Gordon Simmonite

Gordon Simmonite
Personal information
Full nameGordon Simmonite[1]
Date of birth25 April 1957[1]
Place of birthSheffield, England
Playing positionFull back
Youth career
–Rotherham United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
197?–1978Sheffield Wednesday1(0)
1978–1980Boston United[lower-alpha 1]33(1)
1980–1982Blackpool63(1)
1982–1988Lincoln City85(0)
1988–19xxGainsborough Trinity
19xx–199xMatlock Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Gordon Simmonite (born 25 April 1957) is an English former professional footballer who made 136 appearances in the Football League playing for Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool and Lincoln City.[4] He also played non-league football for Boston United, Gainsborough Trinity and Matlock Town. He played as a full back.

Life and career

Simmonite was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire,[1] and began his football career as an apprentice with Rotherham United. He then joined Sheffield Wednesday,[4] for whom he played just once in the Third Division – in a 2–0 defeat away to Chesterfield in February 1977[5] – before moving into non-league football with Northern Premier League club Boston United the following year. He was voted the club's player of the year in his first season,[6] and won five caps for the England semi-professional national team.[7]

In 1980, Simmonite returned to the Football League with Third Division Blackpool for a £15,000 fee.[6] He made his debut in a 3–0 defeat at Brentford on 20 September, and went on to make a further 17 League appearances that season, under player-manager Alan Ball firstly, then Allan Brown.[8]

The following 1981–82 campaign saw Simmonite make 29 League appearances. He also scored one goal, in a 7–1 victory over Halifax Town at Bloomfield Road on 30 September.[8]

Under new manager Sam Ellis, he started the first sixteen League games of Blackpool's 1982–83 season,[8] before family reasons prompted a move to Lincoln City for a £6,000 fee.[9] He played regularly for the first couple of years, but then made no senior appearances until 1987,[1] after Lincoln suffered two consecutive relegations, becoming the first team to be automatically relegated to the Conference.[10] He acted as assistant manager in the early part of the 1987–88 Football Conference season,[11] and returned as a player in December, making 13 appearances as Lincoln returned to the Football League as champions.[12]

After leaving Lincoln, Simmonite appeared for Northern Premier League clubs Gainsborough Trinity and Matlock Town.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Figures are for the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons in the Alliance Premier League only.[2] The statistics at Ken Fox's BUFC site for the 1978–79 season in the Northern Premier League are incomplete.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Gordon Simmonite". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Retrieved 1 March 2013. Season details are sourced via the Season Stats dropdown menu at the bottom right of this page. The site is partly subscription-based, but only free-access sections are used for reference. If pop-up login dialogue boxes appear, press the "Cancel" button to proceed.
  2. ↑ Harman, John, ed. (2005). Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 123, 132. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
  3. ↑ "Season 1978/9 – Statistics". Boston United FC – The Original Website. Ken Fox. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sheffield Wednesday: 1946/47–2011/12"., "Lincoln City: 1946/47–1986/87 & 1988/89–2011/12"., and "Blackpool: 1946/47–2011/12". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  5. ↑ Jackson, Stuart. "Gordon Simmonite". The Sheffield Wednesday Archive. Adrian Bullock. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Boston United Roll Call". Boston United FC – The Original Website. Ken Fox. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Simmonite: International matches". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Blackpool: A Complete History 1887–1992, Roy Calley (1992)
  9. ↑ Murphy, Colin (2 May 2007). "First-hand experience of Alan's class". Lincolnshire Echo.
  10. ↑ "Record Breakers & Makers: 1967–1987". Lincoln City F.C. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Simmonite quits". Daily Express. 10 October 1987. p. 42.
  12. ↑ Williams, Tony, ed. (1988). Non League Club Directory 1989. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 784–85. ISBN 978-1-869833-09-1.
  13. ↑ Parker, Andy (19 March 1991). "Rovers rule" (reprint hosted by Gresley F.C.). Burton Mail. Retrieved 3 March 2013.