Peter Farmer

Peter Farmer was born in Renton, the hotbed of Scottish Football in the latter part of the 19th century. He lived just 200 yards from Renton FC’s Tontine Park ground. Prior to him going to coach on the continent in the 1920’s, there is little record of him as a player or coach in his native country, other than playing a few matches for Celtic reserves.

Farmer joined Olympique de Marseille as trainer in 1923, and the following year guided them to a 3-2 extra-time win over FC Sete to lift the French Cup for the first time. Farmer then had two seasons in Italy with Torino and US Biellese, before returning to France to join Red Star Paris, and in 1928 he won the French Cup for a second time. That same year he was also trainer to the French Olympic squad in Amsterdam.

Farmer returned to Scotland in 1929 and spent one season training at Celtic, before another spell at Marseille, then two seasons with Racing Club de Paris and, finally, a short spell at Cherbourg. Farmer returned from France in 1933 with a stark warning to British footballers wanting to play on French soil. “Don’t”, was the warning. French clubs had cut wages by up to 50%, and British players were barracked by supporters. Farmer was appointed manager of an English club for the first time in 1934, when he joined non-League Tunbridge Wells Rangers. He only stayed a couple of months before getting a call from the Romanian FA to help them with their coaching development. That would appear to be his final involvement with football.