Simon Garner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Simon Garner | ||
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simon Garner | |
| Date of birth | November 23, 1959 (age 47) | |
| Place of birth | Boston, England | |
| Playing position | Striker | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1978-1992 1992-1994 1994-1996 1996 |
Blackburn Rovers West Bromwich Albion Wycombe Wanderers → Torquay United (loan) |
484 (168) 33 (8) 66 (15) 11 (1) |
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1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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Simon Garner (born November 23, 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire) is an English former professional footballer. He is the record goal scorer for the English club Blackburn Rovers.
Garner was educated at Boston Grammar School and played for local club Boston United. He joined Blackburn Rovers as an apprentice, turning professional in July 1978. His debut came the following season against Newcastle United in 1978 at St. James' Park, the first of 484 league games for Rovers, in which he scored 168 goals. In his final season at Ewood Park, he helped fulfil chairman Jack Walker's dream as Blackburn were promoted in time for the first Premier League season.
That summer, in August 1992, he moved to West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £30,000. He made 33 league appearances for the Baggies, scoring 8 more goals before moving to league newcomers Wycombe Wanderers in February 1994 on a free transfer, and helping them to promotion in their first season in the league by scoring in both legs of the play-off semi-final against Carlisle United, and also in the play-off final at Wembley against Preston North End.
In January 1996, he moved to Torquay United on loan, playing 11 league games, but only scoring 1 goal for Eddie May's side. After 66 league games for Wycombe, scoring 15 goals, he left to join non-league Woking on a free transfer in June 1996.
He also spent some time in an open prison after being found guilty of contempt of court relating to his divorce case and sentenced to nine months in jail in November 1996. He was released a month later after apologising to the courts. He later joined Wealdstone, where he spent two years, before moving on to Windsor & Eton and finally, in October 1999, to Flackwell Heath before hanging up his boots at the end of the 1999-2000 season to concentrate fully on his painting and decorating business, Home Design Decorators.
He had previously spent a spell working as a postman. On the 24th of August 2000, Garner returned to Wycombe Wanderers as head of their pre-match entertainment, a post he was still fulfilling in October 2000, while continuing with his decorating business.
In 2002 he published his autobiography, entitled There's only one Simon Garner.
