Gary Briggs (footballer): Difference between revisions

Gary Briggs
Personal information
Date of birth	21 June 1959 (age 65)
Place of birth	Leeds, England
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s)	Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team
1977–1978	Middlesbrough
1978–1989	Oxford United
1989–1995	Blackpool
1995–19??	Chorley
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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Gary Briggs (born 21 June 1959) is an English retired professional footballer. He made over 500 league appearances in an eighteen-year playing career, during which he became known as a no-nonsense, tough-tackling defender, hence his "Rambo" nickname.

Career

In the 1977–78 season, at the age of eighteen, Briggs signed for Middlesbrough but didn't make any first-team appearances for the club. Later that season, he moved to Oxford United. The fee was settled at the Football League's first-ever transfer tribunal.^[1] Briggs spent eleven years at the Manor Ground, where he received the nickname "Rambo" and became a cult hero, winning the club's "Player of the Year" accolade three times. He formed a successful central-defensive partnership with club captain Malcolm Shotton as United won three trophies between 1984 and 1986: the Division Three championship in 1983–84, the Division Two championship the following season, and the League Cup in 1986.^[2]

In May 1989, after 418 league games and 18 league goals for Oxford, Briggs moved back north to Blackpool, where he saw out the rest of his career. "Blackpool looked a club going places – and I want to go with them," he said at the time.^[3] In the 1991–92 season he made 26 appearances in a start-stop season, and was voted the club's Player of the Month for September, October and November 1991.^[4] The 1993–94 campaign ended in nail-biting fashion: a final-day 4–1 victory over Leyton Orient at Bloomfield Road meant the Seasiders avoided relegation by one point.^[5]

In 2002, Briggs played for Bispham Juniors,^[6] whom he later managed.^[7]

In March 2005, Briggs unveiled Executive Box 28 at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium in his name.

References

^ Past Players at OxfordMail.co.uk
^ "The forgotten story of … Oxford United winning the 1986 League Cup" - The Guardian, 27 February 2016
^ Gillatt, Peter (30 November 2009). Blackpool FC On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year. Pitch Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-905411-50-4.
^ Blackpool Evening Gazette, 6 December 1991
^ Ridgway, Mark (2 May 2014). "The Past: Last Day Survivals". Blackpool F.C. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
^ "It's prize day at last for Gary". Blackpool Gazette. 14 March 2002. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
^ "Gary Briggs". Where Are They Now?. Retrieved 19 December 2018.

Sources

Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
Briggs' profile at soccerbase.com
Oxford Dream Team

● Playfair football annuals 1978-79 to 1995-96

[1] Past Players at OxfordMail.co.uk

[2] "The forgotten story of … Oxford United winning the 1986 League Cup" - The Guardian, 27 February 2016

[Gillatt-3] Gillatt, Peter (30 November 2009). Blackpool FC On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year. Pitch Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-905411-50-4.

[4] Blackpool Evening Gazette, 6 December 1991

[5] Ridgway, Mark (2 May 2014). "The Past: Last Day Survivals". Blackpool F.C. Retrieved 19 December 2018.

[6] "It's prize day at last for Gary". Blackpool Gazette. 14 March 2002. Retrieved 19 December 2018.

[7] "Gary Briggs". Where Are They Now?. Retrieved 19 December 2018.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|English footballer}}
-{{Football player infobox
+{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
-| playername= Gary Briggs
+{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
+{{Infobox football biography
+| name= Gary Briggs
 | image =
-| fullname = Gary Briggs
+| fullname =
+| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1959|6|21}}
-| nickname = Rambo
+| birth_place = [[Leeds]], England
-| dateofbirth = {{Birth date and age|1959|6|21|df=y}}
-| cityofbirth = [[Leeds]]
-| countryofbirth = [[England]]
 | height = {{height|ft=6|in=3}}
-| position = [[Defender (football)#Centre back|Centre back]] (retired)
+| position = [[Defender (football)#Centre back|Centre back]]
-| youthyears =
+| youthyears1 =
-| youthclubs =
+| youthclubs1 =
+| years1 = 1977–1978
-| years = 1977-1978<br/>1978-1989<br/>1989-1995<br/>1995-19??
+| years2 = 1978–1989
-| clubs = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]<br/>[[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]]<br/>[[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]]<br/>[[Chorley F.C.|Chorley]]<br/>'''Total'''
+| years3 = 1989–1995
-| caps(goals) =  {{0}}{{0}}0 {{0}}(0)<br/>418 (18)<br/>137 {{0}}(4)<br/>{{0}}{{0}}? {{0}}(?)<br/>'''555 (22)'''
+| years4 = 1995–19??
-| nationalyears =
+| clubs1 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
-| nationalteam =
+| clubs2 = [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]]
-| nationalcaps(goals) =
+| clubs3 = [[Oxford United F.C.|Blackpool]]
-| pcupdate =  23 July 2006
+| clubs4 = [[Chorley F.C.|Chorley]]
+| caps1 = 0
+| caps2 = 420
+| caps3 = 137
+| caps4 = ?
+|  totalcaps = 557
+| goals1 = 0
+| goals2 = 18
+| goals3 = 4
+| goals4 = ?
+|  totalgoals = 22
 }}
+'''Gary Briggs''' (born 21 June 1959) is an English retired professional [[association football|footballer]]. He made over 500 league appearances in an eighteen-year playing career, during which he became known as a no-nonsense, tough-tackling defender, hence his "[[John Rambo|Rambo]]" nickname.
-__FORCETOC__
-'''Gary Briggs''' (born 21 June 1959 in [[Leeds]], [[West Yorkshire]]) is a retired [[England|English]] professional [[football (soccer)|football]] player. He made over 500 league appearances in an eighteen-year playing career, during which he became known as a no-nonsense, tough-tackling defender, hence his "[[John Rambo|Rambo]]" nickname.
 ==Career==
-In the [[1977-78 in English football|1977-78]] season, at the age of eighteen, Briggs signed for [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] but didn't make any first-team appearances for the club. Later that season, he moved to [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]]. The fee was settled at the [[The Football League|Football League]]'s first-ever transfer tribunal.<ref>[http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/oxfordunited/clubhistory/pastplayers/ Past Players at OxfordMail.co.uk]</ref> Briggs spent eleven years at the [[Manor Ground, Oxford|Manor Ground]], where he received the nickname "[[John Rambo|Rambo]]" and became a cult hero. He formed a successful central-defensive partnership with club [[captain (sports)|captain]] [[Malcolm Shotton]] as United won three trophies between 1984 and 1986: the [[Football League Third Division|Division Three]] championship in [[1983-84 in English football|1983-84]], the [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] championship the [[1984-85 in English football|following season]], and the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] in [[1985-86 in English football|1986]].<ref>[http://www.thisisunited.com/history/?subject=matches3 Famous matches: Oxford United 3-0 Queens Park Rangers, Milk (League) Cup Final (20 April 1986)]</ref>
+In the [[1977-78 in English football|1977–78]] season, at the age of eighteen, Briggs signed for [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] but didn't make any first-team appearances for the club. Later that season, he moved to [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]]. The fee was settled at the [[The Football League|Football League]]'s first-ever transfer tribunal.<ref>[http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/oxfordunited/clubhistory/pastplayers/ Past Players at OxfordMail.co.uk]</ref> Briggs spent eleven years at the [[Manor Ground, Oxford|Manor Ground]], where he received the nickname "[[John Rambo|Rambo]]" and became a cult hero, winning the club's "Player of the Year" accolade three times. He formed a successful central-defensive partnership with club captain [[Malcolm Shotton]] as United won three trophies between 1984 and 1986: the [[Football League Third Division|Division Three]] championship in [[1983-84 in English football|1983–84]], the [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] championship the [[1984-85 in English football|following season]], and the [[1986 Football League Cup Final|League Cup in 1986]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/feb/27/the-forgotten-story-of-oxford-united-winning-the-1986-league-cup "The forgotten story of … Oxford United winning the 1986 League Cup"] - ''[[The Guardian]]'', 27 February 2016</ref>
-In May 1989, after 418 league games and eighteen league goals for Oxford, Briggs moved back north to [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]], where he saw out the rest of his career. "{{'}}''Pool'' looked a club going places — and I want to go with them," he said at the time.<ref name=Gillatt>{{cite book|last=Gillatt|first=Peter|title=Blackpool FC on This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year |publisher=Pitch Publishing Ltd|date=30 November 2009|isbn=1905411502}}</ref>
+In May 1989, after 418 league games and 18 league goals for Oxford, Briggs moved back north to [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]], where he saw out the rest of his career. "Blackpool looked a club going places – and I want to go with them," he said at the time.<ref name=Gillatt>{{cite book|last=Gillatt|first=Peter|title=Blackpool FC On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year |publisher=Pitch Publishing Ltd|date=30 November 2009|isbn=978-1-905411-50-4}}</ref> In the [[1991–92 Blackpool F.C. season|1991–92 season]] he made 26 appearances in a start-stop season, and was voted the club's Player of the Month for September, October and November 1991.<ref>''[[Blackpool Gazette|Blackpool Evening Gazette]]'', 6 December 1991</ref> The [[1993–94 Blackpool F.C. season|1993–94 campaign]] ended in nail-biting fashion: a final-day 4–1 victory over [[Leyton Orient F.C.|Leyton Orient]] at Bloomfield Road meant the Seasiders avoided relegation by one point.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/news/2014/may/the-past-last-day-survivals/ |title=The Past: Last Day Survivals |publisher=Blackpool F.C. |date=2 May 2014 |first=Mark |last=Ridgway |access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>
+In 2002, Briggs played for Bispham Juniors,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/it-s-prize-day-at-last-for-gary-1-400651 |title=It's prize day at last for Gary |newspaper=Blackpool Gazette |date=14 March 2002 |access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref> whom he later managed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.where-are-they-now.co.uk/footballer/Briggs+Gary/5784 |title=Gary Briggs |publisher=Where Are They Now? |access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>
-His [[1989-90 in English football|first season]] in [[Lancashire]] was not a successful one: the Seasiders finished second-bottom of Division Three and were relegated to the league's [[Football League Fourth Division|basement division]].  Briggs made seventeen league appearances and scored two goals. His season was ended by injury in late January. One bright note was his goal against [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] in the second round of the League Cup at [[Bloomfield Road]] on October 3, 1989. The game finished 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout, which the Tangerines won 5-4 and progressed to a third-round meeting with [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]].
+In March 2005, Briggs unveiled Executive Box 28 at Oxford United's [[Kassam Stadium]] in his name.
-[[Graham Carr]] was installed as the new manager prior to the [[1990-91 in English football|1990-91]] season, but he too left just five months into the job. Carr's assistant, [[Billy Ayre]], was promoted to the hot seat. It was under Ayre's guidance that Briggs' career would once more flourish. After Ayre's appointment (at which point the team lay eighteenth in the table), Blackpool went on to lose only five of their remaining thirty league games. It was during this period that a new (and still existing) club record was set: thirteen consecutive home wins during an eventual twenty-four-game unbeaten run at Bloomfield Road. Blackpool finished the season in fifth place, missing automatic promotion by a single point, and qualified for the play-offs. After defeating [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe]] in the two-legged semi-final, Blackpool were returning to [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] for the first time in thirty-eight years, where they would face [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay]] in the final. Briggs missed out on the crunch match due to an injury sustained in the second leg of the semi-final against Scunthorpe. He made thirty appearances during the league campaign. In the final, Torquay won on penalties and Blackpool were condemned to another season of Fourth Division football.
+==References==
-The [[1991-92 in English football|1991-92]] season followed along the same lines. After finishing fourth (again missing out on automatic promotion by a point), Blackpool made the play-offs. After defeating [[Barnet F.C.|Barnet]] in the semi-final, the Tangerines met Scunthorpe in the final. Frustratingly for Briggs, he sat out a second Wembley appearance because of injury, this one picked up in a defeat at [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham]] with only two games remaining. He made twenty-six appearances in a start-stop season, and was voted the club's Player of the Month for September, October and November 1991.<ref>''[[Blackpool Gazette|Blackpool Evening Gazette]]'', 6 December 1991</ref>
-In the final, and in another penalty shoot-out, Blackpool this time came out on top and would be playing the [[1992-93 in English football|1992-93]] season in the new [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]].
-Briggs' fourth at the seaside saw Blackpool finish in eighteenth place, just four points above the relegation zone. Local rivals [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] were one of the four teams that made the drop.
-The [[1993-94 in English football|1993-94]] campaign ended in nailbiting fashion. A final-day [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=219715 4-1 victory] over [[Leyton Orient F.C.|Leyton Orient]] at Bloomfield Road meant the Seasiders had avoided relegation by one point.
-Billy Ayre ended his three-and-a-half-year association with Blackpool in the summer of 1994 and was replaced by [[Sam Allardyce]]. Briggs ended his professional career the following May. His league record for Blackpool: 137 games and four goals. He joined [[Chorley F.C.|Chorley]] to see out the remainder of his playing days.
-In March 2005, Briggs unveiled Executive Box 27 at Oxford United's [[Kassam Stadium]] in his name.<ref>[http://utdwestand.ms11.net/iframes/March%202005%20News.htm Past News Page Checkout www<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
-In 2006, Briggs played for Bispham Juniors.<ref>http://www.fyldesport.com/print.php?sid=510</ref>
-==Personal life==
-Briggs lives in [[Bispham]] and currently works as a [[civil servant]].<ref>[http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~917670,00.html "Part Three of Where Are They Now?] - Blackpool F.C.'s official website</ref>
-==Honours==
-'''Oxford United'''
-*'''[[Football League Third Division|Division Three]] championship:''' [[1983-84 in English football|1983-84]]
-*'''[[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] championship:''' [[1984-85 in English football|1984-85]]
-*'''[[Football League Cup|League Cup]] winner:''' [[1985-86 in English football|1985-86]]
-'''Blackpool'''
-*'''[[Football League Fourth Division|Division Four]] play-off winner:''' [[Blackpool F.C. season 1991-92#Play-offs|1991-92]]
-*'''Lancashire Cup winner:''' [[1993-94 in English football|1993-94]], [[1994-95 in English football|1994-95]]
-==Notes==
 {{reflist}}
-==References==
+==Sources==
-*{{cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| coauthors= | title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992 | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | location= | year=1992 | editor= | isbn=1-873626-07-X}}
+*{{cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992 | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | year=1992 | isbn=1-873626-07-X}}
-*[http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=976 Briggs' profile at soccerbase.com]
+*[https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=976 Briggs' profile at soccerbase.com]
+*[https://www.oufc.co.uk/teams/dream-team/defender/gary-briggs/ Oxford Dream Team]
-*[http://www.thisisunited.com/history/?subject=players4 Oxford United profile]
+● Playfair football annuals 1978-79 to 1995-96
-==External links==
-*[http://www.oufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LegendsDetail/0,,10342~76937,00.html Oxford Legends]
-*[http://www.oxfordmail.net/_images/misc/Oxford_United/briggs.jpg A photograph of a bloody Briggs in an Oxford shirt in the late 1980s]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Briggs, Gary}}
 [[Category:1959 births]]
 [[Category:Living people]]
-[[Category:People from Leeds]]
+[[Category:Footballers from Leeds]]
-[[Category:English footballers]]
+[[Category:English men's footballers]]
+[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
 [[Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players]]
 [[Category:Oxford United F.C. players]]
 [[Category:Blackpool F.C. players]]
+[[Category:Chorley F.C. players]]
+[[Category:English Football League players]]