Brett Williams (footballer, born 1987)

Brett Williams

Personal information
Full name	Brett Anthony Williams
Date of birth	(1987-12-01) 1 December 1987 (age 36)
Place of birth	Southampton, England
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Bashley
Youth career
0000–2004	Hedge End Rangers
2004–2006	Eastleigh
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2008	Winchester City
2008–2011	Eastleigh	45	(9)
2009	→ AFC Totton (loan)
2011–2013	Reading	0	(0)
2011–2012	→ Rotherham United (loan)	11	(2)
2012	→ Northampton Town (loan)	18	(3)
2012–2013	→ Woking (loan)	26	(2)
2013–2015	Aldershot Town	89	(39)
2015–2016	Stevenage	15	(2)
2015–2016	→ Forest Green Rovers (loan)	5	(1)
2016	Forest Green Rovers	20	(4)
2016–2017	Torquay United	39	(11)
2017–2018	Bromley	26	(6)
2018–2019	Torquay United	31	(4)
2018–2019	→ Sutton United (loan)	22	(3)
2019–2020	Weymouth	26	(7)
2020–2022	AFC Totton	44	(13)
2022	→ Lymington Town (loan)	3	(1)
2022–2023	Gosport Borough	21	(6)
2023–	Bashley	26	(6)
2024	→ AFC Portchester (loan)	11	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:09, 20 September 2024 (UTC)

Brett Anthony Williams (born 1 December 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a forward for Bashley.

Club career

Williams began his career at Eastleigh before joining Winchester City in 2008. However, in November 2008 Williams returned to Eastleigh on loan before signing a new contract in February 2009. In October 2009, Eastleigh received a club record transfer fee from AFC Totton where he then played for one season before returning to Eastleigh for a third time after a successful one-month-long loan.

Williams joined Championship team Reading on 18 January on an 18-month contract after a successful trial period which included scoring for the reserves. ^[1] Reading paid £50,000 to sign Williams. Other clubs that were rumoured to be interested in signing Williams were Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wycombe Wanderers. ^[2] Since then he has gone on to score again and provide an assist in a reserve match against Crystal Palace.

Despite never being named in a squad to face opposition, Williams has travelled with the first team squad including to Bramall Lane when they played Sheffield United and could be seen warming up on the field before kick off with teammate Simon Church. On 22 February 2011, Williams was named on the bench to face Millwall at the Madejski for the first time.

For the 2011–12 season, Williams joined firstly Rotherham United on loan until January, and then Northampton Town. He scored his first professional goal for Rotherham in the 2–1 loss to Crawley Town. ^[3]

In July 2012, Williams joined St Johnstone on a week's trial with a view to a loan move, though ultimately the club did not follow up their interest. ^{[4] [5]} On 7 August he joined Conference National side Woking on a season long loan and scored his first goal for the club on 28 August in a 4–1 home defeat to Braintree Town. ^{[6] [7]} He had to wait nearly three months for his second goal, scoring in a 2–1 home defeat to Alfreton Town on 17 November. ^[8] Williams returned to Reading at the end of the season having scored four goals in 31 appearances in all competitions. ^[9]

He was released by Reading on 24 May 2013 having never made a first team appearance in his two-and-a-half years with the club. ^[10] On 8 August, two days before the start of the 2013–14 Conference Premier season, Williams joined Aldershot Town having trialled with the team during pre-season. ^[11]

Williams was the third highest goalscorer in the Conference Premier in the 2013–14 season with 24 goals, and he remained with Aldershot for the 2014–15 season.

On 12 June 2015, Williams joined League Two side Stevenage. In November 2015, he dropped back down into the National League, signing for Forest Green Rovers on a one-month loan. ^[12] He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–0 home win over Altrincham on 28 November 2015. ^[13] He returned to Stevenage at the end of his loan spell, but on 15 January 2016 re-joined Forest Green permanently after Stevenage had agreed to mutually terminate his contract. ^[14]

He went on to appear in the 2015–16 National League play-offs for Forest Green and scored the winning goal in a play-off semi-final first leg away win at Dover Athletic. ^[15] He started the play-off final on 15 May 2016 against Grimsby Town at Wembley Stadium but ended up on the losing side. ^[16] The next day on 16 May 2016 it was confirmed that he had been released. ^[17]

On 4 June 2016 Williams joined National League side Torquay United after agreeing terms with the club. After a season in which Williams' goals proved vital in saving United from relegation, he left the club and joined National League rivals Bromley. ^[18] After spending half of the 2017–18 season at Bromley, Williams re-signed for Torquay United on 26 January 2018. ^[19]

In June 2019, Williams joined Weymouth. ^[20] In May 2020, he joined Southern Football League Division One South side AFC Totton and subsequently joined divisional rivals Lymington Town on a one-month loan deal in January 2022. ^[21]

In May 2022, Williams was forced to play as an emergency goalkeeper for AFC Totton due to injuries in the squad. He kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Folland Sports to win the Southampton Senior Cup at St Mary's Stadium in his 100th appearance for the club. ^[22]

In November 2022, Williams joined Gosport Borough. ^[23] In June 2023, Williams joined Bashley ahead of the new season. ^[24] In March 2024, he spent time at Wessex League side AFC Portchester. ^[25]

Personal life

Williams has one brother. He is from Hedge End and attended Wildern School and Eastleigh College. ^[26]

Before joining Reading, Williams was a part-time taxi driver for Airlynx Express who sponsor Eastleigh. ^[27]

Career statistics

As of match played 27 August 2018. ^[28]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Eastleigh	2008–09	Conference South	22	2	0	0	—		0	0	22	2
	2009–10	Conference South	6	0	0	0	—		0	0	6	0
	2010–11	Conference South	17	7	3	1	—		2 [lower-alpha 1]	0	22	8
	Total		45	9	3	1	—		2	0	50	10
Reading	2010–11	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
Rotherham United (loan)	2011–12	League Two	11	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	13	2
Northampton Town (loan)	2011–12	League Two	18	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	3
Woking (loan)	2012–13	Conference Premier	26	2	1	0	—		2 [lower-alpha 1]	1	29	3
Aldershot Town	2013–14	Conference Premier	43	24	2	1	—		5 [lower-alpha 1]	3	50	28
	2014–15	Conference Premier	46	15	5	0	—		1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	52	15
	Total		89	39	7	1	—		6	3	102	43
Stevenage	2015–16	League Two	15	2	0	0	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	17	2
Forest Green Rovers (loan)	2015–16	National League	5	1	1	0	—		1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	7	1
Forest Green Rovers	2015–16	National League	20	4	0	0	—		3 [lower-alpha 3]	1	25	4
Torquay United	2016–17	National League	39	11	2	0	—		0	0	41	11
Bromley	2017–18	National League	26	6	2	0	—		2 [lower-alpha 1]	0	30	6
Torquay United	2017–18	National League	16	4	—		—		—		16	4
	2018–19	National League South	7	0	0	0	—		0	0	7	0
	Total		23	4	0	0	—		0	0	23	4
Career total			306	80	18	2	1	0	17	5	354	89

1. Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
2. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
3. Appearance(s) in National League Play-offs

References

1. "Royals Buy Morrison and Williams". Reading FC. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
2. "Royals keen on Williams". Sky Sports. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
3. "Brett scores first career goal". Reading F.C. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. "St Johnstone take two on trial". Sporting Life. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
5. "Lomas looking to add". Sky Sports. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
6. "Woking sign Reading striker Brett Williams on loan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
7. "Woking 1 – 4 Braintree Town". Woking FC. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
8. "Woking 1 – 2 Alfreton Town". Woking FC. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
9. "First team profiles: Brett Williams". Woking FC. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
10. "Contract offers". Reading FC. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
11. "Shots confirm five signings". Aldershot Town FC. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
12. "Stevenage striker Brett Williams signs on loan". BBC Sport. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
13. "Forest Green 2–0 Altrincham". BBC Sport. 28 November 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
14. "Forest Green re-sign former Stevenage striker". BBC Sport. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
15. "Dover Athletic 0–1 Forest Green". BBC Sport. 4 May 2016.
16. "Forest Green 1–3 Grimsby". BBC Sport. 15 May 2016.
17. "Darren Carter: Forest Green Rovers have 'unfinished business' in National League". BBC Sport. 16 May 2016.
18. "Striker Brett Williams becomes latest signing". Bromley FC. 26 June 2017.
19. "Signing – Brett Williams Returns To TUFC". Torquay United FC. 26 January 2018.
20. Welcome to Weymouth Brett Williams, theterras.com, 24 June 2019
21. Whitney, Steve (10 January 2022). "Williams Boost for Lymington". Southern Football League. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
22. "THE LONG READ: AFC TOTTON 3–0 FOLLAND SPORTS, SOUTHAMPTON SENIOR CUP FINAL 2021/22". A.F.C. Totton. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
23. "Boro' make double signing". Gosport Borough F.C. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
24. "NEW SIGNING: Bash add Football League experience as Brett Williams signs". Bashley F.C. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
25. "Brett Williams Joins AFC Portchester On Dual-Registration Deal". Bashley F.C. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
26. "Brett's officially a Royal". Daily Echo. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
27. "Williams living the dream at Reading". Reading Chronicle. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
28. "B. Williams". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 June 2017.

External links

• Brett Williams profile at Eastleigh F.C.
• Brett Williams at Soccerbase
• Profile at Aylesbury United