Robert Taylor (footballer, born 1971)
Robert Anthony Taylor (born 30 April 1971) is an English former professional footballer. He is currently manager of Watton United and a licensed football agent.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Robert Anthony Taylor[1] | ||
Date of birth | 30 April 1971 | ||
Place of birth | Norwich, England | ||
Playing position(s) | Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Watton United (manager) | ||
Youth career | |||
Watton United | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1990–1991 | Norwich City | 0 | (0) |
1991 | → Leyton Orient (loan) | 3 | (1) |
1991 | Birmingham City | 0 | (0) |
1991–1994 | Leyton Orient | 73 | (20) |
1994–1998 | Brentford | 183 | (58) |
1998–1999 | Gillingham | 61 | (33) |
1999–2000 | Manchester City | 12 | (5) |
2000–2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 9 | (0) |
2001 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2001–2002 | → Gillingham (loan) | 11 | (0) |
2002 | → Grimsby Town (loan) | 4 | (1) |
2002–2003 | Grimsby Town | 1 | (0) |
2003 | Scunthorpe United | 8 | (0) |
2004 | Gorleston | 3 | (1) |
2008–2012 | Diss Town | 3 | (0) |
Total | 374 | (119) | |
Teams managed | |||
2003–2004 | Watton United | ||
2004 | King's Lynn (caretaker) | ||
2004–2008 | Dereham Town | ||
2008–2012 | Diss Town | ||
2013 | Mundford | ||
2016 | Swaffham Town | ||
2017 | Acle United | ||
2019– | Watton United | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Playing career
Born in Norwich, Taylor played for Watton United's youth team.[2] He was first spotted after playing for Watton United's first team at the age of 15 against Norwich City's reserves in a pre-season friendly.[3]
A forward, Taylor failed to make a first-team appearance for Norwich, making his professional debut in 1991 whilst on loan at Leyton Orient.[4] He spent the summer of 1990 with Norwegian side FK Mjølner gain further experience.[5]
In 1991 Taylor signed for Birmingham City where he also failed to make the first team.[4] He then signed permanently former loan club Leyton Orient where he scored 20 goals in 81 appearances, before moving to Brentford where he scored 74 goals in 208 appearances.[6]
In 1998, he signed for Gillingham for a then club-record fee of £500,000.[7] Playing under manager Tony Pulis Taylor enjoyed the best goal scoring run of his career, totalling 39 goals in 70 games. This included 5 goals away in a single game, away to Burnley in February 1999.[8] Taylor played and scored in the 1999 Second Division play-off Final against Manchester City.[8]
Taylor remained with the club until November 1999 when he signed for Manchester City for £1.5 million.[9] Playing for the club as it gained promotion from the First Division, he scored 5 goals in 12 appearances.[10][11]
In 2000, he signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1.55 million on a four-year deal, commenting that City's signings of Paolo Wanchope and George Weah meant his playing time would be limited at the club.[12] He only made 12 first team appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals and suffered with then-undiagnosed circulatory problems in his legs.[4][9] Whilst at the club he was sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers, Grimsby Town and his former club Gillingham.[4]
Leaving Wolves in 2002 he then signed permanently for Grimsby, before ending his professional career with Scunthorpe United.[4]
He also went on to play for non-League club Gorleston.[9] In 2008, while Diss Town manager, he made a brief playing comeback early in the 2008–09 season.[13]
Managerial career
Taylor moved into management with Watton United, King's Lynn (as caretaker manager),[14] Dereham Town,[15] Diss Town,[16] Mundford and more recently Swaffham Town.[17]
In 2019 he returned to Watton United as manager.
Personal life
As a child Taylor supported Liverpool, citing Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush as his inspiration.[3]
In 2016 Taylor launched a football agency, TG-Inspire.[18]
Career statistics
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Leyton Orient (loan) | 1990–91[4] | Third Division | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
Brentford | 1993–94[6] | Second Division | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | |||
1994-95[6] | 43 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 53 | 25 | ||
1995–96[6] | 42 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 52 | 16 | ||
1996–97[19] | 43 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6[lower-alpha 3] | 3 | 56 | 13 | ||
1997–98[20] | 40 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 46 | 18 | ||
Total | 173 | 56 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 208 | 74 | ||
Gillingham | 1998–99[8] | Second Division | 43 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[lower-alpha 4] | 5 | 51 | 21 |
1999-00[10] | 15 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 19 | 18 | |||
Total | 58 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 70 | 39 | ||
Manchester City | 1999-00[10] | First Division | 12 | 5 | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | |||
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2000–01[21] | First Division | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | 12 | 3 | |
Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 2001–02[22] | Second Division | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
Gillingham (loan) | 2001–02[22] | First Division | 11 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
Gillingham total | 69 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 81 | 39 | ||
Grimsby Town (loan) | 2001–02[22] | First Division | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
Grimsby Town | 2002–03[23] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
Grimsby Town total | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | |||
Scunthorpe United | 2002–03[23] | Third Division | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
Gorleston | 2004–05[24] | Eastern Counties League Premier Division | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
Diss Town | 2008–09[13] | Eastern Counties League First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Career total | 288 | 95 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 19 | 9 | 338 | 124 |
- 2 appearances in Second Division play-offs, 2 appearances in Football League Trophy.
- Appearances in Football League Trophy.
- 3 appearances and 2 goals in Second Division play-offs, 3 appearances and 1 goal in Football League Trophy.
- 3 appearances and 2 goals in Second Division play-offs, 3 appearances and 3 goals in Football League Trophy.
Honours
As a manager
- Eastern Counties League First Division third-place promotion: 2010–11[25][26]
References
- "Robert Taylor". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "Brentford | News | Where Are They Now? | Where Are They Now? | WHERE ARE THEY NOW?". brentfordfc.co.uk. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "BBC – Norfolk – Junior Football – Robert Taylor interview". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- Robert Taylor at Soccerbase
- "Boss ready to fill defensive hole". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 479–481. ISBN 9781906796723.
- Deepdale, By Ian Winrow at (17 May 1999). "Gills equal to the task". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- Ivery, Daniel (27 December 2012). "Where are they now? Robert Taylor". birminghammail. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "Football Club History Database – Manchester City". fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "TAYLOR SIGNS FOR WOLVES". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "Banana skin alert". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- "Dereham Part Company With Management Team – News – Soham Town Rangers FC". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- "Football: Taylor named Diss manager". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- "Thurlow Nunn League Swaffham Town appoint former Manchester City striker as their new boss". Watton and Swaffham Times. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- "www.tg-inspire.co.uk". TG-Inspire. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "SEASON REVIEW: Diss Town". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 3 June 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "Football Club History Database – Eastern Counties League 2010–11". fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
External links
- Profile at ex-canaries.co.uk
- Robert Taylor at Soccerbase
- Roger Triggs (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 313. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
- Chester City Profile