debut in August 1994 and quickly became the club's leading player as he struck 24 goals in his debut season. A bright start to the following season convinced Crystal Palace F.C. to bid £800,000 to take him to Selhurst Park in September 1995.

Crystal Palace

Freedman instantly showed he could continue his goalscoring antics at the higher level when he netted 20 times in the 1995-96 in English football. This haul included the fastest hat-trick in Crystal Palace F.C. history - 11 minutes - against Grimsby Town F.C. on 5 March 1996.

The following season saw a less prolific 11 goals but was enough to help the club to the promotion play-offs. He then scored crucial goals in the 89th and 90th minutes of their semi final tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. after coming off the bench with 17 minutes left. Palace went on to win promotion in the Wembley Stadium (1923) final, beating Sheffield United F.C. 1-0.

Freedman's Premier League experience proved short-lived though as he only managed seven top flight games before he was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., ironically the club he had helped deny promotion, for £800,000 and defender Jamie Smith (footballer born 1974) after impressing on loan.

Midlands moves

Freedman had initially only moved to Molineux Stadium on a loan spell in October 1997, but after scoring two goals in as many games, the club quickly signed him permanently. However, his spell with the club would only last until the end of the 1997-98 in English football. He was the team's top goalscorer with 13 in total in a campaign that failed to mount a serious promotion challenge. The emergance of Robbie Keane during the season helped convince Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. to cash in on Freedman though, and he was sold to Nottingham Forest F.C. for £950,000 in August 1998.

Nottingham Forest offered Freedman his first full season in the top flight in 1998-99 in English football, but his 9 goals couldn't prevent relegation. He remained with the club for a further full season as they languished in mid-table in Football League First Division under David Platt (footballer). He famously told David Platt (footballer) to jog on. He had scored 23 goals in total for the club before rejoining Crystal Palace F.C. again in October 2000, this time for £600,000.

Return to Palace

Freedman joined the club during a relegation threatened campaign, but one which ended with perhaps his most famous goal for the club. Relegation to the third tier loomed in their final game of the season at Stockport County F.C., with three minutes left and no score. Dramatically, Freedman then scored the vital goal that kept Palace in the division, and relegated Huddersfield Town A.F.C..

The following campaign saw him bag 21 goals in all competitions, his best seasonal tally for the club. This also earned him a call-up to the Scotland national football team, to add to his earlier Under 21 caps. However, the next season was less of a personal success as he was dropped from the Scotland side, and began to find his appearances limited at Palace, as manager Trevor Francis largely preferred Ade Akinbiyi, Dele Adebola, and Andrew Johnson (English footballer) to him.

His fortunes were revived in 2003-04 in English football though, as re-established himself as a first choice regular under new manager Iain Dowie. A strong surge in the second half of the season saw the club go from relegation contenders to the promotion play-offs. Freedman scored during the penalty shootout victory at Sunderland A.F.C. in the semi finals to help the club to the final. He was an unused substitute in the final though, which saw the club beat West Ham United F.C., the second time he had been promoted with the club.

However, life in the Premier League in 2004-05 in English football saw Freedman often overlooked as the team employed only one striker in most games, with Andrew Johnson (English footballer) being the preferred choice in this role. Despite attracting interest from Leeds United A.F.C. midway through the season, he remained committed to the Palace cause of consolidating Premiership status by rejecting a loan bid from the Football League Championship contenders. He stayed to score his only top flight for the club in their vital final fixture at Charlton Athletic F.C., drawing them level at 1-1. However, the eventual 2-2 result saw the club endure a record third Premier League relegation.

Back in the Football League Championship, he remained down the pecking order behind England international Andrew Johnson (English footballer) and Republic of Ireland international Clinton Morrison. However, injuries to Johnson and Jon Macken, and lack of form from Morrison brought him back into the team and he scored his 100th and 101st goals for Crystal Palace in a 3-2 win at rivals Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. on November 20, 2005. This made him only the seventh player in Palace history to have reached the century mark.

He managed to stay in the line-up after Johnson's return, having made a great impression on Palace boss Iain Dowie, who, later, made a public call to Scotland boss Walter Smith for the striker to be given another chance in the national side. He ended the season with seven league goals, as the club comfortably reached the play-offs. However, they were beaten by Watford F.C. in their semi final tie to deny him a chance of a third promotion.

The appointment of Peter Taylor (footballer born 1953) as manager in Summer 2006 limited Freedman's chances, and he could only manage three league goals. However, he extended his contract by a further two years at the conclusion of the season. Taylor was replaced by Neil Warnock early in the 2007-08 in English football, but strong goalscoring form of Clinton Morrison limited Freedman to rare substitute appearances.

Loan at Leeds

With Morrison keeping him out of the Palace side, Freedman, after initially rejecting the move (as he had done during the 2004-05 in English football), decided to move to Football League One club Leeds United A.F.C. on loan until the end of the season.

He was in excellent form for Elland Road club, scoring five goals to ensure a play-off place, and also receiving praise from Leeds manager Gary McAllister. This form earned him League One's "Player of the Month" award for April, while another vital late Play-off goal in the first leg of Leeds' semi-final tie with Carlisle United F.C. helped the Whites to Wembley Stadium, where he featured in the Play-off final on the day of his 34th birthday, as Leeds were downed 1-0 by Doncaster Rovers F.C..

The end at Selhurst

After returning to Palace at the end of the season, Dougie was granted a testimonial match to reward him for ten years' service at the club over two spells, with the match to be a first-team pre-season friendly fixture against Fulham F.C. at Selhurst Park which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Following this match, Warnock allowed Dougie to depart Selhurst. He was heavily linked with a permanent move to Leeds, but on transfer deadline day, signed for Essex club Southend United F.C., scoring on his debut for the Shrimpers.

Club career statistics

International career

Freedman finally made his Scotland national football team debut on 6 October 2001, in a crunch match against Latvia national football team at Hampden Park, for a place at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The Scots won the match 2-1, with Freedman scoring the equalising goal in the process (a header past then Palace teammate, goalkeeper Aleksandrs Koliņko), after Andrejs Rubins (another Palace teammate at the time) had given the Latvians the lead. Despite this victory, Scotland failed to gain a place in the Finals, and manager Craig Brown (football) resigned, being replaced by Berti Vogts.

He only got one more Scotland cap following Vogts' appointment, playing the first 45 minutes of Scotland's 5-0 defeat at the hands of France national football team in a friendly.

Coaching career

His coaching career began when he was appointed as the reserve team manager of Crystal Palace F.C. in November 2007. He was in this role alongside his playing duties for the club's first team. Many see this appointment as his first step towards a managerial/coaching career when he eventually retires from playing.

Trivia

- According to Freedman, his name is pronounced "Duggie", and it is a common mistake for people to mis-pronounce his name "Doo-gee".
- When Freedman scores at Palace's home games, Who Let the Dogs Out by The Baha Men is played and fans sing along, replacing the word 'Dogs' for 'Doog'.
- Scored the first non-Northampton Town F.C. goal at Sixfields Stadium for Barnet F.C. on October 15, 1994.
- Scored his 100th Palace goal against Palace's fierce rivals Brighton in a 3-2 win for the Eagles
- Married to Sarah, sister of Leicester City F.C. midfielder Stephen Clemence and daughter of Ray Clemence, making his former Barnet F.C. manager his father-in-law.
- Despite only spending a short spell at Barnet at the beginning of his playing career, Freedman was voted as the fans' favourite player in the club's all-time history in late 2007.