Stuart Lovell

Stuart Lovell

Personal information
Full name	Stuart Andrew Lovell[1]
Date of birth	(1972-01-09) 9 January 1972 (age 53)
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Striker; Midfielder
Youth career
	Reading
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1998	Reading	227	(58)
1998–2001	Hibernian	88	(17)
2001–2005	Livingston	87	(6)
2005–2006	Queen of the South	38	(1)
Total		440	(82)
International career
2000	Australia	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stuart Andrew Lovell (born 9 January 1972 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian professional footballer, who played as a striker early in his career, before reverting to a midfield role later in his career.[2]

Playing career

Lovell was born in Sydney, Australia[3] and spent his childhood in Reading, Berkshire.[4] He joined the local professional team and was part of the Reading team that narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the 1994–95 season.[2] He had a penalty kick saved in the playoff final against Bolton Wanderers when Reading were leading 2–0; they eventually lost 4–3 after extra time.[2][4]

After damaging a cruciate ligament in 1997 and almost having his career ended as a result, Lovell moved to Scottish club Hibernian in 1998, ultimately prolonging his career by nearly a decade.

Hibs were in the First Division at the time and he was part of the team who won promotion back to the Scottish Premier League by winning the First Division. He was capped twice by Australia and was a Hibs first team regular as they finished a creditable third in the SPL and reached the 2000-01 Scottish Cup Final.

In the summer of 2001, Lovell surprisingly left Hibs to sign for SPL newcomers Livingston, who he helped to finish third in their first season in the SPL. He subsequently skippered the club to their only major trophy to date, the Scottish League Cup in 2004. Livingston defeated Hibs 2–0 in the final.[5]

Lovell retired after a 15-month spell with Dumfries club Queen of the South, where he also had a spell as caretaker manager.[6]

Post-playing career

Lovell has since done media work, appearing on Setanta Sports and Sky Sports,[7] and writing a column for the Edinburgh Evening News.[8] He also commentates for Hibs TV[9] and has served as a representative of PFA Scotland.[10]

As of 2022, Lovell is a Network Programme Manager for Street Soccer.[11][12]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[13]

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Reading	1990–91	Third Division	30	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	32	2
	1991–92	Third Division	24	4	4	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	30	6
	1992–93	Second Division	22	8	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	26	8
	1993–94	Second Division	45	20	2	0	4	2	0	0	3	0	54	22
	1994–95	First Division	30	11	1	0	4	1	0	0	6	4	41	16
	1995–96	First Division	35	7	2	0	3	2	0	0	0	0	40	9
	1996–97	First Division	26	5	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	28	5
	1997–98	First Division	15	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	1
	Reading total		227	58	16	2	13	5	0	0	13	4	269	69
Hibernian	1998–99	Scottish First Division	31	11	2	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	36	12
	1999–2000	Scottish Premier League	26	1	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	32	2
	2000–01	Scottish Premier League	31	5	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	36	5
	Hibernian total		88	17	10	1	6	1	0	0	0	0	104	19
Livingston	2001–02	Scottish Premier League	27	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	28	4
	2002–03	Scottish Premier League	15	1	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	18	2
	2003–04	Scottish Premier League	25	1	5	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	34	1
	2004–05	Scottish Premier League	20	1	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	24	1
	Livingston total		87	6	7	0	8	1	2	1	0	0	104	8
Queen of the South	2004–05	Scottish First Division	12	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	0
	2005–06	Scottish First Division	26	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	30	2
	QoS total		38	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	42	2
Career total			440	82	35	3	28	7	2	1	14	5	519	98

Honours

Club

Reading

• Football League Second Division: 1993–94

Hibernian

• Scottish Football League First Division: 1998–99

Livingston

• Scottish League Cup: 2003–04[14]

References

1. "Stuart Lovell". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
2. "Lovell indulges in title horseplay". BBC Sport. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
3. getreading (27 March 2006). "Lovell: These lads took a monkey off my back". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
4. "TTE Pod: Stuart Lovell Interview". The Tilehurst End. 28 March 2016.
5. Smith, Aidan (27 February 2021). "Stuart Lovell on Hibs cup heartache, Livingston Hampden glory, doing the running for Latapy and Sauzee and his new charity role". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
6. "Lovell takes over as Scott leaves". BBC Sport. 1 November 2005.
7. Fort, Hugh (14 June 2015). "Reading FC: Where are the 1995 play-off final side now?". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
8. Lovell, Stuart (16 June 2008). "Euro treats all round as tournament off to a flier". Edinburgh Evening News.
9. "How To Watch: Hearts (A)". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
10. "Stirling Albion cash for trial scheme criticised". BBC Sport. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
11. Clark, Alasdair (2 April 2022). "Former Hibs star Stuart Lovell gets Fifers on to the pitch in free coaching programme". The Courier. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
12. Bryan, Matt (6 November 2022). "Ex pro launches free footy sessions in Lanarkshire alongside recovery group". Daily Record.
13. "Stuart Lovell". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
14. "Livingston lift CIS Cup". BBC Sport. 14 March 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2011.

• Jeffrey, Jim (2005). The Men Who Made Hibernian F.C. since 1946. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-3091-2.

External links

• Stuart Lovell at Soccerbase