Brian Statham (footballer)

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Brian Statham
Personal information
Full name Brian Statham [1]
Date of birth (1969-05-21) 21 May 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth Harare, Rhodesia
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) [2]
Position(s) Right back, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Welling United (director of football)
Youth career
–1987 Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1987–1992 Tottenham Hotspur 24 (0)
1991 → Reading 8 (0)
1991 → Bournemouth (loan) 2 (0)
1992 → Brentford (loan) 1 (0)
1992–1997 Brentford 161 (1)
1997–1999 Gillingham 20 (0)
1998 → Woking (loan)
1999 → Stevenage Borough (loan) 3 (0)
2000–2001 Chesham United
2001–2003 Chelmsford City 66 (0)
2003–2004 Welling United 25 (0)
2004 East Thurrock United
2004–2005 Erith & Belvedere
2005 Heybridge Swifts 1 (0)
International career
1988 England U21 3 (0)
Managerial career
2005–2008 Heybridge Swifts
2009–2010 Billericay Town
2025 Welling United (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Brian Statham (born 21 May 1969) is an English retired professional footballer who made over 160 appearances in the Football League for Brentford as a right back. He also played League football for Tottenham Hotspur, Gillingham, Reading, Bournemouth and was capped by England at U21 level. Statham later managed Heybridge Swifts, Billericay Town and Welling United in non-League football. He currently serves as director of football at Welling United.

Contents

Club career

Tottenham Hotspur

A right back, Statham began his career in the youth system at First Division club Tottenham Hotspur and turned professional in 1987. [3] He broke through into the first team during the 1987–88 season and made 19 appearances. [2] Statham managed eight further appearances during the 1988–89 season, before dropping out of the squad. [2] He spent time away on loan during the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons and departed White Hart Lane in February 1992. [4] Statham was awarded a benefit match by the club in July 2000. [5]

Brentford

1992–1993

In January 1992, Statham joined high-flying Third Division club Brentford on a one-month loan, with a view to a permanent transfer. [6] He made just one appearance during his spell and rejected the contract offered, before reconsidering and joining the club on a permanent transfer for a £70,000 fee on 28 February. [6] [4] Statham was a regular in the team during the last three months of the 1991–92 season, [7] making 18 appearances and he won the first silverware of his career when Brentford secured the Third Division championship on the final day. [8] Statham's 58 appearances during the 1992–93 season in the reclassified First Division was a career-high, [7] but the season ended on a disappointing note, with relegation straight back to the third-tier. [9]

1993–94 season

Back in the Second Division for the 1993–94 season, Statham made 36 appearances and scored what would be the only goal of his professional career in a 3–3 draw with Cambridge United on 26 March 1993. [7] [10] Despite appearing regularly during the first half of the 1994–95 season, [11] he was transfer listed in December 1994. [12] Statham made 44 appearances during a season in which the Bees were denied promotion after defeat to Huddersfield Town in the playoff semi-finals. [7] [9]

1995–96 season

During the 1995 off-season, Statham rejected a new contract in favour of a week-to-week deal. [13] He made 24 appearances before suffering a double fracture of his right leg during a 1–0 FA Cup second round victory over Bournemouth on 2 December 1995. [14] Though he was still on the weekly contract, the club honoured the terms of its initial contract offer until the end of the 1995–96 season. [14]

1996–97 season

Statham returned to training November 1996 and made his first appearance in nearly 13 months as a 79th-minute substitute for Carl Asaba in a 4–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle on 26 December 1996. [15] [16] Featuring mostly as a substitute, [17] Statham finished with the 1996–97 season with 25 appearances. [16] His Brentford career ended in ignominy, after he was sent off for receiving a second yellow card late in the 1997 Second Division playoff Final, which was lost 1–0 to Crewe Alexandra. [18] Statham departed Brentford in August 1997, having made 201 appearances and scored one goal during 5+1⁄2 years at Griffin Park. [4]

Gillingham

On 22 August 1997, Statham joined Second Division club Gillingham for a £10,000 fee, with two further £10,000 fees to be paid based on appearances. [19] He made just 24 appearances before departing Priestfield in October 1999. [4]

Non-League football

After loan spells with non-League clubs Woking and Stevenage Borough while a Gillingham player, Statham dropped back into non-League football upon his release from Gillingham in October 1999. [4] Between 2000 and 2005 he played for Chesham United, Chelmsford City, Welling United, East Thurrock United, Erith & Belvedere and Heybridge Swifts. [20]

International career

Statham won three caps for the England U21 team in 1988. [2]

Managerial career

Heybridge Swifts

Statham was appointed as manager of Isthmian League Premier Division club Heybridge Swifts in January 2005. [21] He guided the club to a runners-up finish in the 2005–06 season, but the Swifts were denied promotion after falling to Hampton & Richmond Borough in the playoff semi-finals. [22] After two mid-table finishes, [22] Statham resigned on 28 August 2008. [23]

Billericay Town

On 23 April 2009, Statham was announced as manager of Isthmian League Premier Division club Billericay Town. [24] With relegation at the end of the 2009–10 season looking a possibility, Statham was sacked on 29 March 2010. [25]

Welling United

After having been serving as first team coach at National League South club Welling United in recent weeks, Statham was appointed caretaker manager after manager Rod Stringer stepped down from his role on 16 March 2025. [26] He won just one of eight league matches during the remainder of a 2024–25 season which culminated in relegation. [27] [28] Some cheer was found with a 1–0 victory over Ebbsfleet United in the 2025 Kent Senior Cup Final. [29] Statham transitioned into the role of director of football at the end of the 2024–25 season. [28]

Personal life

Statham was born in Harare, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and later lived in Saudi Arabia, before his parents moved to Essex. [3] The namesake of a former England international cricketer, he represented Essex in school cricket. [3] Statham's son Maxwell is also a footballer and plays in non-League football, [30] including briefly under his father's management at Welling United. [31] After retiring from football, Statham became a businessman, with interests in media, insurance and investments. [32] [33] He is also a football agent. [34]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tottenham Hotspur 1987–88 [2] First Division 1801000—190
1988–89 [2] First Division600020—80
Total2401020—270
Reading (loan) 1990–91 [4] Third Division 80———80
Bournemouth (loan) 1991–92 [4] Third Division2000—1 [a] 030
Brentford 1991–92 [7] Third Division180———180
1992–93 [7] First Division45010408 [b] 0580
1993–94 [7] Second Division 31110202 [a] 0361
1994–95 [7] Second Division36020204 [c] 0440
1995–96 [7] Second Division17010402 [a] 0240
1996–97 [16] Second Division19010005 [d] 0250
Total166160802102011
Gillingham 1997–98 [35] Second Division20020001 [a] 0230
1998–99 [36] Second Division00—001 [a] 010
Total200200020240
Stevenage Borough (loan) 1998–99 [37] Conference 30———30
Chesham United 2001–02 [38] Isthmian League Premier Division8100—0081
Chelmsford City 2001–02 [38] Southern League Premier Division270——00270
2002–03 [39] Southern League Premier Division39000—00390
Total66000—00660
Welling United 2003–04 [40] Southern League Premier Division25000—00250
Erith & Belvedere 2004–05 [41] Southern League First Division East1000—0010
Heybridge Swifts 2004–05 [41] Isthmian League Premier Division10———10
Career total3242901002403672
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup
  3. ↑ 2 appearances in Second Division play-offs, 2 appearances in Football League Trophy
  4. ↑ 3 appearances in Second Division play-offs, 2 appearances in Football League Trophy

Honours

Player

Brentford

Manager

Welling United

References

  1. ↑ "Brian Statham". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Brian Statham". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 306–307. ISBN   0-7524-2243-X.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brian Statham at Soccerbase
  5. ↑ "Brian Statham benefit 29 July 2000 – News". www.tottenhamhotspur.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 86.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 476–481. ISBN   9781906796723.
  8. 1 2 "History". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  9. 1 2 Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  10. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 139.
  11. ↑ Griffin Gazette versus AFC Bournemouth. Quay Design of Poole. 29 April 1995. pp. 34–35.
  12. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 174.
  13. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 200.
  14. 1 2 Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 202.
  15. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 231.
  16. 1 2 3 "Games played by Brian Statham in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  17. ↑ Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus Peterborough United. 3 May 1997. pp. 30–31.
  18. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 229.
  19. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 259-260.
  20. ↑ "Player Profile". NonLeagueDaily.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  21. ↑ Wigmore, Simon (1 February 2005). "Statham off to swift start with win for Heybridge" . Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  22. 1 2 Heybridge Swifts F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  23. ↑ "Swifts part company with Statham". 28 August 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "Statham named Billericay manager". 23 April 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  25. ↑ "Billericay cut ties with Statham". 29 March 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "Rod Stringer steps down". wellingunited.com. 16 March 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  27. ↑ "Latest Welling Results, Fixtures & Betting Odds | 2024/25". Soccer Base. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  28. 1 2 Doig, Mark (28 April 2025). "Statham pleased to end season with a draw". Kent Sports News. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  29. 1 2 Groome, Olly. "Kent Senior Cup Final Report | Ebbsfleet United 0 Welling United 1". wellingunited.com. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  30. ↑ "Where are they now? Former Spurs Academy player Maxwell Statham". Superhotspur. 14 November 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  31. ↑ "Brian Statham". wellingunited.com. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  32. ↑ "Brian Statham – Lead Delivery". leaddelivery.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  33. ↑ "Where Are They Now? Gillingham's Division Two play-off winners 1999-00". The League Paper. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  34. ↑ "Player First". www.playerfirst.co.uk (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Brian Statham in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Brian Statham in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  37. ↑ "Stevenage Players | Brian Statham". BoroGuide. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  38. 1 2 "Player Details: Season 2001–2002 Brian Statham". SoccerFacts UK. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  39. ↑ "Player Details: Season 2002–2003 Brian Statham". SoccerFacts UK. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  40. ↑ "Player Details: Season 2003–2004 Brian Statham". SoccerFacts UK. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  41. 1 2 "Player Details: Season 2004–2005 Brian Statham". SoccerFacts UK. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
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