Champion medal surprise for man on the mic Aspinall

THE starry-eyed teenager who made half a dozen top level appearances for eventual league champions Everton had to wait a long time for his share of that distant glory.

But Warren Aspinall was nonetheless delighted when his contribution to the Toffees achievement in 1986-87 was finally recognised with a medal more than 30 years later.

That’s happened since I last featured Aspinall in this blog, which recalled his early days at hometown club Wigan Athletic and darker days after he had ended his playing days in the blue and white stripes of the Albion (three goals in 24 starts plus 13 as sub) in the 1999-2000 season.

Aspinall is now more often heard rather than seen by Brighton supporters who listen to match commentaries on Radio Sussex, and it was commentator Johnny Cantor, who the summariser sits alongside for the regional BBC radio station’s coverage of all Albion’s games, who instigated a presentation of the belated honour.

“It was JC who pushed it forward and he kept it to himself before surprising me with the news that Everton would be making a presentation,” Aspinall told the matchday programme. “I was shocked but absolutely over the moon.”

The number of games to qualify for a winners’ medal used to be 14, or a third of the season, but the EFL in 2021 decided retrospectively to fall in line with the Premier League which awards medals to players who’ve made a minimum of five appearances.

Aspinall had been unaware of the rule change but Cantor had words in the right places and when Albion played at Goodison Park on 3 January 2023, the former player was finally presented with his medal by Graeme Sharp, one of his fellow Everton forwards back in the day who subsequently became an Everton director.

It’s probably a good job the presentation was made before the game because Albion romped to a 4-1 win that day with goals from Karou Mitoma, full debut-making Evan Ferguson, Solly March and Pascal Gross.

“The medal means the world to me and my family and it now sits proudly on my mantelpiece along with my England under 20 caps,” said Aspinall.

He earned the first of those two caps in the same month that Everton paid £125,000 to sign the 18-year-old from Wigan Athletic, although he saw out the season on loan with the Latics.

He featured in Young England’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland at Elland Road, Leeds, and the following month was in the side that suffered a 4-1 defeat to Scotland at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie ground. Tottenham’s David Howells and Neil Ruddock, then of Millwall, also played in both matches, as did Millwall goalkeeper Brian Horne.

*Teenager Aspinall signs for Everton’s Howard Kendall watched by Wigan boss Bryan Hamilton*

On his return to Goodison Park at the end of the 1985-86 season, Aspinall was on the bench for the last league game (Kendall rested several players because it was five days before the FA Cup Final, which Everton lost 3-1 to Liverpool) and he made his debut in the 3-1 home win over West Ham when going on for two-goal Gary Lineker, who was playing his last league game for Everton before joining Barcelona.

Everton finished as league runners up that season but they went one better the following season, when competition for forward places saw manager Howard Kendall able to pick Sharp and Adrian Heath as his preferred pair, with Paul Wilkinson and Ian Marshall as alternatives. It meant Aspinall’s playing contributions came in the form of nine league and cup appearances as a substitute (he was also a non-playing sub on four occasions). Although first team chances were limited, he bagged plenty of goals for the club’s reserve side, netting 21 in 23 games.

That was enough to convince former Celtic stalwart Billy McNeill, in charge of relegation-bound Aston Villa, to splash £300,000 to take him to Villa Park – where competition for a starting spot was again daunting, with Andy Gray, Gary Shaw, Simon Stainrod and Garry Thompson all striker options.

Aspinall made his Villa debut on 21 February 1987 in a 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool and by the season’s end, while his former Everton teammates were lifting the league trophy, he was part of a Villa side that was bottom of the pile.

McNeill was duly sacked and the picture changed the following season when Aspinall was joint top-scorer as Graham Taylor’s Villa bounced straight back to the top tier as runners up behind Millwall.

“Garry Thompson and I hit it off up front and we had such a good understanding that we kept Alan McInally out of the team for a long time,” he told Villa supporter Colin Abbott. “Garry was good to play alongside because he was like a battering ram and I fed off him.”

Aspinall made his 50th and final appearance for Villa on 7 May 1988 in a 0-0 draw away to Swindon (playing left back for Villa was Bernie Gallacher and in the opposition line-up was Colin Calderwood and Kieran O’Regan).

Already warned by Taylor that he needed to improve ill discipline that had resulted in too many cautions, Aspinall got himself sent off for stamping in a pre-season friendly against St Mirren and Taylor transfer-listed him.

England World Cup winner Alan Ball, in charge at recently relegated Portsmouth, seized the moment and took him to Fratton Park for a fee of £315,000 in August 1988, where his teammates included Mark Chamberlain and Terry Connor. In six years with Pompey, Aspinall also played under John Gregory, Frank Burrows, caretaker Tony Barton and Jim Smith.

Briefer stays followed along the coast at Bournemouth (loan and permanent), Swansea City (loan) and two seasons at Carlisle United.

Keen to return to the south, Micky Adams first signed him when he had taken over as manager at Brentford and he made 48 appearances (plus three as sub) for the Bees but Aspinall then went on loan and then permanently to Colchester United for nine months before Adams brought him on loan and then permanently to the Albion in the autumn of 1999. It was a part exchange for midfielder Andy Arnott.

In only his third game, Aspinall was a delighted scorer of the only goal on his old stomping ground of Brunton Park as Albion returned to Sussex with all the points. The News of the World said: “Former Carlisle favourite Warren Aspinall seized on Billy Barr’s poor back pass to chip keeper Andy Dibble.”

In the Argus, Andy Naylor wrote: “The colourful midfielder then dashed towards the Albion supporters huddled in the seats on a drizzly day in Cumbria before sliding full-length on the greasy turf.”

Aspinall continued his celebration with a finger-on-lip gesture and an ear cupped towards the home support. He told the matchday programme: “I heard the keeper shout for the ball and anticipated the defender’s pass. I think I showed a great turn of pace for a veteran.”

In fact, Aspinall was 32 when he joined the Seagulls and he added experience to a side that went on to finish its first season back in Brighton in 11^th place in the fourth tier

At the start of the following season, when he went on as a sub for Gary Hart in Brighton’s home 2-1 win over Rochdale (Bobby Zamora scored both Albion goals), it was to be his last ever appearance.

Suffering from the niggle of a piece of floating bone in his right ankle, he followed physio advice to have it removed in what was expected to be a routine operation. But while in hospital, he caught the MSRA superbug which ate away tendons and ligaments in his ankle.

“They eventually said I would never play football again as a result. I was finished,” he told The News, Portsmouth, in a graphic account of the trauma. “Yet now I needed an operation to get rid of this infection, which involved me scheduled to stay on a hospital ward for 14 days, attached to an intravenous drip while antibiotics were fed into my body.

“After 13 days, my body broke out in a rash from head to toe. It had rejected the drug. So, I had the operation once more – and it happened again. After 13 days, my body rejected it.

“For 28 days I’d been on that hospital ward, so I was then offered the chance to return home if I underwent an operation to insert two tubes into my heart, one for the intravenous drip to enter and the other to take blood out.

“That sounded good to me – apart from my heart subsequently stopping during the procedure. I died. I’m told it was for a few seconds, but I died on that operating table,’ Aspinall told The News. “But they brought me back, and I was allowed to go home to Hedge End, with a district nurse checking on me every day, even Christmas Day.

“There were two six-inch tubes hanging out of my chest, with the nurse taking blood out of one and putting the drugs into the other.

“I lived. The antibiotics killed the superbug, but my career ended there and then. I was aged 33, with nothing planned, no coaching badges. I had to go into the real world.”

The story of what happened in his post-playing days – battles against gambling and alcohol addictions – have been well documented in various media interviews, including a detailed one with the Birmingham Mail in October 2012, when he spoke openly about a near-miss suicide attempt.

He has been Cantor’s co-commentator on Albion matches for Radio Sussex since 2015.

Collyer breaks through at United after spurning Albion

DEFENSIVE midfielder Toby Collyer can genuinely be placed in the ‘one that got away’ category as far as Brighton are concerned.

Worthing-born Collyer excelled as a teenager in Albion’s youth set-up but chose to move on to Manchester United when he was 18.

He has since made it through to United’s first team, getting on as a sub in the last two matches under Ruben Amorim having been blooded by former boss Erik Ten Hag.

After involvement with the first team squad from February 2024 as a non-playing sub, he impressed in pre-season games and played in the Community Shield match at Wembley against Manchester City.

He made his Premier League debut as a half-time substitute for Casemiro when United lost 3-0 to Liverpool at Old Trafford and his first competitive start was in the 7-0 beating of Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, when he played at left-back.

Born in Worthing on 3 January 2004, Collyer’s talent began to be honed when he was only 11 playing for Albion’s under-12s squad.

He attended Angmering School and Ian Gooding, his former teacher, told the BBC: “Toby was the epitome of dedication. Even as a young student, he had an undeniable mentality and drive to succeed in top-level sport.

“His commitment to his studies and football was evident in everything he did.” Gooding said, “It was clear from the beginning that Toby wasn’t just a talented athlete; he was someone who truly wanted to excel and make a mark in the world of sports.”

Collyer made his debut for Brighton’s under-18s just a few weeks after turning 15 and never looked back.

“Even though he didn’t play a great deal at under-16 he still trained,” former Albion under-18s coach Mark Beard told Sussex Live. “You could see he was going to be a top-class player.

“He is a pleasure to coach. He is so low maintenance, what I mean by that is you don’t know he is there. He gets on with his job. He regularly put in displays of 8/10 at the least.

“You want 11 of these type of players in the team. You know what you’re going to get in training, he works hard, he wants to improve, he’s intelligent. He’s a good all-round kid.”

A defensive midfielder happy to tackle and control play from deep, he also showed his versatility by filling in at centre-back with Albion’s under-18s. He also captained England at under-16 and under-17 level, highlighting his leadership qualities and tendency to lead by example.

In an extended interview with the Manchester Evening News, Beard said: “I was made aware of Toby probably from around the age of under-14s. I was the u18 manager and he used to come up and train with us, despite being much younger and I gave him his debut toward the end of his under-15 year. He was always a little bit smaller back then and he seemed to shoot up in height suddenly when he became a scholar.

“Everyone would say he was the best player in the age group every year, but he was just one of them that you hardly noticed. He just got on with his job, there was no trouble and he worked hard.

“He took everything on board like a sponge. There were obviously a few things as he got older that we needed to work on and as he shot up a bit and he needed to redevelop.

“Toby sort of changed the way he played, so different types of passing, defending and he became a real good all-round midfielder once he’d learnt those two of three key areas.”

The coach admired the youngster’s ability to cover left and right from a central position, closing players down and winning the ball. “His ball retention was different class,” said Beard.

“I had such a good team at Brighton, with Evan Ferguson and players like that, and everyone would say Evan was unbelievable, but he’d touch the ball 10 times, score a goal and run about 8km.

“Toby would run around 13km every single game, he’d have 200 touches of the ball and have the best defensive duel win-rate. His stats would be astronomical, honestly, absolutely ridiculous.

“You really don’t get that with many players. He’d be under the radar, but those are the players you want in your team more than anyone else.”

Collyer captained England at under-16 and under-17 level and played 25 games for Albion’s under-18s and under-21s in the 2020-21 season. But he couldn’t agree terms on a new deal at Brighton, after which he was frozen out and given only one game in the 2021-22 season.

The teenager had a successful trial period with United, appearing in a friendly game for the club’s under-23s against Huddersfield Town, and impressed the coaching staff sufficiently to be offered a three-year contract.

There had been no shortage of suitors eager to take him on and Beard encouraged him to join United over the likes of Chelsea and Spurs. As things transpired, he was the first (and only) signing of the Ralf Rangnick era and became a regular in United’s under-18s and under-21s.

Originally given a three-year contract, in July 2024 he had it extended to 2027 with an option to extend to 2028.

Injuries hampered his early days at United but under-21s manager Travis Binnion told the Manchester Evening News: “We’re talking about a really good young player with high potential. “When you have a spell out of the game and have a couple of injuries that stop you playing, it takes a while to get going, but when we signed him, we had no doubts about what he was capable of – he’s a fantastic athlete and effective without the ball.

“Toby is also making great strides with the ball, so we’re talking there about someone who can be really effective in all moments of the game.”

It was in pre-season ahead of the 2024-25 season that Collyer saw action for the first team for the first time, being handed the captain’s armband when part of a complete half-time team change in a 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg in Norway.

He then started the 2-0 win over Rangers before getting another 45 minutes against Arsenal in Los Angeles.

Interviewed by United media’s Sam Carney about his first experience of an overseas tour with the first team, he said: “It’s really, really, really valuable. Everyone wants to be able to play in the first team. So I think getting experiences like this in a stadium like this as well, it’s the top level, and obviously the opposition [was top level] as well today.

“I’m taking everything step by step and hopefully I’ll get many more opportunities to show what I can do.”

Although United lost 2-1 to the Gunners, Collyer said: “I thought I had an okay game. I thought there was a lot of things I could have done better, but it’s great to experience a game like today and I can take it into the next game, and even into training tomorrow.”

United writer for The Athletic, Carl Anka, liked what he saw, observing: “Collyer is a calm operator on the ball, favouring safe, short passes either sideways or backwards, while showing himself capable of occasional long switch passes.

“He is also skilled at receiving the ball on the half turn, letting passes come across his body before swinging his hips around to protect the ball from opponents looking to pressure him.

“Tall, strong and with a good sense of how to delay opposition counter-attacks, there are moments where his play can resemble Declan Rice when he broke into West Ham United’s first-team squad.”

The reporter added: “Athletically gifted, Collyer can cover 20-30 yards quickly — but rather than sprint around with wild abandon in search of the ball, Collyer works to disrupt easy passes inside the opposition half. Collyer’s defensive work centres on blocking off the more obvious passes opponents can make before looking to intercept the ball for his team.”

Interviewed for United’s matchday programme, United Review, Collyer talked about sharing the field with the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes.

“Without them, I wouldn’t be able to reach the level I’ve got to at the minute. I think as much as I’ve done hard work, they’ve worked hard with me as well to help me and give me tips. It’s massive for me.”

Collyer earned a call up to the England under-20 squad in October 2024, and United’s Binnion said: “He’s a fantastic lad. He’s got a superb attitude and he’s getting what he deserves.”

He was on the bench for United’s 3-3 Europa League draw with FC Porto at the beginning of October but, later that month, was ruled out by injury; reports reckoning he would be sidelined for a month.

Shortly after Ruud Van Nistelrooy took over as manager at Leicester, The Sun reported the former United assistant manager was keen to take Collyer on loan. The newspaper also reported that former Albion midfielder Steve Sidwell had tipped Collyer to be a “shining star just like Kobbie Mainoo.”

Collyer was plunged into the heat of battle as a substitute in United’s dramatic FA Cup third round win at Arsenal on 12 January 2025, and Steven Railston, Manchester United writer for the Manchester Evening News, liked what he saw.

“Toby Collyer made his first appearance under Ruben Amorim against Arsenal and took his chance with both hands,” wrote Railston.

“The youngster was introduced to the game with nine minutes of normal time remaining and deserves praise for the maturity he demonstrated under immense pressure.”

The reporter noted that Amorim chose to introduce Collyer over the more experienced Casemiro, who was available on the bench and wrote: “The 21-year-old embraced the occasion when it was possible to be overawed, seemed to cover every blade of grass and proved to United’s new head coach that he can provide value to the squad.”

The only way was up after Tomori’s awkward Albion debut

FIKAYO TOMORI couldn’t have had a worse debut for Brighton.

The teenage defender on loan from Chelsea was booked on 37 minutes and scored an own goal in the 62nd as Brighton were humiliated 3-1 in the FA Cup by non-league opponents, National League Lincoln City.

Tomori, playing at right back, sliced Nathan Arnold’s cross past a startled Casper Ankergren who’d only just come on as a sub for the injured Niki Mäenpää.

In fact, Tomori wasn’t on the winning side in any of the three matches he started for the Seagulls.

However, he saw plenty of action when making seven appearances off the bench. For example, he played an hour in Albion’s 3-1 home win over Birmingham City when sickness forced off Lewis Dunk on the half-hour mark and slotted in alongside Uwe Huenemeier, who himself was deputising for injured Shane Duffy.

“We knew Lewis wasn’t quite right before the game and everyone had told me to be ready,” he said later. The matchday programme observed: “Tomori looked as if he’d been playing all season alongside Uwe, such was their understanding.”

The two were also paired together in the second half of the 2-1 win away to QPR when Tomori replaced Dunk at half-time. And Tomori lined up alongside Dunk in the centre of defence for the last game of the season at Villa Park when Jack Grealish’s last-minute equaliser denied Albion the Championship title.

Nevertheless, the talented youngster, who went on to be capped by England, was recognised as having played his part in the Albion winning promotion that 2016-17 season.

“I would have liked to play more football but this team’s pushing for promotion and I knew before I came here that getting in the side was going to be difficult,” he said in a matchday programme interview.

“I’ve had to be make sure I’ve been ready when called upon and take any opportunities that have come my way. It’s a challenge I’ve embraced. The manager has been really good to me and I’ve taken a lot of confidence from the fact that when we have had injuries in defence, I’m pretty much the first player to come on.

“I’ve really enjoyed it here. Being involved with a club that’s going for promotion has been a different sort of challenge to what I’ve been used to.”

Reflecting on that period a few years later, Tomori said: “It was a big part of my development, playing every day with professionals who have been playing the game for 10, 15 years.

“That focus, will to win and need to be at the top of your game every game was something I had to learn, and it was really important for my development.”

He added: “They were trying to get their first promotion to the Premier League. The team was really together and focused, and when the games came, they were really on it.

“It was my first taste of senior football and being in a senior changing room and being part of a matchday and stuff like that. It was a great learning experience and obviously we got promoted which was great.”

Born in Calgary, Canada, on 19 December 1997 to wealthy Nigerian parents, Yinka and Mo, who originate from Osun in the south west region of Nigeria, Tomori was less than a year old when the family moved to England.

The family home was in Woolwich and he enjoyed a kickabout with his friends from the age of five or six before starting organised football with Riverview United. The youngster admitted he modelled his game on Thierry Henry.

“I wore my socks above my knees like him, I wore gloves like him even if it wasn’t cold, and I celebrated like him,” he said. “I loved everything about him. Back then it was all about having fun and never did I think that one day I would end up playing for Chelsea.”

Tomori was taken on by the Chelsea academy as a seven-year-old but it wasn’t all about football and, after passing his 11+ exams, he attained 10 GCSEs (six As, three Bs and a C) at Gravesend Grammar School, where he was a pupil between 2009 and 2014.

Assistant head James Fotheringham told The Sun Tomori was the first Gravesend pupil to “really make it” as a footballer, pointing out: “We’ve had a number of boys promised the world by different football clubs and then they get dropped and end up nowhere.

“I asked Chelsea, ‘What makes Fikayo different?’ The guy said, ‘Because he’s got all the attributes of a footballer’s skills but he’s incredibly bright and he just reads the game. He’s got a couple of yards on people because he’s so bright’.”

At Chelsea, Tomori bonded with Tammy Abraham from an early age. They became good friends and made their way through the ranks and were part of the team that recorded back-to-back wins in the UEFA Youth League and the FA Youth Cup in 2015 and 2016.

The 2015-16 season saw Tomori named the Chelsea Academy Player of the Year and he rounded it off by making his first team debut as a substitute against Leicester City on the final day. He described it as “the proudest moment of his career” and explained: “To be out there playing with the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian was a fantastic feeling for me and my family.”

As Albion adjusted to the demands of the Premier League, Tomori remained in the Championship having gone on loan to a Hull City side battling to avoid the drop – a very different experience to his time with the Seagulls.

“My first full season on loan was at Hull and it was my first time away from home too,” he said. “We were hovering over the relegation zone for the whole season, so that was a different kind of challenge mentally.

“You weren’t sure if you were going to be in the team the next week if we had lost the game, because the club needed the points to stay up.

“Those loans really gave me a good outlook on football. Coming from Chelsea, you’re winning a lot of games and trophies, and are protected in a way. Those loans were what moulded me as a person and as a man and made me grow up a lot quicker.”

Tomori’s rapid progress earned him England international recognition and, in 2017, he was in the England under 20 team who won the World Cup in South Korea and in 2018 was with the under 21s when they won the Toulon tournament.

As a forerunner to his breakthrough at Chelsea, Tomori spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Derby County, where Frank Lampard had taken over as manager.

Fikayo played a total of 55 league and cup matches as County made it all the way to the play-off final where their tilt for promotion to the Premier League was finally quashed when Aston Villa beat them 2-1 at Wembley.

Nevertheless, the young defender was named as Derby’s Player of the Year, and perhaps it was no surprise that when Lampard’s next move was to become manager of Chelsea, he was quick to put Tomori into the first team at Stamford Bridge.

The majority of his 27 matches for Chelsea came in that 2019-20 season, and, although defending might have been his priority, he popped up with a couple of goals. A long-range screamer he scored against Wolves was voted Chelsea Goal of the Year.

The same season, Tomori stepped up to the full England side and made his debut as an 84^th-minute substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 4-0 away win against Kosovo in a Euro 2020 qualifier in November 2019. In doing so, he became the 50^th Chelsea player to be capped by England.

However, it was another two years before Gareth Southgate selected him again, by which time he had moved to AC Milan.

After falling out of contention at Chelsea, he joined the Italian side on loan initially in January 2021 but then made the move permanent in June 2021, signing a four-year deal.

In a lengthy interview with Sky Sports, he spoke about how his career had turned round after the disappointment of losing his place at Chelsea.

“It was a difficult time – every footballer wants to play, and every footballer wants to show themselves on the pitch,” he said.

“When you are not able to do that, it is difficult – and being able to overcome and forget about that is part of the reason why it is now going so well.

“I didn’t really dwell on it and just moved on and put it as part of football, part of life.

“I had a really good support system with my family and my friends – and now I’ve overcome that I want to take it further and keep progressing.”

On 9 October 2021, Tomori was a 60^th minute substitute for John Stones in England’s 5-0 thrashing of Andorra, when his good friend Abraham was among the scorers.

The pair were up against each other 22 days later when Tomori’s Milan beat Abraham’s AS Roma 2-1 in a Serie A clash. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 400^th league goal (and 150^th in Italian football).

Flu-hit Flinders came to the rescue in a goalkeeping crisis

AN UNDERSTUDY to eccentric Crystal Palace goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly played a dozen games in goal for Brighton in the spring of 2007.

Scott Flinders was just 20, and suffering from the effects of a bout of ‘flu, when he answered a call from fledgling manager Dean Wilkins to help solve a goalkeeper crisis.

With first choice Michel Kuipers injured, Wilkins considered it too early to risk rookie ‘keepers Richard Martin and John Sullivan, so he turned to Albion’s arch rivals to borrow 6’ 4” Flinders.

“I always thought Millwall were Palace’s biggest rivals but then I got told, I think it was by Dougie Freedman or Clinton Morrison, that it is Brighton,” Flinders told The Argus. “It didn’t put me off signing. It is just about playing games.”

Flinders made a slightly shaky start in a win away to Gillingham, and in a defeat to Bristol City on his first appearance at Withdean, but he made some important stops to help earn points in consecutive away draws at Crewe and Blackpool.

Manager Wilkins told The Argus: “We knew we were bringing in somebody who was not 100 per cent for the first couple of matches. Scott has recovered from that and he has done very well for us.

“We are still in a position where we need another ‘keeper with a bit more experience than the young lads we’ve got.”

Flinders seemed happy to extend his loan from one month to two and said: “The fans have been absolutely excellent towards me, even though I am coming from a rival club.

“John Keeley, the goalkeeping coach, has been different class and I am delighted to be here.”

Unfortunately, Albion lost all five of their matches in April and finished 18th, six points clear of relegation.

Born in Rotherham on 12 June 1986, Flinders joined nearby Barnsley as a youth trainee in 2003 and made it through to the first team in 2005 when former Albion striker Andy Ritchie was the manager.

He took over from Ross Turnbull and featured in 11 games over three months before losing his place and subsequently having to settle for being understudy to Republic of Ireland international Nick Colgan.

However, Flinders earned his own international recognition in the shape of five caps for the England under 20 side, three of them in the 2005 Toulon tournament. He made his debut in a 3-0 win against the Korean Republic in a side which also featured Liam Ridgewell, Liam Rosenior and Greg Halford.

He kept his place three days later in a 0-0 draw with France, then came on as a sub three days later in a 1-1 draw with Mexico.

In August the same year, he started against Russia but was substituted as the side went down 4-0. A teammate in that one was Will Hoskins. His final match was at Turf Moor when England drew 2-2 with Holland, although he was subbed off again. In that England team was future England centre-back Gary Cahill while the left-back was Gary Borrowdale, who played on loan at Brighton under Russell Slade in 2009.

Frustrated playing second fiddle at Barnsley, Flinders had trials at Chelsea and Wigan Athletic but he ended up at Crystal Palace in 2006 as part of an exchange deal involving midfield player Sam Togwell.

It’s believed Palace paid an initial fee of £250,000 with additional instalments to be paid according to appearances.

However, Flinders only made one league cup appearance before being sent on loan to Gillingham. It was the first of five loans away from Selhurst Park, the lengthiest being his time at Brighton.

Other loan spells saw him spend time with Yeovil Town, Blackpool and Falkirk and he was released by Palace in May 2009 after playing just 13 games for them in three years.

His years of understudying finally came to an end when he headed to the north east in the summer of 2009 and joined Hartlepool United, where he established himself as first-choice ‘keeper.

Flinders even got on the scoresheet while at Hartlepool, scoring with a 94^th minute header against Bournemouth on 30 April 2011 to earn his side a point in the last home game of the season.

The 2012-13 season was a particular triumph for him when he earned the accolades of Player’s Player, Supporter’s Player, Away Player of the Year and Hartlepool Mail SportsMail Player of the Year.

In six years at Hartlepool, he made more appearances – 276 – than any other ‘keeper in the club’s history, eventually moving on in June 2015 to League Two York City.

Flinders received a five-match ban from the Football Association in August 2016 following an incident in a League Two game between York and AFC Wimbledon on 19 March that year.

It was alleged Dons striker Lyle Taylor grabbed Flinders by the testicles and, as he retaliated, the goalkeeper was alleged to have used racist abuse.

Flinders denied the charge but was found guilty by the FA following an independent regulatory commission. Fined £1,250, Flinders was also warned about his future conduct and ordered to complete an education course.

York initially suspended Flinders but then loaned him out to National League rivals Macclesfield Town, who he subsequently joined on a contract from January to June 2017.

On deadline day in August 2017, he joined League Two Cheltenham Town, with boss Gary Johnson telling the club’s website: “Scott has played over 400 league and cup games in his career and there is no substitute for experience.”

In January 2020, Flinders suffered a broken leg in a game against Oldham which put him out of the game for nine months.

Pictures and headlines from The Argus.

Promotion-winner Sam Baldock part of Albion’s history

BRIGHTON’S football history will record Sam Baldock as part of the squad who earned the club promotion back to the top division after a 34-year absence.

Baldock and Oliver Norwood famously crowd surfed on a train from Falmer to Brighton, held aloft by jubilant supporters celebrating after the April 2017 win at home to Wigan Athletic.

It was one of the many joyous scenes that will live long in the memory banks of Brighton fans following that momentous occasion.

In the cold light of day, though, it’s probably fair to say Baldock divided opinion about his contribution to the cause. Manager Chris Hughton described him as “a great professional and a good character in the dressing room” but, whether because of injuries or lack of opportunity, the diminutive striker never quite made it at the top level his brother George would go on to reach with Sheffield United.

Baldock was certainly a hard-working player but perhaps he didn’t deliver goals consistently enough to warrant the ‘super’ status attributed to him by some of Albion’s more vocal supporters. Injuries seemed to take their toll on a player whose most successful spells have generally been at third tier level.

SB WHU West Ham United, under Sam Allardyce, gave Baldock a platform to take his lower-league goalscoring prowess to a higher level when they began the 2011-12 season in the Championship. But, after a bright start, he disappointed and eventually only stayed for one year of a four-year deal.

Although he was popular with fans, he clearly didn’t float Allardyce’s boat. West Ham fans are astute observers of the game and one of the best summaries I’ve read about Baldock’s contribution was in a piece on westhamworld.co.uk.

“Baldock is a short, pacey, centre forward. He has an eye for goal, which is great but, he doesn’t have the strength or power like other players we have like (Carlton) Cole or (Ricardo) Vaz Te,” the author of the article wrote.

“In a world where it appears the 4-4-2 system is dying very quickly, especially at the top level, it causes problems for Baldock, who seems to be a player who likes to feed off the other striker who can hold the ball up and thread a pass through for him to run onto.

“He is your ideal little man in the big man and little man 4-4-2 but, with the formation not being used very often and, especially under Allardyce, we don’t see it much at all.”

Born in Buckingham on 15 March 1989, Baldock went to the town’s The Royal Latin School (where his mum was the deputy head) and, at 16, joined Wimbledon’s youth system at the time they relocated to Milton Keynes. He signed on as a trainee in 2004 (pictured below signing a contract with MK Dons owner Pete Winkelman) and after impressing in FA Youth Cup games earned call-ups to the first team squad.

Former Albion captain, Danny Wilson, gave Baldock his first-team debut at 16 as a late substitute against Colchester United in a 2-1 Football League Trophy defeat on 20 December 2005.

He didn’t feature again until the 2006-07 season, by which time Martin Allen had taken over as manager. One of only two Football League Trophy games he was involved in included a 4-1 defeat against Brighton.

It was when Paul Ince became manager that Baldock got a few more chances at first-team level and he got to appear at Wembley as a substitute in March 2008 when MK Dons beat Grimsby Town to win the Football League Trophy (otherwise known as the Johnstone’s Paint ‘Pot’).

However, it was when Roberto di Matteo took over from Ince in the 2008-09 season that Baldock finally became a Dons regular, netting 13 goals in 44 appearances and catching the eye of the international selectors.

In September 2009, he was selected for the England under 20 squad which took part in the World Youth Championship in Egypt – a squad which interestingly also included goalkeeper Jason Steele, later a back-up ‘keeper at Brighton, and future full England internationals Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier.

Baldock played in the opening 1-0 defeat against Uruguay, went on as a substitute in the following game, a 4-0 defeat to Ghana, and again in the final game, a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan. England finished bottom of their group and were eliminated.

Baldock didn’t get selected again but, having scored a total of 43 goals in 124 appearances for MK Dons, he became Allardyce’s seventh summer signing for West Ham in August 2011.

SB WHU colours He couldn’t have asked for a better start when he scored five times in his first six games for the Hammers. Unfortunately, as has been the case throughout his career, he picked up an injury that sidelined him, and, in his absence, Nicky Maynard and the aforementioned Vaz Te became first choices in the forward line.

The Hammers decided to cut their losses after just one year of his deal and he was sold to Bristol City for £1.1m. His 10 goals in 34 games were insufficient to keep the Robins in the Championship but back at League One level, the goals flowed once more.

Baldock was the Robins captain under Steve Cotterill and scored 26 in 54 games in the 2013-14 season (neatly compiled on YouTube), earning him the League One Golden Boot. That prompted Brighton to snap him up on 27 August 2014, signing for an undisclosed fee (thought to be £2m) on a four-year deal until June 2018.

Signed as part of the regime under head of football David Burke, Baldock, 25, joined the squad assembled under new manager Sami Hyypia, who told the club website: “Sam was one of our key summer attacking targets and I’m delighted we have now completed the transfer.

“He’s a predator, instinctive in front of goal and his career goal record is excellent. He’s played and scored goals at this level, and we are confident he can be a major threat for us going forward.”

As it turned out, Baldock scored only four goals in each of his first two seasons but contributed 12 in the Seagulls’ promotion-winning campaign of 2016-17.

It was enough to earn him a new deal, and he told the club website: “As soon as the club made noises that they wanted to extend my contract it was always in my head that this is where I want to be.

“Last season was probably the pinnacle of my career, and I hope now we can establish ourselves in the Premier League and continue to improve together.”

Hyypia’s successor, Hughton, added: “We are delighted that Sam has agreed a new deal with us. He has been a key member of the squad since he arrived at the club and this new contract is recognition of his contribution over the last couple of seasons.”

However, Hughton ultimately gave him very few chances in the Premier League and, after playing only five games in the 2017-18 season, he was sold to Championship side Reading.

Baldock-Reading Royals boss Paul Clement told the Reading website: “I’m very happy that Sam has joined us here at Reading, having pursued his signature throughout the summer.

“I always felt he was the right striker for us to bring to this club in terms of his age, his experience and his quality.”

Although he penned a three-year deal with the Royals, his initial season at the Madejski was blighted by injury and, having scored just five in 23 games, and seemingly not in new manager Jose Gomes’ plans, there were reports during the recent close season that he would be invited to look for a move elsewhere.

On 17 August 2021, Baldock signed a short-term deal with Derby County to cover the injury absence of former Brighton striker Colin Kazim-Richards. When that contract came to an end in February 2022, Baldock joined League One Oxford United until the end of the season, and in May 2022 was given a two-year contract by manager Karl Robinson, another of his former managers at MK Dons.

“I walked through the door back in February and it felt like the right place straight away,” the boyhood U’s fan told oufc.co.uk. “The badge has always had a special place in mine and my family’s hearts ever since it was the first club we watched live at the Manor.

“Having previously worked under the gaffer I knew I wanted to play for him again – he got the best out of me earlier in my career and I hope that can happen again.”

Pictures from various online sources.

Did Chris Ramsey’s injury alter outcome of 1983 FA Cup Final?

2-near-post-guard BRIGHTON & HOVE Albion’s May 1983 FA Cup Final clash with Manchester United was historic for the club and for their 21-year-old right back it was even more eventful.

Who would have known that former Bristol City apprentice Chris Ramsey’s ignominious departure from the field in a firemen’s lift on Glen Wilson’s shoulder would more or less be the end of an all-too-brief playing spell in the top echelons of the English game?

Might the match – and Ramsey’s career – have panned out differently if it hadn’t been for that diabolical tackle by Norman Whiteside?

Trouble had been brewing in the weeks leading up to the final and the national media, looking for every possible angle to pick at, had singled out Ramsey for criticism. Did that stoke the fire?

Let’s rewind a little and explore what happened.

Born in Birmingham on 28 April 1962 , Ramsey, whose father came to the UK from St Lucia, was one of two boys and five girls. Rejected by Charlton Athletic as a schoolboy, he became an apprentice at Ashton Gate but was then released and, after a successful trial, Brighton took him on.

The 1980-81 season was Albion’s second in the top division and, as it drew towards its close, it was looking increasingly likely they were heading for relegation.

Manager Alan Mullery was openly criticising his players for their efforts and his big ally off the field, vice-chairman Harry Bloom (current chairman Tony Bloom’s granddad) had died of a heart attack on the team coach on an away trip to Stoke.

Something had to change and, at the tender age of 19, Ramsey was called up from the reserves and plunged in at the deep end.

In three of the last four games, he took over the no.2 shirt after Mullery switched John Gregory from right back into midfield. Ramsey’s debut came in a crucial Easter Saturday clash away to rivals Crystal Palace when, released from the shackles of defending, Gregory scored twice in a 3-0 win. Ramsey also played in the wins over Sunderland away and Leeds at home.

The Seagulls stayed up by the skin of their teeth and Evening Argus reporter John Vinicombe said in his end of season analysis that Ramsey had been “a revelation” in those three games.

Within a matter of weeks, Mullery quit as manager in the furore over chairman Mike Bamber selling Mark Lawrenson to Liverpool (after Mullery had already agreed a deal to sell him to Manchester United).

Gregory was sold to QPR for £300,000 but, far from that move opening up an opportunity for Ramsey, Mullery’s replacement Mike Bailey brought in on a free transfer from Loftus Road the experienced Don Shanks, who was immediately installed as the first choice right back.

Indeed Bailey froze out Ramsey for the following 19 months! At one point he was transfer listed but it was Bailey who departed the Goldstone first – his sacking working to the advantage of the young defender.

When George Aitken and Jimmy Melia took over in December 1982, Ramsey was instantly promoted from the reserves and seized his opportunity.

In a profile in an Albion matchday programme in February 1983, Ramsey told Tony Norman: “Like any other young apprentice, my dream was to play in the First Division. I must admit that even after coming to Brighton, I had times when I wondered if I’d make it. But now I’ve got my chance and I’m keen to make the most of it.”

In one of the most comprehensive profiles on Ramsey, former Brighton teammate, Andy Ritchie, told Adam Ellis of The Football League Paper: “He was quite a shy lad back then but he had everything you want in a full back. Aggression, pace, agility – and he could tackle like a demon.”

These were the attributes that Melia appreciated too. In a Daily Mail preview of the Norwich quarter final, Melia told reporter Brian Scovell: “The other players love playing with him. He’s a great competitor, tackles well and uses the ball with a bit of style.

“I’m pleased he’s taken his chance. He deserves to play at Wembley if we manage to get there.” ramsey + mel

As it turned out, Ramsey’s place was in jeopardy because of two sendings off in the league in April which led to him being banned for the semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday at Highbury.

After being sent off in a 2-1 home win over Spurs, Terry McNeill reported in the News of the World: “Ramsey was lucky to stay on earlier after bringing down Mark Falco in a probable scoring position. When he took the striker again from behind, there was no escape.”

The 20-year-old Ramsey was fairly phlegmatic about the situation and told Alex Montgomery of The Sun: “Whatever I did, I did for the club. You can’t think about Cup games when you are struggling for points at the bottom of the First Division.”

His second dismissal, along with Coventry’s Steve Jacobs (who later played for the Albion under Chris Cattlin) after a scuffle in a 1-0 win at the Goldstone, was lambasted by one of the pre-eminent football writers of the day, Frank McGhee of the Daily Mirror.

“Can Brighton afford to field at Wembley a man who by then won’t have been able to play for 19 days?” he intoned. “And can they trust Ramsey not to sully soccer’s great state occasion by a moment of blind madness?”

Nevertheless, after Wednesday were beaten, Melia was happy to restore his first-choice right back to the starting line-up but one wonders now whether Ramsey had a sense of foreboding about how the big occasion would unfold.

Reflecting on those dismissals in the build-up to the final, he told The Sun’s Montgomery: “I just hope people aren’t looking for me. I’ll certainly be careful. I honestly don’t think I deserve the reputation which I’ve been saddled with in the last few weeks.

“The dismissals were just coincidences – nothing more than that. I know I am an aggressive type of player but that is my game. I always want to give 100 per cent for the club. The last thing I want is trouble at Wembley.”

After Albion had taken a shock lead through Gordon Smith’s header, United piled on the pressure and Ramsey headed a goalbound Gordon McQueen effort off the line.

But then came a pivotal moment early in the second half. Tim Carder and Roger Harris record it thus in their excellent Seagulls! The Story of Brighton & Hove Albion FC: “Whiteside went in high on Ramsey’s shin as the Albion full back cleared, and then trod on his ankle. The referee had a strong word with the United forward but did not signal a foul.”

The tackle had rendered Ramsey lame and while he tried in vain to carry on, two minutes later he wasn’t able to challenge for a ball to the far post which Frank Stapleton duly dispatched to equalise.

Those of us watching in the stadium, together with millions glued to TV screens around the world, saw Ramsey carried from the Wembley turf and, in those days of only one substitute, wondered how Albion would cope with a makeshift defender in the shape of Gerry Ryan.

After United took the lead through Ray Wilkins, Ramsey’s friend – and fellow England under-20 teammate – Gary Stevens’ equalised to send the game into extra time and ultimately a replay. Stevens was adamant about the impact Whiteside’s challenge had on the game.

In Match of My Life, edited by Paul Camillin, he said: “It was a bad tackle and perhaps cost us the game. In those days we only had one substitute and Gerry Ryan came on and did a great job at right back, even though he was a midfield player, but we did miss Chris because he had been having a great game.”

Whiteside was unapologetic about the challenge but Ramsey fumed to The Sun’s Montgomery: “It could have broken my leg. If I’d done it, I’d have been off. I just can’t understand how Whiteside got away with it.”

The injury deprived Ramsey of the chance to play in the replay five days later and, after that sad exit, his playing career never reached similar heights again.

Indeed he actually only played 37 games for the Albion, most of those coming in that 1982-83 season. He played only a handful of games in the following season and in August 1984 went on loan to Swindon Town before joining them permanently four months later.

There, he played alongside the likes of Sky Sports reporter Chris Kamara and one-time Albion assistant manager Colin Calderwood and clocked up over 120 appearances, including being part of Lou Macari’s Fourth Division champions in 1986 and Third Division play-off winners in 1987.

In August 1987, he joined Southend United but played just 13 games for them before persistent back injuries forced his early retirement at the age of just 26.

Some business ventures he embarked on didn’t work out and former Albion right back rival Shanks set him up with a trial for a team in Malta, Naxxar Lions, where he made a playing comeback.

Eventually the ongoing injury problems made him look to other ways of making a living. He coached in the United States but also started studying like crazy.

Amongst lots of qualifications, he got a Master’s degree at the University of North London in Health, Physical Education and Recreation (a qualification which enabled him to become a primary school teacher) and simultaneously obtained his UEFA coaching badges.

That Football League Paper piece records: “With an MSc, ten diplomas and myriad other qualifications, Ramsey is so highly educated that he actually sets the test for pro licence candidates.”

ramsey Eng A stint in charge of youth development at Leyton Orient and coaching Newham Ladies was followed by an FA appointment as coach to the England under-20 side in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship when among the players under his direction were Ashley Cole, Peter Crouch, Matthew Etherington and John Piercy, who later played for the Albion. At the FA he learned from the likes of Les Reed and one-time Albion winger Howard Wilkinson.

He had a short and unsuccessful three-month spell as assistant to Ricky Hill at Luton Town, and he said: “Ricky Hill was a massive inspiration to me.”

Just when it appeared new offers had dried up, Ramsey got the chance to manage Charleston Battery in the USA, where he stayed for three years.

Winning the USL A-League (second division) with Battery in 2003 brought him to the attention of Spurs, and, as head of player development, many of the young players he coached in tandem with Les Ferdinand and Tim Sherwood were Harry Kane, Ryan Mason, Danny Rose, Nabil Bentaleb, Andros Townsend, Steven Caulker and Jake Livermore.

“He was massive for all of us,” French midfielder Bentaleb told The Football League Paper. “He believed in us, he encouraged us. He told the manager we were ready when everyone else believed we were not. He was not shy or scared of anybody and he knew exactly what he wanted.”

chris ramsey (spurs) In the Evening Standard in 2012, Spurs and England centre back, Ledley King, said: “He is one of the best coaches in the country. The youngsters love the way he works and they have really bought into his methods.”

Ramsey left Spurs in 2014 to take up a coaching role at QPR, and when Harry Redknapp left the floundering Hoops in February 2015, Ramsey stepped up to become a fully-fledged Premier League manager.

He was not able to halt Rangers’ relegation from the elite, though, and lasted only until November in charge of the side as they struggled to come to terms with life back in the Championship.

However, in January 2016, he was appointed technical director at QPR to oversee the club’s academy coaching and player development.

The club’s director of football, Ferdinand, told The Guardian: “While we were disappointed things didn’t work out with Chris at first team level, we were determined to retain his services. As such, we actually put a clause in his contract which allowed us to retain Chris’s services in a player-development role should things not work out for him as head coach.”

Ramsey finally left QPR in January 2024. By then 61, the head of coaching and technical director told the club website: “I have had a fantastic nine years at QPR and the club will always have a special place in my heart.”

The club’s chairman Lee Hoos said: “Chris has been a great servant to the club. I cannot thank him enough for his incredible hard work, dedication and guidance.

“However, as we thoroughly rationalise everything we do, and following very amicable discussions with Chris, it is felt this move is in the best interests of all parties. He will always remain a friend of the club.”

Shootthedefence.com did a face-to-face interview with Ramsey on 23 September 2016 which is well worth a listen as he talks in detail about his whole career.
In pictures from my scrapbook, Ramsey graces the cover of an Albion matchday programme; (top) he defends the near post during the 1983 FA Cup Final with Gordon McQueen in attendance; he is photographed by Tony Norman outside the Goldstone and criticised in the Daily Mirror by Frank McGhee.