Brian Talbot
Talbot in 1978
Personal information
Full name Brian Ernest Talbot[1]
Date of birth (1953-07-21) 21 July 1953[1]
Place of birth Ipswich,[1] England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1968–1971 Ipswich Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1979 Ipswich Town 177 (25)
1971 → Toronto Metros (loan) 10 (2)
1972 → Toronto Metros (loan) 10 (2)
1979–1985 Arsenal 254 (40)
1985–1986 Watford 48 (8)
1986–1988 Stoke City 54 (5)
1988–1990 West Bromwich Albion 74 (5)
1990–1991 Fulham 5 (1)
1990–1992 Aldershot 11 (0)
1992–1993 Sudbury Town 6 (0)
Total 621 (89)
International career
1976 England U21 1 (0)
1977–1980 England 6 (0)
1978–1980 England B 8 (3)
Managerial career
1988–1991 West Bromwich Albion
1991 Aldershot
1993–1996 Hibernians
1997–2004 Rushden & Diamonds
2004–2005 Oldham Athletic
2005–2006 Oxford United
2006–2008 Marsaxlokk
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953) is an English former football player and manager. He was capped six times for the England national team.

Talbot played in midfield for Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and Aldershot of the Football League, for non-league club Sudbury Town,[3] and for the Toronto Metros of the North American Soccer League. He then went into management with West Bromwich Albion, Aldershot, Rushden & Diamonds, Oldham Athletic, Oxford United, and two Maltese clubs, Hibernians and Marsaxlokk.

Between 1984 and 1988, Talbot was chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.[4]

Club career

A midfielder, Talbot began his football apprenticeship with Ipswich Town in 1968, during which he spent two seasons on loan with Canadian club Toronto Metros of the North American Soccer League, turning professional in 1972.[5][6] He made 227 appearances for Ipswich,[7] and won the 1977–78 FA Cup with the club.[8] In the semi-final against West Bromwich Albion, Talbot scored the first goal after seven minutes, but was injured in the act of scoring when he collided head-to-head with Albion's skipper, John Wile. Wile played with a bandaged head for the remainder of the contest while Talbot needed three stitches in a cut above the eye and was unable to continue.[9] In 2013, Talbot was inducted into the Ipswich Town F.C. Hall of Fame.[10]

In January 1979, Talbot moved to Arsenal for a fee of £450,000.[8] He went straight into the first team and played for the Gunners in that year's FA Cup final, scoring in a 3–2 victory over Manchester United, the first player for more than 100 years to win the FA Cup with two different teams in consecutive seasons.[11] The following year he set a club record, as an ever-present in Arsenal's marathon 70-match 1979–80 season;[11] the club reached the finals of both the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup, but lost them both.[12]

Because of his stamina and fitness, Talbot missed "at most, a handful" of Arsenal's first-team matches. In all, he played 327 first-team matches for the Gunners, scoring 49 goals,[13] and was voted in at number 23 in a 2016 poll of Arsenal's greatest 50 players.[11]

He left Arsenal in June 1985, spending a season and a half at Watford before joining his old Ipswich Town teammate Mick Mills at Stoke City in October 1986,[14] where he helped the Potters climb the table only to fall six points short of a play-off place.[14] During the 1987–88 he made 27 appearances before he left in January 1988 for West Bromwich. Talbot played three years for the Baggies, mostly as player-manager,[14] ending his Football League career with brief spells at Fulham in March 1991, then with Aldershot,[1][15] and finally with Sudbury Town of the Eastern Counties League.[3][16]

International career

Talbot played as an over-age player in England's first match at under-21 level, a goalless friendly with Wales in December 1976.[17] He made his senior debut on 28 May 1977, as a second-half substitute in a 2–1 win against Northern Ireland in the 1976–77 British Home Championship, and his first start on 4 June in the same competition against Scotland at Wembley. He started England's next three matches, on a South American tour later in June.[18] Between 1978 and 1980, he played eight matches for England B, scoring three goals,[19] and made his sixth and final senior appearance – the only one he made as an Arsenal player – in May 1980 against Australia in Sydney.[18][20]

Managerial career

Talbot's managerial debut came with West Bromwich Albion, where he served as player-manager from February 1989 to January 1991. His tenure started well, with the side challenging for promotion. But a collapse during the final weeks of the 1988–89 season meant they failed even to qualify for the playoffs. The following season saw the team only narrowly survive in the Second Division, and the struggle continued into the 1990–91 season. Talbot was dismissed by Albion after a 4–2 FA Cup defeat at the hands of non-league Woking; the team ended the season with relegation to the Third Division for the first time ever.[21] After leaving Albion, he joined Fulham and played five times in the Third Division, scoring once, before being appointed player-manager of Fourth Division strugglers Aldershot, who were deep in debt. After a dismal start to the 1991–92 season, Talbot left the Shots in November 1991 and was succeeded by Ian McDonald; four months later the club went bust and were forced out of the Football League.[22] Talbot then led Maltese Premier League club Hibernians to the league title in 1993 and 1994.[23]

He returned to English club football as part of the coaching staff of Rushden and Diamonds, then in the Football Conference, in 1997. After a spell as head coach he was appointed club manager before the start of the 1999–2000 season. At the end of the 2000–01 season Rushden secured promotion to the Football League under his management. The team reached the Division Three playoffs in 2002 but lost in the final. In their second season in the League they secured the 2002–03 Division Three title, but were relegated the following season, Talbot having left the club in March 2004 after seven years to take over at Oldham Athletic.[24]

Talbot succeeded in keeping Oldham in Division Two in 2004, then the following season he took them into the third round of the FA Cup, in which the Latics produced a shock result to beat local Premier League team Manchester City 1–0 thanks to a goal from Scott Vernon.[25] But results in the League were not the same: following a defeat to Bolton Wanderers, the team went on a seven-match losing streak which led to Talbot's departure by mutual consent on 24 February 2005 following a 5–1 defeat at Bristol City.[26] He signed a two-year contract as manager of Oxford United before the final game of the 2004–05 season.[27] After an unsuccessful stint in charge, Talbot was sacked in mid-March 2006 with the team 22nd in League Two, having not won since 2 January and destined to lose their League status at the end of the season.[28]

Talbot made a quick return to management in Malta with Marsaxlokk, and guided them to the domestic league title and a place in the UEFA Champions League.[23] Following a disappointing start to the 2008–09 Maltese Premier League season, Marsaxlokk appointed former Msida Saint-Joseph manager Patrick Curmi as the club's new head coach on 17 December 2008. Talbot remained with the club until early 2011 in the role of technical director.[29]

In February 2011, he joined English Premier League club Fulham as European scout.[8] He was promoted to chief scout and assistant director of football operations in February 2017.[30]

Personal life

Talbot has a son, Daniel Talbot, who is also a footballer.[31]

Career statistics

As a player

Source:[32]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ipswich Town 1973–74 First Division 153100020183
1974–75 First Division 4089051215610
1975–76 First Division 192301000232
1976–77 First Division 425303061546
1977–78 First Division 404733061568
1978–79 First Division 213001040262
Total 1772523313120323332
Toronto Metros (loan) 1971 NASL 102–––102
1972 NASL 102–––102
Total 204–––204
Arsenal 1978–79 First Division 200620000262
1979–80 First Division 42111271100704
1980–81 First Division 407104000457
1981–82 First Division 427105041528
1982–83 First Division 4297170205810
1983–84 First Division 276101000296
1984–85 First Division 41103230004712
Total 2544030727115132749
Watford 1985–86 First Division 417802000517
1986–87 First Division 7000100080
Total 487803000597
Stoke City 1986–87 Second Division 323510000374
1987–88 Second Division 222201120273
Total 545711120647
West Bromwich Albion 1987–88 Second Division 152000000152
1988–89 Second Division 392200010422
1989–90 Second Division 201203110262
Total 745403120836
Fulham 1990–91 Third Division 5100000051
Aldershot 1990–91 Fourth Division 100000000100
1991–92 Fourth Division 1000100020
Total 110001000120
Career Total 643877211484394803106
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the FA Charity Shield, Football League Trophy, UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

International

Source:[33]

National teamYearAppsGoals
England 197750
198010
Total60

As a manager

Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
West Bromwich Albion 2 November 1988 8 January 1991 114 34 39 41 029.82
Rushden & Diamonds 1 March 1997 8 March 2004 341 163 88 90 047.80
Oldham Athletic 10 March 2004 25 February 2005 55 20 14 21 036.36
Oxford United 6 May 2005 14 March 2006 44 10 16 18 022.73
Total 554 227 157 170 040.97

Honours

As a player

Ipswich Town

Arsenal

Individual

As a manager

Hibernians

Rushden & Diamonds

Marsaxlokk

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Brian Talbot". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 348. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. 1 2 "Brian Talbot". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  4. ↑ Harding, John. "The Brian Talbot Years: 1984–88". Professional Footballers' Association. Archived from the original on 4 January 2004.
  5. ↑ "Players: Stuart–Trotter" (PDF). Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016. Trefor Jones. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  6. ↑ "North American Soccer League Players: Brian Talbot". nasljerseys.com. Dave Morrison. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Player A–Z: Brian Talbot". prideofanglia.com. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Ferguson, Blair (25 January 2015). "The Ex-Files: Brian Talbot". twtd.co.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  9. ↑ Garnham, Nick (12 March 2008). "Brian paid the price for moment of glory". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  10. 1 2 Pearce, Steve (12 April 2013). "Hall of Fame: Talbot, Brazil and Stockwell added to roll of honour at Town". Ipswich Town F.C. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Greatest 50 Players – 23. Brian Talbot". Arsenal F.C. 13 June 2016. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 "Defining moments: Brian Talbot". Arsenal F.C. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Brian Talbot". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 3 August 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 978-0-9524151-0-7.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Brian Talbot". League Managers Association. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  16. ↑ Brammer, Chris (1 May 2013). "Ipswich Town Hall of Fame star recalls glory days". East Anglian Daily Times. Ipswich. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  17. ↑ "England's matches: the under 21s: 1976–1990". englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  18. 1 2 "Brian Talbot". englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  19. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (22 May 2014). "England – International Results B-Team – Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  20. ↑ "Brian Talbot". The Football Association. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  21. ↑ "Stars in stripes: 1990/91". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
    Suart, Paul (13 July 2016). "West Brom: The forgotten Hawthorns chapter that was the making of potential England boss Big Sam Allardyce". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  22. ↑ "Aldershot FC 1926–1992 (liquidated)". Aldershot Town F.C. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Baldacchino, Carmel (5 February 2015). "Talbot leads Hibs, Marsaxlokk to glory". Times of Malta. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  24. ↑ "Rushden & Diamonds Football Club History". Rushden & Diamonds F.C. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2017 – via rdfc1992.com.
    Nisbet, John (11 March 2004). "Talbot takes Oldham offer after quitting Diamonds". The Independent. London. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  25. ↑ Whittell, Ian (9 January 2005). "Vernon's cool finish puts freeze on City". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  26. ↑ "Oldham results 2004/05". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
    "Boss Talbot leaves Boundary Park". BBC Sport. 24 February 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  27. ↑ "Talbot takes over". Oxford United F.C. 6 May 2005. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005.
  28. ↑ "Talbot dismissed as Oxford boss". BBC Sport. 14 March 2006. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
    Crabtree, David; Williams, Chris; Brodetsky, Martin (15 February 2012). "Oxford United FC history". Oxford United F.C. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  29. ↑ "Curmi replaces Talbot at Marsaxlokk". UEFA. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  30. ↑ Gourley, Aaron (24 February 2017). "Fulham owner makes football operations appointments". fcbusiness.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  31. ↑ Broadbent, Rick (31 January 2005). "Day to forget for Talbot". The Times. London. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  32. ↑ Brian Talbot at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  33. ↑ Talbot, Brian at National-Football-Teams.com
  34. ↑ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 141.
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