Scott Flinders

Scott Flinders

Flinders playing for Hartlepool United in 2011
Personal information
Full nameScott Liam Flinders
Date of birth12 June 1986
Place of birthRotherham, England
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Hartlepool United
Number1
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2004–2006Barnsley14(0)
2006–2009Crystal Palace8(0)
2006Gillingham (loan)9(0)
2007Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)12(0)
2008Yeovil Town (loan)9(0)
2008Blackpool (loan)0(0)
2008–2009Falkirk (loan)8(0)
2009–Hartlepool United242(1)
National team
2005England U204(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:51, 15 October 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 08:11, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Scott Liam Flinders (born 12 June 1986) is an English footballer who plays for Hartlepool United as a goalkeeper. He has also played for the England Under-20 team.

Club career

Barnsley

Born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Flinders started out at Barnsley, making his league debut in 2005, when he replaced the injured Ross Turnbull in the Barnsley goal. He made an instant impression, and played eleven games in the next three months, which led to a call-up to the England U-20 side.

In the 2005–06 season, he was picked to play for a "Football League XI", in a match against their Italian counterparts. He also went back to being second choice at Barnsley, this time to Nick Colgan and was an unused substitute in Barnsley's play-off final win against Swansea City.[1] Because of this, he only made a few more league and cup appearances in which he again impressed, leading to trials at Chelsea and Wigan Athletic. Flinders moved to Crystal Palace as part of a deal that took Sam Togwell to Barnsley in the summer of 2006.

Crystal Palace

Flinders' transfer fee from Barnsley to Palace was believed to be for £250,000[2] but with a potential to rise to £1 million depending on appearances.

Flinders made his competitive debut for Palace in a Football League Cup tie with Notts County, playing the full game as Palace were beaten 2–1. This would be his last appearance before going on loan to League One club Gillingham, where he made his debut in a 2–1 away win against Doncaster Rovers on 9 September 2006. His loan with Gillingham was extended for a second month, [3] but this extended loan did not last its full spell. He returned to the Crystal Palace bench by 28 October.

For the next game, a trip to Sheffield Wednesday, Flinders made his league debut with The Eagles, while Hungarian international Gábor Király was dropped to the bench for a game which ended in a 3–2 defeat. This was quickly followed by a game at Loftus Road, against Queens Park Rangers, which ended in a 4–2 loss, after which he was dropped, not returning until late December.

On 20 February 2007, Flinders was sent out on loan again. He signed for Palace's rivals, Brighton & Hove Albion, after their first choice goalkeeper Michel Kuipers was injured. He made his Seagulls debut at his previous club Gillingham, a game which his new team won 1–0.

Flinders was sent out on loan again in February 2008, this time to Yeovil Town, after their first choice goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall was injured. However, despite Yeovil signing him for further month loan period, on 27 March, Championship club Blackpool signed him on loan until the end of the season as competition for first-choice keeper, Paul Rachubka. With Blackpool's next match being an away game at Crystal Palace he was not allowed to make his debut for the club until after that match.[4] However, his loan period finished without him making an appearance for Blackpool. During August 2008, Flinders signed for Scottish Premier League side Falkirk on loan until January 2009, and he returned to Palace at the end of this spell.[5] Flinders was released by Crystal Palace on 6 May 2009.[6]

Hartlepool United

On 26 June 2009, Flinders signed for North-East League One side Hartlepool United.[7] He played every minute of the 2009–10 for Hartlepool in both league and cup, the next season he was limited to 26 league appearances due to an injury in mid-September which ruled him out until February which saw Pools boss Mick Wadsworth draft in Blackburn goalkeeper Jake Kean on loan to cover for Flinders.[8]

Flinders became the first ever goalkeeper to score a goal from open play for Pools when his 94th minute header against AFC Bournemouth on 30 April 2011 gained a point for his employers on the last home game of the season.[9] He nearly scored in consecutive home games his for the club when against Walsall on 13 August 2011, when his 5th minute clearance from 70 yards bounced over Saddlers' keeper Jimmy Walker only for striker Colin Nish to tap in on the line for Nish's first Hartlepool goal.[10]

Scott signed a new contract with the club in 2011.[11]

Flinders was nominated for League 1's Player of the Month for September 2011, along with Hartlepool manager Mick Wadsworth being nominated for Manager of the Month, after conceding only 2 goals in 4 games which saw his side win all 4 games. However, he was unsuccessful as Preston North End's striker Neil Mellor won the accolade.[12]

In January 2013, Hartlepool manager John Hughes revealed to the Hartlepool Mail that sides in the higher divisions were looking to sign Flinders with Hughes saying "I know there are a lot of clubs looking at big Scotty. It’s no surprise others are looking at him and we’re just grateful and thankful that he’s in goal for Hartlepool. The way he conducts himself in his training and preparation and his values are first class."[13]

On April 2013, prior to Hartlepool's final home game of the season, Flinders was voted Player's Player, Supporter's Player and Away Player of the Year for the 2012–13 campaign.[14] Twelve days later, it was announced that Flinders had won the Hartlepool Mail SportsMail Player of the Year Award.[15]

After a 0–0 draw against Portsmouth in December 2013, Flinders broke a club record for the most clean sheets in the league for Hartlepool.[16]

Flinders became the first ever Hartlepool goalkeeper to make 200 Football League appearances for the club after a 4–0 win against Bristol Rovers in March 2014.

International career

Flinders was called up to play for the England Under 20 team in 2005.

Club career statistics

(correct as of 15 March 2015)
Club PerformanceLeagueFA CupLeague CupOther[A]Total
ClubSeasonLeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Barnsley2004–05League One110000000110
2005–063020201080
Total 140202010190
Crystal Palace2006–07Championship80201000110
Gillingham (loan)2006–07League One90000010100
Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)2006–07120000000120
Crystal Palace2007–08Championship0010100020
Yeovil Town (loan)2007–08League One9000000090
Blackpool (loan)2007–08Championship0000000000
Falkirk (loan)2008–09Scottish Premier League8000100090
Crystal Palace2008–09Championship0000000000
Total 80202000120
Hartlepool United2009–10League One460102010500
2010–11261002010291
2011–12450101010480
2012–13460101010490
2013–14League Two430301030450
2014–15360201010400
Total 24218080802351
Career Total 30211301301003381
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Football League Trophy.

Honours

Barnsley
Individual

References

External links

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