Gary West

For the Australian politician, see Garry West. For the Australian cyclist, see Gary West (cyclist).

Gary West
Personal information
Full name Gary West[1]
Date of birth (1964-08-25) 25 August 1964 (age 60)
Place of birth Scunthorpe, England
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Sheffield United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1985 Sheffield United 75 (1)
1985–1987 Lincoln City 83 (4)
1987–1989 Gillingham 52 (3)
1989–1991 Port Vale 17 (1)
1990 → Gillingham (loan) 1 (0)
1991 → Lincoln City (loan) 3 (0)
1991–1992 Lincoln City 18 (1)
1992 → Walsall (loan) 9 (1)
1992–1993 Boston United 9 (0)
Total 267+ (11+)
International career
1982 England Youth 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gary West (born 25 August 1964) is an English former footballer. He made 250 appearances in the English Football League between 1982 and 1993, playing for numerous clubs, most notably Sheffield United, Lincoln City and Gillingham.

Career

Sheffield United

West began his career with Sheffield United, playing 75 league games for the "Blades" between 1982 and 1985. The 1983–84 season saw the club promoted from the Third Division in third place. They consolidated their Second Division status the next season, though following this, West secured a £35,000 move to Lincoln City in August 1985.

Lincoln City

The "Imps" suffered relegation into the Fourth Division in 1985–86. They then crashed out of the Football League in 1986–87, finishing behind Torquay United thanks to their inferior goal difference; West was voted the club's Player of the Season.

Gillingham

West escaped Lincoln's fate of non-League football by signing with Gillingham of the Third Division for a £50,000 fee. He spent the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons with the "Gills".[3] The club were relegation in his second season, West again escaped the fate of relegation, having been sold to Port Vale for £70,000 in February 1989.[4]

Later career

His first Vale game was at Bramall Lane, a goalless draw on 28 February 1989. He played fourteen games for the club that season, as well as playing both the semi-finals and the final of the play-offs.[4] He struggled with cartilage troubles and played just three games for Vale the next season, instead being loaned out to old club Gillingham in November 1990. He played just one league game for the "Gills" in his one-month loan. In January 1991, he joined another old club on loan, staying a month at Sincil Bank, where he played three games.[4] In August 1991 he joined Lincoln City permanently for £25,000.[4] He played eighteen league games for City in the 1991–92 season and also spent time on loan at Walsall before dropping into non-League football with Boston United.[4]

Career statistics

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sheffield United 1982–83 Second Division 26 1 1 0 1 0 28 1
1983–84 Second Division 24 0 5 0 2 0 31 0
1984–85 Third Division 25 0 1 0 2 0 28 0
Total 75 1 7 0 5 0 87 1
Lincoln City 1985–86 Third Division 38 2 1 0 3 0 42 2
1986–87 Fourth Division 45 2 1 0 6 0 52 2
Total 83 4 2 0 9 0 94 4
Gillingham 1987–88 Third Division 42 2 3 0 5 0 50 2
1988–89 Third Division 10 1 0 0 3 0 13 1
Total 52 3 3 0 8 0 63 3
Gillingham (loan) 1990–91 Fourth Division 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
Port Vale 1988–89 Third Division 14 1 0 0 3 0 17 1
1989–90 Second Division 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
Total 17 1 0 0 4 0 21 1
Lincoln City 1990–91 Fourth Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
1991–92 Fourth Division 18 1 1 0 5 1 24 2
Total 21 1 1 0 5 1 27 2
Walsall (loan) 1992–93 Third Division 9 1 1 0 2 0 12 1
Career total 258 11 14 0 34 1 306 12

Honours

Individual

Sheffield United

Port Vale

References

  1. ^ "Gary West". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ Rollin, Jack, ed. (1980). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 218. ISBN 0362020175.
  3. ^ Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 332. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 305. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  5. ^ Gary West at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  6. ^ Kent, Jeff (1989). Port Vale Promotion Chronicle 1988-1989: Back to Where We Once Belonged!. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-3-9.