Brian Talbot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the comic book artist, see Bryan Talbot.

Brian Talbot (born July 21, 1953) is an English football manager and former player.

[edit] Playing career

A midfielder, Talbot began his footballing career as an apprentice with Ipswich Town in 1968, turning professional in 1972; in the meantime he had spent two seasons on loan with Canadian club Toronto Metros. He made 227 appearances for Ipswich, and won the 1978 FA Cup with the club, before moving to Arsenal in January 1979 for a fee of £450,000.

Talbot immediately became a first-team player at Arsenal. He played for the Gunners in the FA Cup final of that year, scoring a goal in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United; Talbot thus achieved the rare distinction of winning the FA Cup with two different teams in consecutive seasons. The following year he set a club record, as an ever-present in Arsenal's marathon 1979-80 season, when he played a total of 70 matches in a single season (the club reached the finals of both the FA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, but lost them both).

Talbot's impressive stamina and fitness meant he played nearly every Arsenal first-team game for the next five seasons, missing fewer than half a dozen League games. In all, the strong and sturdy midfielder played 327 first-team matches for the Gunners, scoring 49 goals. He also played for England, five times while at Ipswich and once as an Arsenal player.

After leaving Arsenal in June 1985 he went on to play for Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and Aldershot. From 1984 to 1988 Talbot was also chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.

[edit] Managerial career

Talbot first tasted football management with West Bromwich Albion, where he served as player-manager from November 1988 to January 1991. His departure from West Brom coincided with the famous 4-2 FA Cup defeat at the hands of Woking. He then managed Aldershot (February–November 1991) and subsequently Maltese club Hibernians, where his team won the island's Premier League in 1993 and 1994.

Talbot 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 Third Division playoffs in 2002 but lost in the final. In their second season in the League they secured the 2003 Division Three Championship, but were relegated the following season, Talbot having left the club in March 2004 after seven years to take over at Oldham Athletic.

Talbot succeeded in keeping Oldham in the Football League Second Division in 2004, but resigned in March 2005. In May 2005 he signed a two-year contract as manager of Oxford United before the final game of the 2004-05 season. However, after an unsuccessful stint in charge, Talbot was sacked in March 2006 by Oxford, leaving the club 22nd in League Two and destined to lose their League status at the end of the season.

In April 2006 Talbot was offered, and later accepted, a contract to manage Marsaxlokk F.C., a Maltese Premiership team.

[edit] References

Preceded by
Ron Atkinson		 West Bromwich Albion F.C. manager
1988-1991		 Succeeded by
Bobby Gould
Preceded by
Len Walker		 Aldershot F.C. manager
1991		 Succeeded by
Ian McDonald
Preceded by
Roger Ashby		 Rushden & Diamonds F.C. manager
1997-2004		 Succeeded by
Barry Hunter
Preceded by
David Eyres & John Sheridan
(caretakers)		 Oldham Athletic F.C. manager
2004-2005		 Succeeded by
Tony Philliskirk (caretaker)
Preceded by
David Oldfield (caretaker)		 Oxford United F.C. manager
2005-2006		 Succeeded by
Darren Patterson (caretaker)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/r/i/Brian_Talbot_2104.html"