Garry Nelson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Garry Nelson
Personal information
Full name Garry Paul Nelson
Date of birth January 16, 1961 (age 46)
Place of birth    Braintree, England
Playing position Forward/Winger
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1979-1983
1983-1985
1985-1987
1987-1991
1990
1991-1996
1996-1997
Southend United
Swindon Town
Plymouth Argyle
Brighton & Hove Albion
Notts County (loan)
Charlton Athletic
Torquay United
129 (17)
079 0(7)
074 (20)
144 (47)
002 0(0)
185 (37)
034 0(8)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Garry Nelson (born 16 January 1961 in Braintree, Essex) is a former English footballer who played as a striker and left-sided midfielder for Southend United, Swindon Town, Plymouth Argyle, Brighton, Charlton Athletic and Torquay United (as player/assistant manager) between 1979 and 1997. Garry was named in Plymouth Argyle's team of the century.

Despite playing more than 600 games in The Football League, Nelson is perhaps best known for writing the two books, "Left Foot Forward" and "Left Foot in the Grave". The books are both written in diary form, chronicling a season with Charlton (1994-95) and Torquay (1996-97) respectively. The books have been acclaimed as showing the real life of "ordinary" professional footballers, and became best-sellers. After retiring from the game in 1997, Nelson became commercial executive of the PFA (Professional Footballers Association). He is still playing, regularly turning out for Ford Basildon in the Southend Borough Combination Veterans League.