Norris with Ipswich Town in 2010 |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Martin Norris | ||
| Date of birth | 22 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Peterborough, England | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Portsmouth | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2000 | Boston United | 17 | (8) |
| 2000–2002 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | → Boston United (loan) | 5 | (4) |
| 2002 | → Hull City (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2002 | → Plymouth Argyle (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2002–2008 | Plymouth Argyle | 219 | (26) |
| 2008–2011 | Ipswich Town | 106 | (13) |
| 2011– | Portsmouth | 24 | (5) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:29, 3 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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David Martin Norris (born 22 February 1981) is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Portsmouth as a midfielder, having previously played for Boston United, Bolton Wanderers, Hull City, Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town.
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Having started his career at Stamford AFC, Norris followed manager Steve Evans to Boston United, which was a non-league club at the time. 'Nosher', as he was known, was a popular goal-scoring midfielder and his performances soon attracted the attentions of league clubs. Bolton Wanderers paid Boston £50,000 for the 18-year old in February 2000.
Described by Sam Allardyce as "one for the future", Norris found first team appearances very rare. He was loaned back to Boston within a month of signing to keep himself match fit. He was loaned once again in 2002 to Hull City, for a month, playing 6 games (3 as a sub) and scoring 1 goal. After only making 2 appearances for Bolton in the League Cup and FA Cup, he was loaned to Plymouth Argyle. He had his loan extended to the full three months and was then signed for a fee of £25,000 in October 2002.
He has since acquired the new nickname of "Chuck", and became an integral part of Argyle’s promotion to The Championship in 2004. At the end of the 2005/06 season Norris was named Plymouth Argyle Fans Player of the Season, scoring a goal in the 3–2 win over Sunderland in August.
In the January 2008 transfer window Ipswich Town had two bids rejected by the Plymouth board despite Norris handing in a transfer request. Ipswich lodged one final, increased bid which was finally accepted after brokering a deal with Bolton that would allow Plymouth to receive more than the 50% Norris' clause initially gave them. Norris finally signed for Ipswich Town on 31 January 2008 for an undisclosed fee, signing a contract until 2011.
In November 2008 Norris was heavily criticised for a controversial goal celebration against Blackpool, interpreted as a show of support for jailed friend and former Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick.[1] McCormick was returning from Norris' wedding in June 2008 when he fell asleep at the wheel due to the effects of alcohol and caused the deaths of two young boys.[2] He was sentenced to seven years and four months prison time in October of that year.[3]
The family of the bereaved took offence at Norris' gesture and he was subsequently fined and warned by Ipswich.[4] He was once again caught out when he told the Ipswich website[5] he had not intended the celebration as a show of support to Luke McCormick and the statement was later changed by the club, adding further to the controversy. The statement now reads that the celebration was in fact a message to Luke McCormick. Later that week it was revealed that Norris was fined £25000 by Ipswich and would make a face-to-face apology to Phil and Amanda Peak (the parents of the two boys).[6]
He scored his first goal for the club in the 1–1 draw with Southampton away from home. In the summer of 2011 Norris turned down a new contract extension at Ipswich Town, with the club only prepared to offer him a two-year extension, a year short of the midfielders demands. With rival Championship club Leeds United heavily linked with signing him on a free transfer.[7]
On June 15, 2011 Norris signed for Portsmouth on a free transfer after turning down a new two year deal with Ipswich.[8] On 6 August, in his debut league appearance for Portsmouth, he scored against Middlesbrough in a game which ended 2–2.[9] He scored his second goal for Portsmouth in a match away at West Ham United, which ended 4–3 to the home team. At first it was believed that Benjani Mwaruwari had scored the goal, but replays later showed that Norris had already put the ball over the line when Benjani headed in the rebound.[10] His first goal at Fratton Park came in a 2–0 home victory against Barnsley. With the match goalless, Erik Huseklepp headed the ball down to Norris, who volleyed it into the net from the edge of the penalty area.[11]
Norris qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland, through his mother, who has family in Kildare. Though he has never been selected to play for them, he was contacted by Steve Staunton (Irelands former manager) about playing.[12]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other 1 | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Boston United | |||||||||||
| 1999–00 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 8 | |
| 2000–01 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| Total | 22 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 12 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | |||||||||||
| 2000–01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Hull City | |||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | |||||||||||
| 2002–03 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 6 | |
| 2003–04 | 45 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 5 | |
| 2004–05 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2005–06 | 45 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | 41 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| 2007–08 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 5 | |
| Total | 226 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 243 | 28 | |
| Ipswich Town | |||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | 37 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 11 | |
| Total | 106 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 16 | |
| Portsmouth | |||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 | |
| Total | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 | |
| Career total | 384 | 58 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 420 | 62 | |
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