Nigel Gleghorn

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Nigel Gleghorn
Personal information
Full name Nigel William Gleghorn.[1]
Date of birth (1962-08-12) 12 August 1962 (age 61)[1]
Place of birth Seaham, England[1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward / Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1985 Seaham Red Star
1985–1988 Ipswich Town 66 (11)
1988–1989 Manchester City 34 (7)
1989–1992 Birmingham City 142 (33)
1992–1996 Stoke City 166 (26)
1996–1998 Burnley 34 (4)
1997–1998 → Brentford (loan) 12 (1)
1998 → Northampton Town (loan) 8 (1)
1998 Altrincham
1998–2001 Witton Albion
2001–2004 Nantwich Town
2004–2006 Newcastle Town
Total 462 (83)
Managerial career
1998–2001 Witton Albion (player-manager)
2001–2004 Nantwich Town (player-manager)
2004–2006 Newcastle Town (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nigel William Gleghorn (born 12 August 1962) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward or central midfielder.[1]

Career[edit]

Gleghorn worked as a firefighter, playing part-time for his local club Seaham Red Star in the Northern League Division Two, until successful trials at Ipswich Town led to the offer of a professional contract.[2] Reluctant to give up a steady job in the fire service to risk failing as a footballer, his wife convinced him to take the chance.[3] Within weeks the 23-year-old Gleghorn was making his debut in the First Division away to Arsenal. After three seasons at Portman Road he moved on to Manchester City.

He spent one season at Manchester City in which the side were promoted to the First Division, but after only a few games back in the top flight Gleghorn was sold to Birmingham City, recently relegated to the Third Division, for a relatively big fee of £175,000.[2] He stayed for three seasons, helping the team to victory in the Football League Trophy final at Wembley in 1991 and promotion to the newly designated Division One in 1991–92. In that season he was Birmingham's top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions[4] and scored the winner against Shrewsbury in the last home game of the season when the club needed a win to be sure of automatic promotion.

Gleghorn signed for Stoke City in October 1992 and made his debut in the Potteries derby against Port Vale in which Stoke won 2–1.[1] Stoke went on to win the Second Division title in 1992–93 with Gleghorn playing a major role in the team's success.[1] Manager Lou Macari left for Celtic and under Joe Jordan Gleghorn was restricted to a more defensive role in the side in 1993–94 a role which he did not enjoy.[1] Once Macari returned to Stoke in 1994–95 Gleghorn returned to his more free role in the side and an improved Stoke side finished 11th in 1994–95. He was an ever-present in 1995–96 playing in 56 matches scoring ten goals as Stoke reached the play-offs where they lost to Leicester City. He was released at the end of the season with the club looking to reduce their wage bill ahead of their move to the Britannia Stadium and Gleghorn joined Burnley.[1] He retired in 1998 after a season at Turf Moor and loan spells with Brentford and Northampton Town.[1]

Post retirement[edit]

Once his full-time football career finished Gleghorn went to work full-time in the Sports Studies department of a further education college. Meanwhile, he involved himself with coaching and management. Following an unsuccessful few months as player-coach at Altrincham – though after he left the club went on to win the Northern Premier League – he joined Witton Albion in the Northern Premier League First Division as player-manager. In his first season the club finished level on points with the top two teams, missing out on promotion only on goal difference. He then had three years at Nantwich Town in the North West Counties League, leaving when they wanted him to take the job full-time, followed by runners-up spot in the same league with Newcastle Town, still as player-manager, from where he was sacked in 2006.

Though not currently managing a club, he runs his college football team who are on a successful run both girls and boys, runs courses for the Cheshire FA and works in talent identification for the Football Association.[2] In August 2007 he made his broadcasting debut as a summariser for BBC Radio Manchester covering the matches of his former club Manchester City on Manchester Sports.[1]

Career statistics[edit]

Source:[5]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ipswich Town 1985–86 First Division 21 2 2 0 1 0 — 24 0
1986–87 Second Division 29 7 1 0 3 0 5[a] 1 38 8
1987–88 Second Division 16 2 1 0 1 0 4[b] 1 22 3
Total 66 11 4 0 5 0 9 2 84 11
Manchester City 1988–89 Second Division 32 6 1 1 2 2 1[b] 1 36 10
1989–90 First Division 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Total 34 7 1 1 2 2 1 1 38 11
Birmingham City 1989–90 Third Division 43 9 4 3 2 0 2[c] 0 51 12
1990–91 Third Division 42 6 2 0 2 0 8[c] 1 54 7
1991–92 Third Division 46 17 1 0 7 5 2[c] 0 56 22
1992–93 First Division 11 1 0 0 2 0 2[d] 1 15 2
Total 142 33 7 3 13 5 14 2 176 43
Stoke City 1992–93 Second Division 34 7 2 0 0 0 5[c] 1 41 8
1993–94 First Division 40 3 4 0 4 1 6[d] 1 54 5
1994–95 First Division 46 7 2 0 3 1 6[d] 1 57 9
1995–96 First Division 46 9 2 0 3 0 5[e] 0 56 9
Total 166 26 10 0 10 2 22 3 208 31
Burnley 1996–97 Second Division 33 4 4 1 4 0 2[c] 0 43 5
1997–98 Second Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 34 4 4 1 4 0 2 0 44 6
Brentford (loan) 1997–98 Second Division 11 1 0 0 0 0 1[c] 0 12 1
Northampton Town (loan) 1997–98 Second Division 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1
Career total 461 83 26 5 34 9 49 8 570 105
  1. ^ Three appearances and goal in Full Members' Cup and two appearances in Second Division play-offs
  2. ^ a b Appearances in Full Members' Cup
  3. ^ a b c d e f Appearances in Football League Trophy
  4. ^ a b c Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup
  5. ^ Two appearances in First Division play-offs and three in Anglo-Italian Cup

Honours[edit]

Manchester City
Birmingham City
Stoke City
Newcastle Town

Individual

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287-55-4.
  2. ^ a b c "Former Blues". Birmingham City F.C. 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
  3. ^ Whalley, Mike (27 August 2005). "Football Masters: Gleghorn kicks Italy into touch". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
  4. ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
  5. ^ Nigel Gleghorn at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  6. ^ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 149.

External links[edit]

  • Nigel Gleghorn at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
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