Tag: Kenny Jackett

‘Model professional’ Stephen Ward loved his season at Brighton

STEPHEN WARD’S view from the bench as Brighton sealed Wolves’ relegation fate at the Amex on 4 May 2013 was enough to convince him it was a place he’d like to get to know better.

Rather than drop down to the third tier with Kenny Jackett’s side, Ward switched from Molineux to the Albion to join Oscar Garcia’s promotion hopefuls.

Having won the Championship with Wolves in 2009, Republic of Ireland international left-back Ward brought ideal experience to a Brighton set-up looking to mount another tilt at promotion after missing out at the play-off semi-finals stage the season before.

The defender made 47 appearances, chipped in with four goals, and was runner-up in the player of the season awards as Albion once again fell at the play-off semi-finals hurdle.

Nonetheless, it looked like Ward would make his stay permanent – until newly-promoted Burnley stepped in and offered him a more immediate return to Premier League football.

Convinced that Brighton had clinched the deal for Ward, boss Jackett told the local press: “The clubs have agreed and now it’s down to Brighton and the player. It is a good move for him, he did well last year, they got into the top six and he was part of it. They have wanted him all along.

“All of us thank him for what he’s done and wish him all the best. He got a club reasonably quickly last season which shows the standard of the player.

“He didn’t let them down. He’s got a good reputation in the Championship and has been professional here. He had been good enough to get a good move last year and he has got a good one now.”

According to the player’s agent, if Albion’s head of football David Burke hadn’t dithered over a deal, Ward would have signed on the dotted line for the Seagulls.

But his prevarication opened the door to Sean Dyche’s Clarets and Ward headed to Turf Moor instead, returning to play at the elite level at which he’d previously made 94 appearances for Wolves between 2009 and 2012.

Ward had also played 128 times at Championship level for Wanderers having joined them aged 21 in 2007, moving over from his native Ireland, where he had spent four years with League of Ireland side Bohemians.

After making his Albion debut in a 1-0 win at Birmingham, Ward told BBC Radio Sussex: “From watching them last year and playing against them, it is a team I admire for how they play the game.

“Every footballer wants to play in a team that likes to pass the ball and keeps the ball. On the last day of the season, they played us (Wolves) off the park. It was one of the reasons I was really excited about the move.”

Although he had enjoyed success at Wolves, he had also been part of back-to-back relegations and he said: “I felt I needed a fresh start and I am thankful Brighton gave me that. I hope I can repay their faith. Hopefully I can help the team go one better than last year.”

Reflecting on his time with the Albion in a matchday programme article, Ward was complimentary about Garcia, saying: “I loved the mentality of the manager, the environment, and I learnt a lot as a result.

“He wanted to play out from the back, he wanted us to be really expansive, and that allowed me to get forward, which I really enjoyed doing.

“I learnt a lot from the manager and would speak to him about his time at Barcelona.

“I was lucky that I also had experienced players around me in defence like Matty Upson, who was great for me, and Bruno. He’s one of the best guys I’ve met in football – he was so welcoming to me and my family.”

Although principally in the side to defend, Ward also scored four times for the Seagulls, one coming in the impressive 4-1 win at Leicester and another in the crucial 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest that helped to clinch a spot in the play-offs.

“Going to Brighton was great for me; I had a fantastic year, a really enjoyable time, and I don’t have a single bad word to say about the club or the city,” he said. “I enjoyed every minute.”

After five years at Turf Moor, Ward went on to play for Stoke City (when Nathan Jones was boss), Ipswich Town and Walsall, hanging up his boots in 2022. He also made 50 appearances for Republic of Ireland, playing for the national side at the Euro 2012 and 2016 finals.

At the end of a 19-year playing career, Ward had clocked up 570 senior appearances.

Disappointed to see the player retire, Walsall manager Michael Flynn told BBC Radio WM: “He’s somebody I’d love to have worked with for a longer period. He’s a breath of fresh air. But, unfortunately, he’s at the age where he thinks his body’s had enough.

“I’ve got nothing but praise for Stephen Ward. He’s had a fantastic career and is still working hard day in, day out and he’s a model professional.

“The way he’s handled himself has been exemplary and I don’t expect anything else from someone who’s had the career he’s had because it’s been an unbelievable career.”

During the 2022-23 season, Ward was part-time assistant manager to former Wolves teammate Roger Johnson at National League North side Brackley Town.

His next steps were in football administration and he achieved a Masters degree in sports directorship through the University of East London while serving as director of football at National League side Solihull Moors. Head coach from June 2023 to January 2025 was Andrew Whing, who played more than 100 games for the Albion between 2006 and 2011.

Stepping down from the role in August 2025 to spend more time with his family, Ward said: “We shared some great moments together most notably watching our club appear at Wembley Stadium in the play-off final.”

Moors missed out on the chance to gain a first ever promotion to the Football League in May 2024, beaten in a penalty shootout by Bromley after twice coming from behind to take the game to extra time and then penalties.

Agonisingly, a week later, Moors lost on penalties again, this time in the FA Trophy final at Wembley, Gateshead edging it 5-4 after the sides were level on 2-2.

“It’s a brilliant club and a very special place to work but it’s time to step away and recharge the batteries,” said Ward. “Football is a fast-moving industry and it can be tough to find the right balance.”

Marseille midfield man Racon shone for Brighton

ALBION had something of a love-hate relationship with Alan Pardew over the years – mainly the latter – but occasionally there was cause to be grateful to him.

One such instance involved former Olympic Marseille midfield player Therry Racon, who Pardew loaned to Brighton for three months in 2008.

Pardew had signed the young Frenchman for £400,000 when he was manager of Championship side Charlton Athletic. He was only in the first year of a four-year contract and struggling to get games for the Addicks.

Racon told the Argus: “It’s been a big disappointment. When I signed for Charlton it was to play and help the club to promotion.

“I haven’t really had a chance but when I’ve played I think I’ve played well. I hope I will be playing next season.”

The midfielder told the matchday programme: “Before I came to Brighton Alan Pardew said to me I needed to get some games under my belt and after the loan I could get my chance at Charlton.

“My ambition is to play in the Premiership. When I signed for Charlton I signed for four years and I felt they were capable of reaching the Premiership – but I am happy to play in the Championship and League One to learn my trade.”

Albion had an outside chance of making the League One play-offs under Dean Wilkins and Racon made an impressive start at the base of Wilkins’ midfield diamond supplementing the higher level nous provided by Leeds loanee Ian Westlake and the experienced Steve Thomson.

In a 2-1 home win over Swindon Town, when Albion came back from going a goal down in three minutes, Racon was denied a goal by the outstretched foot of visiting ‘keeper Peter Brezovan.

“I wasn’t surprised by the football,” he told Brian Owen, of the Argus. “I had been told it was a very good level.

“The intensity is good. You have to be switched on all the time. Communication was fine. I’ve been in England for six-and-a-half months and I speak English quite well.

“I understand football language. There are no worries about that.”

By the end of his second game (a creditable 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest), Owen reported: “Albion fans were exploiting the great acoustics in the Bridgford End at Forest to sing, among other things, the name of their team’s latest Frenchman.

“They used the same tune as Arsenal fans when they used to hail Thierry, rather than Therry, Henry.”

Racon declared: “So far League One has been good for me. I came thinking about the end of the season and the only thing I am focused on is ending the season strongly with Brighton – then I will worry about what to do next.”

When reporter Andy Naylor asked about the possibility of joining Albion for good, Racon said: “Why not? I’m 23, almost 24, so I have to play. I cannot stay on the bench or play for the reserves.

“I did not come to England to play in League One but I have to play, so it doesn’t matter now if it is League One. It’s good here. I’ve played a lot of games quickly and when you play you are always happy.”

A 3-2 home defeat to Port Vale and a 2-0 loss at Southend scuppered Albion’s faint play-off ambitions and, after featuring in his eighth game, a 2-0 win at Bristol Rovers in the penultimate game of the season, Racon was recalled by Charlton just ahead of the last game of the season.

Born on 1 May 1984 in Villeneuve-Saint-George, a suburb south-east of Paris, Racon made his Olympique Marseille debut on his 20th birthday against RC Lens.

After a single appearance for Marseille, he spent the 2004-05 season on loan at Lorient and then decided to join Brittany-based tier two side En Avant Guincamp where he made 29 appearances over two years. The move to Charlton came in the summer of 2007.

In spite of Racon’s Premiership ambitions, he actually found himself back in League One with the Addicks and towards the end of the 2009-10 season was joined by Nicky Forster, on loan from the Albion, after he had fallen out with new manager Gus Poyet.

Earlier that season, there had been speculation linking Racon to a possible move to the Premiership or Championship. Blackburn, Fulham, Portsmouth and Leicester were rumoured to be interested in him.

But Addicks boss Phil Parkinson, who’d taken over from Pardew, told the News Shopper the midfielder was still a big part of his plans.

“I can only say we haven’t had any calls at all, so I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “Therry is a good player and it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a few clubs interested in him because he is a very good player.”

However, at the end of his four-year deal with Charlton, and having played 115 matches, he joined south London neighbours Millwall on a two-year contract in August 2011.

Sadly, he badly injured his ankle during the second half of his debut, a Carling Cup win over Plymouth Argyle, and missed the whole of the rest of the season.

Racon went on as a substitute for the Lions in an early season 3-2 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in August 2012 but he failed to gain a starting berth under Kenny Jackett and in January 2013 joined League One Portsmouth on loan, featuring in 16 matches.

Pompey boss Guy Whittingham said: “I think Therry was getting better and better with every game.

“The only proper thing missing was a goal and we kept badgering him, trying to get him one, but he wouldn’t take it on.

“He added some individual class to the midfield and the way he was able to keep the ball was very good.”

Released by Millwall in the summer of 2013, there was some speculation he might link up once again with his old Charlton boss Phil Parkinson at Bradford City.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus reporter Simon Parker described him thus: “A ball-playing central midfielder, Guadeloupe international Racon is known for his guile and ability to keep possession.”

Although born in France, Racon also qualified to play for Guadeloupe, the French island group in the southern Caribbean. He made his debut for them in 2009 and made two other appearances.

When nothing came of the potential move to Yorkshire, Racon rejoined Portsmouth in October 2013.

“I feel happy to be back and I’m hungry to get out onto the pitch as soon as possible,” he said. “I’ve been training by myself over the summer, but I feel fit and can’t wait to get started.

“I know what to expect from the fans. They do a fantastic job.”

After a further 16 appearances for Pompey, his time at Fratton Park brought an end to his time in English football.

On his return to France, he played for three different clubs making just a single appearance for Sedan, playing 49 times for Drouais between 2016 and 2018 and ended his playing days with Racing Columbes.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Racon is now a “young entrepreneur” and football agent.

Tony Burns handled the art of goalkeeping for decades

A GOALKEEPER with film star looks signed for Brighton from Arsenal just after England lifted the World Cup.

Tony Burns had kept goal for the Gunners in 31 top-flight matches and Albion boss Archie Macaulay, who had played for Arsenal himself, went back to his old club to sign a no.1 to challenge the emerging local lad, Brian Powney.

It wasn’t difficult for Burns to settle at the Goldstone because the dressing room included Northern Irish full-back Jimmy Magill and winger Brian Tawse, familiar faces from his time in north London who’d also made the switch to Brighton.

It also wasn’t long before female fans who admired his smouldering good looks were sending in letters to the office inquiring about his eligibility!

Burns relived his career in detail in 2020 when interviewed by 17-year-old would-be journalist Jed Vine, who watches games at the Amex with his mother, and games at the Emirates with his dad.

Born in Edenbridge, Kent, on 27 March 1944, Burns first showed his goalkeeping prowess during his schooldays in the town before he joined Southern League club Tonbridge (now Tonbridge Angels) who he returned to twice more and later managed three times.

He made his Southern League debut against Yiewsley (later to become Hillingdon Borough) in February 1963 and only his third game for Tonbridge was as an 18-year-old against Arsenal at Highbury.

With long term custodian Jack Kelsey retiring, Arsenal were looking around for likely successors and, liking what they saw of Burns, offered him a contract.

“In his early days at Highbury, he showed immense potential and, after benefitting from Kelsey`s coaching, made encouraging strides,” a 2020 Pitching In piece for the Southern League recalled.

Manager Billy Wright gave him his senior Arsenal debut in a friendly against Enschede in Holland in August 1963, with Magill in defence, and he got his first taste of South Africa on a five-game tour the following May when he was in goal for Arsenal’s 5-1 win over a Western Province XI and their 6-0 win over an Eastern Province XI.

But his big breakthrough came when he made his league debut in a 3-2 home win over Burnley in October 1964 (three days earlier he’d played in goal in a 7-0 friendly win over non-league Corinthian Casuals).

“I felt on top of the world. I had always wanted to play for the Gunners and here I was keeping goal for them, and on the winning side at that,” he told the Albion matchday programme. “There’s only one first match and I’ll never forget this one.”

Once he got the shirt, he had a run of 26 games (32 including friendlies) from October 1964 through to the end of March 1965.

He generally played in front of a defence featuring the likes of Don Howe, Frank McLintock and Ian Ure with John Radford and Joe Baker up front.

During the first half of the 1965-66 season, Burns appeared in seven league games and three friendlies, but his final Gunners first team appearance came on 27 December 1965 in a 4-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday.

Jim Furnell was Wright’s preferred first choice, and, as the season wore on, the emerging Bob Wilson was getting the nod ahead of him as stand-in (although it wasn’t until 1968 that Wilson finally ousted Furnell).

Disappointed to leave, Burns nonetheless went in search of regular football by joining Third Division Brighton for £2,000 in July 1966.

He made his first appearance for the Albion on 17 September 1966, when he took over from the injured Powney, but Brighton went down 2-0 to Grimsby Town.

Powney returned the following week and Burns had to wait until January for his next games – two FA Cup ties against Aldershot.

Burns in action versus Chelsea

He kept his place for the big fourth round FA Cup game against First Division Chelsea at the Goldstone which finished 1-1 when his former Arsenal teammate Tawse controversially had what he thought was a cracking late winner ruled out for a foul by Kit Napier.

Unfortunately, Burns conceded four in the replay at Stamford Bridge as the superior Chelsea side made the most of home advantage to ease their way through comfortably, 4-0. That was the season they went all the way to the final only to lose 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur, whose ranks included Alan Mullery and Joe Kinnear.

By the end of the season, Burns had played 18 matches against Powney’s 37. But Burns had the upper hand in 1967-68 featuring in 29 games compared to Powney’s 21.

He also started the 1968-69 season as first choice but his 54th and final game for the Albion was in the 2-1 home defeat to Northampton in the second round of the FA Cup on 20 December 1968.

New manager Freddie Goodwin brought in former Wolves and Aston Villa ‘keeper Geoff Sidebottom to challenge Powney and let Burns leave on a free transfer in March 1969.

He joined Charlton Athletic, where he made 10 appearances in their unsuccessful tilt at promotion, but declined what he saw as a derisory contract offer. He returned to Tonbridge briefly and in January 1971 headed off to play in South Africa, initially for Durban United, and later, Maritzburg.

In his interview with Jed, he recalls playing in an English All Stars team managed by Malcolm Allison who invited him to return to England with Crystal Palace when his contract was up.

Burns made the move in October 1973 after previous Palace no.1 (and later Albion youth coach) John Jackson had moved to Orient.

He shared goalkeeping duties with Paul Hammond, playing a total of 90 matches between the sticks for Palace over the next four years under Allison and his successor Terry Venables.

In 1977, Burns played half a dozen games on loan for Brentford before heading off to the States like a lot of ageing players did at that time.

The ‘keeper played a dozen games for Memphis Rogues in the North American Football League. They were coached by former Chelsea defender and manager Eddie McCreadie although Burns had gone there to team up with former boss Allison who was sacked without a ball being kicked because he hadn’t signed enough players!

Burns played for Memphis Rogues in the USA

Among Burns’ teammates were a young Neil Smillie, who’d been struggling for games at Palace, Phil Beal, who had left Brighton the year before, John Faulkner, the one-time Leeds and Luton defender, and the flamboyant Alan Birchenall, beloved by Leicester City supporters of many generations.

Back in the UK in 1978, Burns joined Plymouth Argyle as cover for Martin Hodge, and ended his league playing days in this country appearing in 11 games in the first half of the 1978-79 season.

However, he left Home Park to rejoin Tonbridge Angels for a third time and he also played for Hastings United and Dartford.

After his playing days were over, Burns had three spells in charge of Tonbridge, from August 1980 to December 1982, August 1989 to May 1990, and in a caretaker role from November 2001 to May 2002 (by which time he was goalkeeping coach at Millwall, who he joined in 1992 under Mick McCarthy.

Burns served as goalkeeper coach under several Millwall managers.
Picture: Brian Tonks.

He also spent seven years as manager of Gravesend and Northfleet (who became Ebbsfleet United) between 1982 and 1989.

But it was at Millwall where he finally found a permanent home, working under no fewer than 18 different managers, including Steve Gritt and Mark McGhee.

He was even at the helm himself for a while, working as co-caretaker manager with former Lions boss Alan McLeary after Dave Tuttle’s departure in April 2006, when Millwall’s relegation had already been confirmed.

The appointment of Nigel Spackman the following month led to Burns’ departure in July 2006, when he took up a similar role at his old club Palace, working under former Albion boss Peter Taylor coaching Julian Speroni and Scott Flinders.

Goalkeeping coach at Palace under Peter Taylor

He left Selhurst in November 2007 when Taylor lost his job, and Speroni told yourlocalguardian.co.uk: “It was sad to lose Tony Burns because we worked well with him. During last season when I wasn’t playing regular football, Tony was the one who kept me going which was very important.”

Burns moved with Taylor to Conference side Stevenage Borough but later returned to Millwall under Kenny Jackett before stepping down in 2012, when he was succeeded by Kevin Pressman.

Still, he wasn’t finished with the game, though, and at the age of 70, in the summer of 2014, he teamed up with Taylor yet again to become goalkeeping coach at Gillingham. He joined them on a part-time non-contract basis as a replacement for Carl Muggleton.

Binned off by Baggies, Mattock welcomed Seagulls chance

FOR A FEW seasons, it seemed Brighton’s left back spot would always be occupied by a player on loan.

In the second half of the 2011-12 season, it was Joe Mattock who slotted in there, having been edged out by a change of management at West Bromwich Albion.

“I am delighted to come and play where I am wanted and for a manager who feels I can do a job for him,” Mattock declared in a matchday programme.

Mattock made his debut as a substitute in Brighton’s 4 February 1-0 home win over his former club, Leicester City, and he subsequently made 14 starts after Gus Poyet borrowed him from the Baggies.

Mattock’s signing was largely to cover a long term hamstring injury to Marcos Painter after Romain Vincelot and Gus Poyet’s assistant, Mauricio Taricco, had been temporary stand-ins.

Mattock made his debut in Albion’s 2-1 win away to Leeds United on 11 February with fellow West Brom loanee Gonzalo Jara Reyes occupying the right-back spot.

Unfortunately, Albion only registered three more wins through to the end of the season, so it wasn’t a particularly successful period.

Mattock was on the scoresheet once, netting Albion’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat away to Blackpool, and the side finished 10th in the Championship.

Mattock was given a free transfer by the Baggies at the end of the season and, while Poyet viewed signing him permanently as an option, the defender went instead to Sheffield Wednesday, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal.

It would be something of an understatement to say he wasn’t missed, bearing in mind the next loanee left back through the door was Wayne Bridge!

Born in Leicester on 15 May 1990, Mattock was a successful graduate of his hometown club’s academy system, initially as a forward, then as a midfield player before settling as a left-back from the age of 16. He was named Leicester’s academy player of the year in 2006-07.

Leicester caretaker boss Nigel Worthington gave him his first team debut as a substitute in his first game in charge, a 2-1 Championship defeat to Norwich City.

He was chosen at left-back for three more matches at the end of that season, a 2-1 defeat at home to Birmingham and 1-0 wins away to Preston and Barnsley.

Current day BBC pundit Dion Dublin was something of a guiding light to him as he was progressing. “He was a good bloke who spoke to all the young players,” Mattock told the matchday programme. “He was playing centre-back at the time, so taught me a few things about how to defend and how to be a professional footballer.”

While the 2007-08 season saw a veritable merry-go-round of managers as the side eventually lost their Championship status, Mattock’s performances attracted attention and it was said West Ham and Aston Villa had bids to buy him rejected.

After gaining England under 17 and under 19 caps, Mattock went on to win five England under 21 caps, making his debut in a 2-0 home win over Bulgaria in November 2007 alongside the likes of Joe Hart, James Milner and Theo Walcott.

He also played in a 1-1 draw away to Portugal, a 3-0 win over Republic of Ireland, he went on as a sub in a 0-0 draw at home to Poland and his last international action saw him start in the 3-2 defeat away to Ecuador in February 2009.

Although he was selected for the squad, Kieran Gibbs and Ryan Bertrand subsequently got the nod ahead of him.

In August 2009, unsettled Mattock finally got to follow former teammate Richard Stearman away from the Foxes when West Brom, newly relegated from the Premiership, paid a £1m fee to take him to The Hawthorns.

The manner of his exit didn’t go down well with Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, who said: “I like to deal with people straight up. I don’t like it when the player rings the chairman when we are playing a pre-season game to ask to leave when he is out of the country on international duty.

“That gives you a taste of the situation and we’ll wait and see what happens.”

Mattock made 29 starts plus five substitute appearances in Roberto di Matteo’s side as the Baggies were promoted back to the Premier League in runners up spot.

But he didn’t feature in West Brom’s elite side and instead was sent out on loan to Sheffield United where he met up with another loanee from the Black Country, Sam Vokes, who was later on loan with him at the Albion.

Di Matteo’s eventual successor, Roy Hodgson, didn’t fancy the defender either and, before he moved to Brighton, he spent time on loan at Portsmouth who were managed by his former West Brom coach, Michael Appleton.

After choosing to join Wednesday, Mattock barely got a look-in during his first season, when Dave Jones was Owls boss, and supporters were convinced he would be shipped out.

But he was selected for around half of the 2013-14 season’s fixtures under Stuart Gray, and played in 25 games, plus three as a sub, the following season.

“I didn’t have a great start at Wednesday,” Mattock told the Rotherham Advertiser. “I didn’t get on with the manager.

“Then Stuart Gray came in and played me all the time. I was told they thought they were going to offer me a new deal, but I got injured six weeks before the end of my third year and it didn’t happen.”

In the summer of 2015, he was one of 11 Owls players released and the left-back made the short South Yorkshire journey to Rotherham United.

Being settled in the area, he was keen not to have to up sticks and he was persuaded to join by then boss Steve Evans.

Evans was soon on his way from the AESSEAL New York Stadium but Mattock remained and has subsequently played under Neil Warnock, Alan Stubbs, Kenny Jackett and Paul Warne.

He is now in his seventh season with the Millers and has played more than 200 games for them in the Championship and League One.

“I was promoted from League One with Leicester when I was 19. The year after, I was promoted to the Premier League with West Brom,” he told the Rotherham Advertiser.

“When you’re young you don’t realise how much it should mean to you. You do when you’re older, so when we went to Wembley last season (2017-18) and won in the play-off final (they beat Shrewsbury Town 2-1), in front of all the family, in front of all the fans, it was a perfect day, one of the big highlights of my entire career.”

Oh brother: Seagulls spell revives van La Parra

ON-LOAN Dutchman Rajiv van La Parra scored twice in six games for Brighton, spurring parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers to recall him.

Georginio Wijnaldum’s half-brother was only on the winning side once during his time with the Seagulls, but Wolves boss Kenny Jackett was happy to give him another chance at Molyneux after he’d mysteriously been frozen out.

But the thaw didn’t last long. While Albion had moved on by signing Anthony Knockaert on a three-year deal from Standard Liege, van La Parra was soon on the move again, this time to Huddersfield.

It was in November 2015 that Chris Hughton seized on an opportunity to shake up Albion’s attacking options in the last few hours of the loan transfer window by offering the unsettled van La Parra a chance to replicate the form he’d shown the previous season for Wolves.

“Rajiv will give us pace and creativity in the forward areas, and supplements our existing wide options,” Hughton said. “He is something different to the players we already have here, and I am delighted to have him on board.

“With Sam Baldock currently injured and Kazenga LuaLua having missed the amount of games he has, we have been very keen to bring in offensive options.

“In Rajiv we have a player who regularly featured in Wolves’ promotion chase last season.”

Albion were top of the table at the time and, having watched from the bench as Albion saw off Birmingham 2-1 at the Amex, van La Parra went on in the 27th minute of the away game at Derby County after Solly March was clattered by a challenge that ultimately ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The substitute certainly made a positive impact, edging Albion 2-1 ahead with a goal in the 75th minute before Chris Martin equalised for County with a last-ditch penalty after Gordon Greer was harshly adjudged to have fouled Johnny Russell.

Van La Parra was also on target at Loftus Road on 15 December when he beat former England goalkeeper Rob Green with a 30-yard shot in the 55th minute to put Albion 2-0 up. QPR hit back with two Charlie Austin goals to share the points.

It emerged when he signed that van La Parra had been a Brighton target for some while, with the Wolverhampton Express and Star reporting he’d spoken to the club about a possible permanent move before that August’s transfer deadline day.

Leeds United were also keen, and he might later have ended up at rock bottom Bolton Wanderers, but he stayed on at Molyneux, where he found James Henry and Nathan Byrne ahead of him in the pecking order.

Ironically, his one and only league goal for Wolves was scored against the Seagulls at the Amex in a 1-1 draw the previous season.

The winger admitted in an interview with Andy Naylor for The Argus that he was baffled why he’d fallen out of favour at the Black Country club.

“It’s a mystery,” he said. “I didn’t understand what happened but sometimes these things happen in football.

“The manager maybe wanted to try some different players but I cannot explain what happened. It’s unreal. I played last season and I then went onto the bench not playing as many games.

“I’m the type of person who goes to the manager and asked for an explanation why I wasn’t playing. He (Jackett) couldn’t really give a reason but he motivated me by saying that I was close to the team and training well.

“That was keeping me positive about the manager and his opinion of me. At the end of the day, they were just words and not actions and I can just focus on playing now.”

His arrival at the Amex was somewhat overshadowed by the signing at the same time of striker James Wilson on loan from Manchester United but he discovered a couple of familiar faces in the Albion dressing room: Elvis Manu – a fellow product of Feyenoord – and Danny Holla.

“It’s nice to have them,” he said. “They can help me. I know Manu very well because we played at Feyenoord. He was in a younger team than me. I’ve played against Danny a few times and we’ve had a number of conversations.”

Although van La Parra made a mark with the Seagulls, it was apparent in December that a permanent move to the south coast looked unlikely. Wolves boss Jackett had noted his form and said: “He’s been keen to get the opportunity and so far at Brighton he’s taken it. He’s still a Wolves player and we’ll assess the situation. He’s got a couple of goals and assists which is very good.”

Van La Parra hoped an impressive performance in his last game on loan might persuade Hughton to view him as a long term prospect but Albion went down 1-0 at home to Ipswich Town, their fifth winless game on the trot, and he returned to Molineux.

Born in Rotterdam on 4 June 1991, of parents from Suriname, he was named by his mum after Rajiv Gandhi, the son of Indira Gandhi, the former Indian prime minister who was assassinated in 1984.

Van La Parra went through the youth ranks at Dutch giants Feyenoord between 1999 and 2008 and earned selection for the national side’s under 17s and under 19s.

It was only while playing in Dutch youth football that former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, then playing for Sparta Rotterdam, met his half-brother van la Parra.

“I knew I had another brother, but I never saw him until that moment,” Gini explained. “I never saw pictures because at that time you didn’t have the internet or social media. There was no Instagram or Facebook or anything.

“I went to play a game, but I found my brother.”

Wijnaldum eventually moved to Feyenoord, and van La Parra said: “When he came to play for Feyenoord, we saw each other more often and we were closer.”

In 2008, van La Parra had moved to French Ligue 1 club Caen where he thought he stood a better chance of first team football. He was there for three years and, although he managed 16 outings in their first team, he mainly played for the B side.

At the end of his contract, he returned to the Netherlands and joined Eredivisie outfit SC Heerenveen where in three years he scored 16 goals in 94 appearances and got to play Europa League football. In the 2012-13 season, he also played six times for the Dutch under 21s, when he got the chance to play alongside Wijnaldum.

“I played on the wing and Gini in midfield. He didn’t give me the ball. He always passed to the other side,” joked van La Parra. 

In the summer of 2014, the winger moved to then Championship side Wolves and quickly established himself as a regular.

La Parra’s form for Brighton only revived his Wolves career temporarily, Jackett recalling him to their side in an FA Cup tie against West Ham and a 3-2 win over Fulham, in which he provided an assist and combined well with Michal Zyro.

Jackett said: “I felt that we’ve lost some pace along our front line and Rajiv has that and it’s a reason for bringing him back in to the group.

“He did well at Brighton, and I knew that against Fulham, tactically, I could play either system – 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 – with Rajiv on the pitch and be able to switch from one to the other. That was the advantage.

“He showed how much he wanted to play for Wolves. And the crowd responded to him, and if he keeps showing that work rate and desire, everyone will follow up on him.”

However, two months later he joined fellow Championship side Huddersfield on loan until the end of the season, and the move was made permanent that summer. He was a regular in the Town side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2017.

He made 38 appearances during the 2017-18 season amongst the elite, but incurred Sean Dyche’s wrath when he went to ground rather too easily in the penalty area during a Premier League game against Burnley. The referee didn’t buy it and the player was booked and subsequently fined by his own manager, David Wagner. “It’s unacceptable in my book. I can’t abide it,” said Dyche.

The following season, van La Parra struggled for game time and went on loan to Middlesbrough.

He eventually left the Terriers in 2020 having made a total of 102 appearances and signed for Serbian club Red Star Belgrade. He only played 11 games for them and then moved to Spanish second division club Logroñés for the 2020-21 season but, after only four appearances for them, he was released from his contract in January.

He then switched to Germany and signed for Bundesliga second division club Würzburger Kickers but, after they were relegated, he was on the move again.

Next stop was in Greece, for Apollon Smyrnis, but footballleagueworld.co.uk reported in November 2021: “It’s been a tough start for the player, who is featuring regularly, as he has failed to score or register an assist as his new side are third from bottom.”

Booed on his Burnley debut, Gifton Noel-Williams was the centre forward Brighton craved

GNW DackFOR ALMOST the whole of Championship seasons 2004-05 and 2005-06, Albion manager Mark McGhee spoke about how the side desperately needed an old-fashioned hold-up centre forward.

In the first season, he converted defender Adam Virgo to the role with some degree of success, but after Virgo’s summer 2005 departure to Celtic, the problem returned, in spite of the occasional promise of the inexperienced Colin Kazim-Richards.

It wasn’t until March 2006 that McGhee finally landed his man in the shape of 6’ 3” Gifton Noel-Williams, on loan to the end of the season from Burnley.

The omens were good when he made his debut against Luton on 25 March because he had scored on his debut for both Burnley and previous club Stoke City. Sure enough, he did it again, netting with a brave diving header from an Adam Hinshelwood cross after 18 minutes.

It demonstrated only too emphatically what Albion had been missing for so long.

Unfortunately a glaring miss by midfielder Dean Hammond saw the chance to go 2-0 up squandered and Luton went straight back down the other end and equalised when ‘keeper Wayne Henderson could only parry Warren Feeney’s shot and the rebound went into the open net off on-loan defender Paul McShane running back.

Luton were destined to join Albion and Leeds as the fall-guys from the division but they hung on that afternoon on a quagmire of a pitch to earn a point.

GNW BHAGary Hart came close to nicking it for the Albion with a volley that struck a post but the points were shared, which was no good for either side.

McGhee was philosophical after the game, recognising it would “take something astonishing” for Albion to stay up with only six games remaining. It would. They didn’t.

Nevertheless, before the inevitable happened, Noel-Williams scored again  – on Easter Saturday 2006.

Brittle old Ipswich, with Joe Royle in charge, stood in the way of Albion notching some desperately needed points, but somehow I just fancied their chances that day and I made a late decision only on the morning of the match to travel up to Ipswich with my son Rhys.

Wearing the all-burgundy away strip, Albion had a new-found confidence in their play thanks to the arrival of Noel-Williams, who, after scoring against Luton, had got an assist by laying on a goal for Paul Reid in a 2-0 win at Millwall two weeks before.

McGhee made an interesting choice in playing Hart at right back rather than Reid, who slotted in ahead instead. The decision was justified when Hart’s strong challenge on Alan Lee midway inside the Albion half enabled Hammond to release Kazim-Richards down the right.

He crossed into the left back area, where the lurking Noel-Williams seemed to have acres of space to turn on the cross and drive the ball home from ten yards. Photographer Simon Dack captured the goal celebration for the front page of the Sports Argus (below).

GNW IpsIf that delight was not enough, teenage defender Joel Lynch made sure our trip was a memorable one by scoring his first-ever goal for the club.

Albion, never wanting to make life too easy for themselves or their fans, allowed Ipswich to pull a goal back when Lee flicked on from former Seagull Darren Currie’s cross for substitute Nicky Forster – a future £75,000 signing for Albion – to score. But thankfully it was too late for Ipswich to salvage anything from the game.

It was all to turn pear-shaped on the Easter Monday at home to Sheffield Wednesday, but for a couple of days at least the Great Escape still seemed a possibility.

Nevertheless, Noel-Williams seemed to enjoy his brief time with the Seagulls, telling Andy Naylor in The Argus: “I like the way the team plays football. They play my type of football.

“It is not only in the air for me to flick it on, they get the ball on the deck and want to knock it about a bit as well. That suits me, that’s what I like.

“The manager hasn’t asked me to be tearing around the pitch, he’s asked me just to use my movement and get into the channels when I have to. I appreciate that, so I’m enjoying my football, and, when I’m enjoying my football, I think I’m not a bad player.”

The downside of not having played regularly at Burnley was a lack of match fitness, and he admitted: “I play all right for maybe the first hour and then that’s it, my legs are gone.”

Certainly a fascinating character, Noel-Williams was still only 26 when he pitched up at the Albion, and was already a father of six children.

But how did he end up at Brighton?

An article on the excellent Burnley supporters website,claretsmad.co.uk, gives a great insight into the background. Published in June 2013, Tony Scholes wrote: “There was heavy criticism of his signing and he was booed by his own fans during his league debut for us at Crewe on the opening day of the 2005-06 season.

“He was one of Steve Cotterill’s five summer signings during that 2005 summer, and the plan was to partner him up front with his old Stoke City team mate Ade Akinbiyi, a partnership people were quick to say hadn’t worked when they had played together for Stoke.”

Scholes continued: “He must have wondered what he’d come to when he was roundly booed in that first match of the season at Crewe. He scored our equaliser, then hit the woodwork in the last minute which would have earned us a point.”

A week later, he missed a penalty against Coventry, and, even though he scored in a home draw against Derby, the poor start to the season saw Cotterill tinker with the line-up, and he lost his place.

He was then a peripheral figure and, just before the end of the loan window in March, Cotterill, who had once been on loan to Brighton himself, loaned him to struggling Albion.

Burnley fans thought they had seen the last of him but, despite being placed on the transfer list, and missing the club’s pre-season trip to Italy, he was still a Burnley player when the season began.

Then, remarkably, he went from zero to hero during the space of a few days in September. When he came on as a substitute against Colchester, yet again he was met by a chorus of boos from the Burnley faithful.

Scholes said: “The booing that greeted him was shameful. How he could go on and play in those circumstances is hard to believe, but he did and by the end of the game he’d turned those boos to cheers. We lost, but he’d played well.

“Three days later we went 2-0 down against Barnsley and he was brought on to replace the injured Alan Mahon. This was without doubt Gifton’s night. He never turned in a better performance for Burnley, and after Jon Harley pulled one back to give us hope, he scored a hat trick as we ran out 4-2 winners.”

Taken off the transfer list, over the next couple of months he became one of the most influential players in the side as Burnley climbed to third in the table.

Sadly, it didn’t last. The team and player’s form dipped from November.

“As the results went against us, the rumblings of discontent about him were being heard in the stands again,” said Scholes.

Meanwhile, Akinbiyi returned to the club which further reduced the chances of his former strike partner getting games. As the January transfer window came to a close, Noel-Williams was sold to Real Murcia in Spain for £50,000.

“Burnley fans will remember him as a player who struggled with pace and movement, a player who didn’t score enough goals, and a player they just loved to criticise,” said Scholes.

How different it all was from the early promise he had shown when blooded in the Watford first team at the tender age of 16.

Born in Islington on 21 January 1980 to Jamaican parents, the young Noel-Williams played for district and county representative sides and Carl Dixon, a coach at his local Sunday side Apex Arvensdale, recommended him to Watford.

When he played in a national cup final fo Islington and Camden at Highbury, he scored a hat-trick in front of the Sky Sports TV cameras and Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea all took an interest in him but he stuck with Watfod, and it paid off when, in 1996, Kenny Jackett gave him his first team debut at just 16.

A serious knee injury sustained in a tackle by Sunderland’s Paul Butler in 1999 put him out of the game for the best part of 18 months and he subsequently developed rheumatoid arthritis in both knees.

In an interview with itv.com on 4 April 2016, the striker revealed how he might never have had a career at all if it hadn’t been for former Watford chairman Elton John.

GNW WatHe was told he would have to give up the game, but Watford’s pop icon chairman was living in America at the time and saw an article about a drug that could save his career. He contacted Graham Taylor and they paid for him to get the necessary treatment.

The injury and illness came just as Noel-Williams had received a call-up to the England Under-21 squad. At 18, he had been playing in junior England teams alongside Michael Owen and Michael Bridges.

Noel-Williams told interviewer Will Unwin: “Even though I had rheumatoid arthritis I was still able to play at Championship level and abroad.”

After seven years and 33 goals in 169 appearances for Watford, Noel-Williams signed for Stoke City; Tony Pulis taking him on a Bosman free transfer in 2003.

Across two seasons, he scored 23 goals in 88 games for The Potters banishing all thoughts that he wasn’t fit to play.

Then, in 2005, he joined Burnley because he was encouraged to by his former Stoke teammate, Akinbiyi (another striker who had impressed on loan from Norwich to Brighton earlier in his career, when he scored four times in seven games).

As an aside, Akinbiyi had distinctly mixed fortunes throughout his career and after he completed a £600,000 move to Burnley was sent off on his debut within two minutes for head butting Sunderland’s George McCartney!

But back to Noel-Williams, who told itv.com: “I did not want to go to Burnley, to be honest. What happened was that Tony Pulis left Stoke at the end of the season, he went to Plymouth – so as he was leaving and a new manager coming in, I didn’t want to stay at Stoke.

“Ade Akinbiyi was at Burnley at the time and he was with me at Stoke so he kept phoning me, saying ‘come to Burnley, they want us to play up front together’, so that’s why I went to Burnley, but then six months later Ade left to go to Sheffield United, so my time at Burnley crashed a little bit and that’s why I didn’t stay there for so long.”

Noel-Williams said he didn’t really see eye-to-eye with Cotterill, which hastened his departure to Spain.

The Spanish lifestyle suited him but his game time was restricted mainly to substitute appearances and when Real Murcia were promoted he was told he would not be guaranteed a place.

So he switched to Elche, where he said he enjoyed his football but they didn’t pay him for a year because of financial issues. He ended up having to take action via FIFA to get the money he was owed, and left after just one season.

His old Watford mentor, Jackett, gave him a short-term contract with Millwall, but he played just the one game whilst Tresor Kandol and Neil Harris were unavailable. On 5th November 2008, he signed for Yeovil Town on a month’s loan.

He played eight times for Yeovil, the last coming on the Saturday before Christmas. But 2009 saw him once again without a club and on 8th January it was confirmed that he was signing a two-year deal with American USL club Austin Aztex, a club managed by former Burnley boss Adrian Heath.

He was released at the end of the 2009 season and signed for American fourth-tier side DFW Tornados (based in Dallas).

After he packed up playing in 2010, he became a coach at the Brentwood Christian School in Austin, Texas.

He returned to the UK and linked up with his former Watford teammate Allan Smart at Daventry Town and subsequently had various coaching and managing roles with non-league sides – Northwood, Burnham and Codicote. In November 2017, he was sacked after Hertfordshire-based Codicote, who play in the 10th tier of English football, lost 12 of their first 14 league matches.

1 GN-W Argus2 GN-W Argus main3 G N-W PA (watford)

Pictures published by The Argus show THAT diving header to score on his Albion debut, and a study in determination to get to the ball. Also a Press Association image of a youthful Gifton in Watford colours.