Leon Townley

Leon Townley
Personal information
Full nameLeon Townley
Date of birth16 February 1976
Place of birthLoughton, England
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionDefender
Youth career
1992–1997Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–1999Brentford16(2)
1999→ Slough Town (loan)7(2)
1999–2001Slough Town58(1)
2001–2002Aldershot Town43(1)
2002St Albans City16(0)
2002→ Windsor & Eton (loan)0(0)
2002–2004Windsor & Eton3(0)
2004–2005Boreham Wood2(1)
2005Hitchin Town6(0)
Teams managed
2008–2009Debden Sports (reserves)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:31, 17 November 2013 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18:20, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

Leon Townley (born 16 February 1976) is a retired English football defender. He is best remembered for his spell with Brentford in the Football League between 1997 and 1999. After his release, he dropped into non-league football. He currently plays five-a-side football in Harlow.

Career

Tottenham Hotspur

Growing up in Loughton, Essex, England, Townley began his career as a trainee at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in 1992.[1] He signed professional terms at the age of 18 in 1994.[1] Townley received his maiden call into the first team for Spurs' 1995 Intertoto Cup campaign, though he failed to make an appearance[2] and was an unused substitute for an infamous 8-0 defeat to Cologne.[3] Townley left in 1997 after failing to break into the first team.[4]

Brentford

Townley signed for Division Two side Brentford on 18 September 1997 in a £25000 deal (rising to £55000 on appearances),[5] linking up with former Spurs teammates Kevin Dearden, Ijah Anderson, Simon Wormull and Simon Spencer. Manager Eddie May commented "he's big, strong and quick for a defender. He tries to play football and doesn't waste the ball, but he is also a big boy and has a presence in the penalty box".[6] Townley made his debut the following day with a starting appearance in a 1-1 home league draw with Wycombe Wanderers.[7] After the match he commented that "it was more physical than the reserves. I got a bad whack on the hip, but fortunately I could carry on".[6] He scored his first Brentford goals in a 3-1 win over Blackpool on 13 December, bagging the winner after two Blackpool players were sent off on the hour mark and scoring again in the 78th minute.[7] He scored in his first appearance in the Football League Trophy, grabbing an injury time consolation in a 2-1 second round defeat to Luton Town on 13 January 1998.[7] He made only two more appearances that season and was unable to help prevent Brentford's relegation to Division Three. Townley made 19 appearances during the 1997/98 season and scored three goals.[7] Townley failed to make a single appearance during the 1998/99 Division Three title-winning season, but made appearances for the reserves.[8] He left the club in September 1999 after having his contract cancelled by mutual consent.

Slough Town (loan & permanent transfer)

Townley joined Isthmian Premier League side Slough Town on a month's loan on 23 August 1999,[5] linking up with former Brentford teammate Paul Barrowcliff. He had a dream start, scoring on his debut in a 3-0 league win over Purfleet.[9] He scored again three games later in a 4-0 demolition of Billericay Town.[10] Townley signed permanently for the club in September.[11] He scored his third goal for the club in a 2-1 Isthmian League Full Members Cup victory over Carshalton Athletic on 16 November.[12] He scored his maiden Berks & Bucks Senior Cup goal in a 3-0 victory over Hungerford Town on 22 February 2000.[13] A virtual ever-present, Townley made a total of 48 appearances in all competitions during the 1999/00 season and scored four goals.[11] He made 33 appearances during the 2000/01 season and left the club after their relegation to the Isthmian Division One. Townley made a total of 81 appearances during his time at Slough and scored four goals.[11]

Aldershot Town

Townley signed for Isthmian Premier League side Aldershot Town on 18 August 2001.[14] He made 43 appearances during the 2001/02 season and scored one goal. He left the club after the season.[14][15]

St Albans City

Townley joined Isthmian Premier League side St Albans City on 28 July 2002.[5][16] He scored on his debut in a 4-0 Herts Charity Cup first round win over Ware on 3 August.[17] He scored his second goal with a scrambled equaliser[18] in a 2-2 league draw with Purfleet on 1 October.[19] Townley made 20 appearances in all competitions and scored two goals during the 2002/03 season.[20]

Windsor & Eton (loan & permanent transfer)

Townley signed on loan for Isthmian Division One South side Windsor & Eton in November 2002[21] and later joined permanently.[22] He scored two goals in two FA Trophy games against Vauxhall Motors[23] and Aylesbury United in February 2003.[24]

Boreham Wood

Townley signed for Southern League Eastern Division side Boreham Wood in September 2004.[25] Townley scored a headed goal versus Berkhamsted on 29 August 2005.[26] He left the club after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent in early October 2005.[27] He made five appearances during the 2005/06 season and scored one goal.[28]

Hitchin Town

Townley joined Southern Premier League side Hitchin Town on 13 October 2005.[25] He made six league appearances for the club.[29]

Debden Sports

Townley resurfaced with Herts Senior County League side Debden Sports in 2007. Playing for the club's reserve team, he scored seven goals during the 2007/08 season.[30] He scored 16 goals during the 2008/09 season[31] and also managed the side.[32]

Fleetwood

In 2012, Townley joined Fleetwood, playing five-a-side football in Division One of a local league in Harlow.[33] He has scored 12 goals so far in the 2013/14 season.[34]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "leon townley - fact file". archive.mehstg.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  2. ↑ "Tottenham's ill-Fated Venture Into The 1995-96 Intertoto Cup - Hotspur HQ - A Tottenham Hotspur Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion, and More". hotspurhq.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  3. ↑ "Inside the Intertoto Cup | Football | The Observer". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  4. ↑ "Leon Townley". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Leon Townley | Football Stats | Windsor & Eton | Age 37 | Soccer Base". soccerbase.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Brentford Matchday Magazine versus Burnley 27/09/97. Quay Design of Poole. 1997.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Leon Townley | Football Stats | Windsor & Eton | Season 1997/1998 | Soccer Base". soccerbase.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  8. ↑ "Brentford Reserves 0 - 0 Peterborough Utd Reserves (02/12/1998) - UpThePosh! The Peterborough United Database". uptheposh.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  9. ↑ "SloughTownFC.net - The Official Website of Slough Town FC |". sloughtownfc.net. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  10. ↑ "SloughTownFC.net - The Official Website of Slough Town FC |". sloughtownfc.net. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "SloughTownFC.net - The Official Website of Slough Town FC | Leon Townley". sloughtownfc.net. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  12. ↑ "SloughTownFC.net - The Official Website of Slough Town FC |". sloughtownfc.net. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  13. ↑ "SloughTownFC.net - The Official Website of Slough Town FC |". sloughtownfc.net. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Leon Townley: 2001/2002 Biography & Statistics - Aldershot Town Football Club". shop.theshots.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  15. ↑ "Forward thinking (From Watford Observer)". watfordobserver.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  16. ↑ "NonLeagueDaily.com". nonleaguedaily.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  17. ↑ "Statistics: St Albans City [Powered by tplSoccerStats]". sacfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  18. ↑ "Saints' storming finish secures a point (From Winsford Guardian)". winsfordguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  19. ↑ "Statistics: St Albans City [Powered by tplSoccerStats]". sacfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  20. ↑ "Statistics: St Albans City [Powered by tplSoccerStats]". sacfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  21. ↑ "NonLeagueDaily.com". nonleaguedaily.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  22. ↑ "Statistics: St Albans City [Powered by tplSoccerStats]". sacfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  23. ↑ "Football: Vauxhall Trophy hopes dashed; Non League.(Sport) - Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) | HighBeam Research". highbeam.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  24. ↑ "Leon Townley (Windsor & Eton) - Manchester United FC - United Mad". manchesterunited-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Leon Townley | Boreham Wood | ZoomInfo.com". zoominfo.com. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
  26. ↑ "BOREHAM WOOD F.C. | LEON TOWNLEY player profile". webteams.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  27. ↑ "BOREHAM WOOD F.C. | BERKHAMSTED T'N match report". webteams.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  28. ↑ "Untitled Document". southern-football-league.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  29. ↑ "SoccerFacts UK Player Details". soccerfactsuk.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
  30. ↑ "Goal Scorers 2007-08". debdensportsclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  31. ↑ "Goal Scorers 2008-09". debdensportsclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  32. ↑ "A Team Report - Wednesday 29-04-2009". debdensportsclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  33. ↑ "Harlow 5 A Side". harlow5aside.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  34. ↑ "Harlow 5 A Side". harlow5aside.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-20.

External links