| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dominic John Blizzard[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 September 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | High Wycombe, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Yeovil Town | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Watford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2007 | Watford | 29 | (2) |
| 2007 | → Stockport County (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Milton Keynes Dons (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2007 | Milton Keynes Dons | 0 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Stockport County | 58 | (4) |
| 2009–2011 | Bristol Rovers | 39 | (1) |
| 2011 | → Port Vale (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2011– | Yeovil Town | 13 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:31, 2 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Dominic John Blizzard (born 2 September 1983 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English football midfielder who plays for League One side Yeovil Town.
Working his way through the Watford youth side, he turned professional at the club in 2002. In 2007 he joined Stockport County and then Milton Keynes Dons on loan, before signing with the Dons permanently later in the year. He left the Dons after just a few months, and then signed with Stockport. In 2009 he transferred to Bristol Rovers, before leaving the club following a brief period on loan at Port Vale in 2011. He signed with Yeovil Town in summer 2011.
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Blizzard started his career with Watford, signing his first professional contract in April 2002.[2] He made his debut for the club against Norwich City on 24 April 2004 at Vicarage Road, scoring the consolation goal in a 2–1 defeat.[3] This was enough to win him a new contract at the end of the season.[4] After making a number of appearances in 2004–05, he signed a new deal in February 2005 that would keep him at the club until summer 2007.[5] The following month he became a first-team regular when Aidy Boothroyd replaced Ray Lewington as manager.
He started the 2005–06 season in the first-team, but contracted the Epstein-Barr virus in late September and did not play a first-team game for Watford again.[6] He returned to the bench for a single game, on 14 April 2006, wearing a goalkeeper's kit. With second choice goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain out ill, the semi-fit Blizzard took the substitute goalkeeper spot, having played the position as a child. Having made just one first-team appearance in 2006–07, Blizzard spent the second half of the season on loan at Stockport County and Milton Keynes Dons.[7] He played in both of the "Dons" play-off games, which saw them lose 2–1 on aggregate to Shrewsbury Town.
In May 2007, he signed a two year deal with the MK Dons.[8] However on 8 August it was announced that Blizzard had left the Dons by mutual consent,[9] after new boss Paul Ince was unimpressed with his pre-season performances.[10] Two days later, Stockport confirmed Blizzard would be re-joining the club as a free agent. He helped County into the play-offs during his first season at Edgeley Park, but missed the final itself due to a hamstring injury.
Despite there being reported interest from Championship clubs, Blizzard joined League One club Bristol Rovers on a free transfer in July 2009, having agreed the deal over a week earlier.[11] He signed a three year deal.[12] Despite missing most of the pre-season due to suffering from influenza,[13][14] he made his debut as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to Leyton Orient on 8 August 2009. On 15 February 2010, he made a challenge on Charlton Athletic's Grant Basey that "Addicks" boss Phil Parkinson described as "one of the worst I've seen".[15] Though at first there were concerns that he had broken Basey's leg, the resulting injury turned out to be ankle ligament damage.[16] This came ten days after Blizzard had told that the media that he was frustrated with being left on the bench.[17] He was a regular starter for the rest of the season.[18]
During the 2010–11 season, Blizzard lost his starting place in the "Pirates" first eleven, as new signing Wayne Brown came in and took his place. He gained his first start of the season in September, after Brown was ruled out with an ankle problem.[19] Two months later manager Paul Trollope announced his intention to try to find a club for Blizzard to join on loan.[20] In March 2011, he joined Port Vale on loan until the end of the season; this reunited him with Jim Gannon, his former boss at Stockport.[21] His spell would last a matter of days however. Arriving on the 18th, he played in the 3–0 defeat to Accrington Stanley on the 19th, and returned to Rovers on the 21st after Gannon was sacked.[22][23] He departed parent club Rovers by mutual consent in June 2011.[24]
In July 2011, Blizzard joined Yeovil Town on a one year contract.[25] He scored his first goal for the club in the FA Cup, hitting a twenty yard drive in a 3–0 win away to Hereford United.[26]
Blizzard can play anywhere across the midfield, though preferring a central role he can play as an attacking or defensive midfielder.[2] He has been described as a skilled passing footballer.[12]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2003–04[27] | Watford | First Division | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2004–05[28] | Watford | Championship | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2005–06[29] | Watford | Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 2006–07[30] | Watford | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006–07[30] | Stockport County | League Two | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2006–07[30] | Milton Keynes Dons | League Two | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2007–08[31] | Stockport County | League Two | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 2 |
| 2008–09[32] | Stockport County | League One | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| 2009–10[33] | Bristol Rovers | League One | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 2010–11[34] | Bristol Rovers | League One | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2010–11[34] | Port Vale | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011–12[35] | Yeovil Town | League One | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| Total | England | 156 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 177 | 11 | |
| Career total | 156 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 177 | 11 | ||
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