Andy Townsend: Difference between revisions
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'''Andrew |
'''Andrew "Andy" David Townsend''' (born 23 July 1963) is a former professional [[Association football|footballer]], who played in two [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]]s for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] and is now a television and radio [[Pundit (expert)|pundit]]. He is considered a Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa legend, having captained his country in a World Cup Finals. |
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Starting his career at [[Welling United F.C.|Welling United]] and then [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]], coming to prominence at age 21 when he signed with [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]. In 1988 he moved on to [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]], before signing with [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] two years later. In 1993 he signed with [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] and enjoyed four successful years before his transfer to [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]. His final club was [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]], where he retired in 2000. |
Starting his career at [[Welling United F.C.|Welling United]] and then [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]], coming to prominence at age 21 when he signed with [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]. In 1988 he moved on to [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]], before signing with [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] two years later. In 1993 he signed with [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] and enjoyed four successful years before his transfer to [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]. His final club was [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]], where he retired in 2000. |
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Revision as of 21:16, 9 February 2011
 Townsend signing an autograph at the 2010 FA Cup Semifinal. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew David Townsend | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Welling United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1984 | Welling United | 105 | |
| 1984–1985 | Weymouth | 40 | (16) |
| 1985–1988 | Southampton | 83 | (5) |
| 1988–1990 | Norwich City | 71 | (8) |
| 1990–1993 | Chelsea | 110 | (12) |
| 1993–1997 | Aston Villa | 135 | (8) |
| 1997–1999 | Middlesbrough | 77 | (3) |
| 1999–2000 | West Bromwich Albion | 17 | (0) |
| Total | 528 | (52) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–1997 | Republic of Ireland | 70 | (7) |
| 1994 | Republic of Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Andrew "Andy" David Townsend (born 23 July 1963) is a former professional footballer, who played in two World Cups for the Republic of Ireland and is now a television and radio pundit. He is considered a Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa legend, having captained his country in a World Cup Finals.
Starting his career at Welling United and then Weymouth, coming to prominence at age 21 when he signed with Southampton. In 1988 he moved on to Norwich City, before signing with Chelsea two years later. In 1993 he signed with Aston Villa and enjoyed four successful years before his transfer to Middlesbrough. His final club was West Bromwich Albion, where he retired in 2000.
Following his retirement as a player he became a football pundit, most notably with ITV.
Club career
Townsend was born in Maidstone, Kent, but grew up in Bexley, where he attended Upton Primary School in Bexleyheath, followed by Bexleyheath School.
He began his playing career in August 1980 with Welling United in the Athenian League, while working as a computer operator for Greenwich Borough Council[1] in south-east London. After making 105 appearances for Welling, he was signed by Weymouth in March 1984 for £13,500.[2]
In January 1985, he was signed by Lawrie McMenemy at Southampton for £35,000[1] and made his professional debut at home to Aston Villa on 20 April 1985 as Southampton qualified for Europe, only to be banned in the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster.[2]
Over the next season, he was in and out of the team (then managed by Chris Nicholl) but broke his leg in a pre-season friendly against his old club Weymouth in August 1986.[1] He fought his way back to fitness and rejoined the side the following January.
In the 1987–88 he was a virtual ever-present, playing alongside Jimmy Case and Glenn Cockerill in the Southampton midfield. He was a hard-tackling, hard-working midfielder with an eye for goal. It was a shock, therefore, when Nicholl sold him to First Division rivals Norwich City in August 1988, for a fee of £300,000.[1]
He made his debut as a substitute against Middlesbrough on 3 September 1988, before replacing the suspended Trevor Putney for his first full appearance in a 3–1 win over Spurs on 22 October.[2] He retained his place in the Norwich midfield and ended the season with 36 league appearances (5 as substitute) with five goals.[2] He also made six FA Cup appearances with two goals against Port Vale in the Third Round on 7 January 1989. Under manager Dave Stringer, he was a member of the Canaries' 1988–89 side that finished fourth in the top flight and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. At the season's end, Townsend was shortlisted for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, which was won by Mark Hughes.
Norwich made a handsome profit when they let Townsend join Chelsea for £1,200,000 in July 1990.[2]
After making a total of 138 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 12 goals but winning no trophies (they never finished higher than 11th in the league while he was there), he transferred to Aston Villa in July 1993 for £2.1million.[2]
He finally won some silverware when Villa won the 1994 League Cup, beating Manchester United 3–1. He captained Villa when they reclaimed the trophy in 1996 with a 3–0 victory over Leeds United.
In August 1997, just after the start of the 1997–98 season, he transferred to Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough for £500,000 having made 134 league appearances for the Villains, scoring eight league goals.[2]
He made 37 appearances in his first season on Teesside, scoring twice as Boro' won promotion to the Premier League. In the 1998–99 season, he formed a useful partnership with Paul Gascoigne as Middlesbrough finished comfortably in mid-table in their first season back in the Premiership.[2]
In the following season, he found it harder to get in to the first team and on 17 September 1999 he moved down a division to West Bromwich Albion for £50,000. Townsend's high wage demands prevented a move back to Norwich or a loan spell with non-league Boston United.[2]
In his one season at West Bromwich Albion he only made 17 league appearances before a recurrent knee injury forced his retirement in July 2000, after a season in which Albion narrowly avoided relegation to Division Two.[3]
"I was very flattered by Albion's offer. I thought long and hard about it but I just felt that if I am going to go down the road of management I am going to have to do things my own way."
— Townsend rejects Albion manager Gary Megson's offer of a coaching role at the club.[3]
International career
His contribution to Norwich's successful season saw Andy selected for the Republic of Ireland, making his debut against France in February 1989.
He played in the next year's World Cup, in Italy, where he played in all five of Ireland's matches. They reached the quarter-finals, the country's strongest ever campaign. The Irish drew their three group matches – against England, Egypt and Netherlands. Scoring a penalty in the shoot-out with Romania, his country were eventually sunk by a Salvatore Schillaci goal for the hosts. They had conceded just three goals in those five games.
He was captain of the Ireland squad for the 1994 World Cup. All four teams of Group E finished on four points, they got their revenge on the Italians, but were defeated by Mexico and drew with Norway. Ireland lost 2–0 to the Dutch at the Citrus Bowl in the knock-out stage.[4]
Broadcasting career
He can currently be seen as part of ITV Sport's live coverage. He used to host along with Mike Parry Talksport's Weekend Sports Breakfast programme on Sunday, and used to host the drive-time show on Fridays. He used to host the mid morning discussion on talkSPORT from 10am to 1pm from Monday to Friday, having replaced Jon Gaunt, who was sacked for repeatedly calling a caller a Nazi. He has left the station because he no longer wants to commute from his Midlands home to the London studio.
One of the repeated Townsend quote from the show is his response to a question on the film Snakes on a Plane: "Snakes on a plane? What's that all about?"[5]
He also hosts ITV1's regional programme Soccer Night, alongside Peter Beagrie. He has also presented BBC Radio 5 Live and written columns for the Daily Mail. He has also been the commentator on several EA football games, most recently 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
Personal life
In May 1999, the press reported that he and Middlesbrough teammate Paul Gascoigne had been stopped by police on suspicion of using an air-rifle to shoot at wild animals on a "hunting expedition".[2]
Business interests
Townsend is a consultant for Harlequin Property, where he helps set up soccer schools at their Caribbean resorts.[6] The company's proposed investment into Port Vale had set in motion plans for him to become a football advisor at the club,[7] though nothing was to come of these talks.
Charitable activities
He is patron of the George Coller Memorial Fund. He ran in the Great North Run in 2007, finishing in a time of 2 hours and 20 minutes.[8]
Statistics
International caps
- Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first.
Honours
- Football League Cup winner: 1994 & 1996
- Football League First Division runner-up: 1997–98
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1998
- Individual
References
- ^ a b c d Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (2003). In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology. p. 589. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Andy Townsend". ex-canaries.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
- ^ a b "Townsend retires". BBC Sport. 7 July, 2000. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Netherlands – Republic of Ireland". fifa.com. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ Charles, Chris (31 December 2009). "Quotes of the decade – part II". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ^ Shaw, Steve (19 October 2009). "Port Vale: Townsend no threat to Adams, says Ames". The Sentinel. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
- ^ "Townsend set for Port Vale role". BBC Sport. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
- ^ George Coller Memorial Fund patrons
External links
- Andy Townsend at Soccerbase
- Andy Townsend at IMDb
- Republic of Ireland profile
- Profile at talkSPORT
- Profile at The Gordon Poole Agency
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- 1963 births
- British association football commentators
- Living people
- People from Maidstone
- Republic of Ireland association footballers
- Republic of Ireland international footballers
- Republic of Ireland B international footballers
- Welling United F.C. players
- Weymouth F.C. players
- Southampton F.C. players
- Norwich City F.C. players
- Chelsea F.C. players
- Aston Villa F.C. players
- Middlesbrough F.C. players
- West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
- 1990 FIFA World Cup players
- 1994 FIFA World Cup players
- British people of Irish descent
- The Football League players
- Premier League players
- Daily Mail journalists
- British radio personalities