Colin Nish

Last updated

Colin Nish
Nish Feb2011.jpg
Nish playing for Hibernian in 2011
Personal information
Full name Colin John Nish [1]
Date of birth (1981-03-07) 7 March 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1997–1999 Dunfermline Athletic
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1999–2003 Dunfermline Athletic 22 (0)
2000Alloa Athletic (loan) 13 (5)
2000–2001Alloa Athletic (loan) 10 (3)
2002–2003Clyde (loan) 15 (5)
2003–2008 Kilmarnock 145 (40)
2008–2011 Hibernian 98 (22)
2011–2013 Hartlepool United 19 (4)
2012–2013Dundee (loan) 24 (2)
2013–2015 Dumbarton 53 (8)
2015–2016 Cowdenbeath 17 (4)
Total416(93)
Managerial career
2015–2016 Cowdenbeath
2022–2023 Tranent Juniors
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Colin John Nish (born 7 March 1981) is a Scottish former football player, coach and manager. Nish played for Dunfermline Athletic, Alloa Athletic, Clyde, Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Hartlepool United, Dundee, Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath. Whilst playing for Cowdenbeath, Nish was appointed player-manager of the Fife club. Following their relegation to Scottish League Two, Nish's contract was terminated. [2] He subsequently managed Tranent Juniors for the 2022–23 season.

Contents

Early life

Nish grew up in Musselburgh and was a fan of Hibernian. [3]

Playing career

Dunfermline Athletic

Nish started his career with Dunfermline, where he made his debut in the 1998–99 season. Nish had two subsequent loan spells with Alloa [4] and a loan spell at Clyde.

Kilmarnock

Nish joined Kilmarnock in 2003 after being released by Dunfermline. [5] Nish initially signed a six-month deal which ran until Christmas 2003, at which point he agreed a new 18-month contract. [6]

Hibernian

In October 2007 Nish rejected Kilmarnock's offer of a new contract which meant that he was able to talk to other clubs from January 2008, with a view to a Bosman transfer in the summer. Nish signed a pre-contract with boyhood heroes Hibernian and the next day the two clubs agreed a deal to transfer Nish immediately. [7] Nish made his debut for Hibernian on 9 February 2008, in a 1–1 draw to Dundee United. [8] Nish scored his first goal for Hibernian ten minutes into his home debut against Gretna at Easter Road. [9]

Towards the end of the 2009–10 season, Nish described the Hibernian fans as "moaners" following an Edinburgh derby defeat. [3] Nish soon apologised for those remarks, calling for unity between players and supporters ahead of an important match against Motherwell. [3] Nish scored a hat-trick in the first half of that match, yet Hibernian only managed a 6–6 draw, in the highest scoring SPL match in league history. [10] Nish then scored both goals in a 2–0 win at Tannadice Park that secured a UEFA Europa League place for Hibernian.

Early in the 2010–11 season, however, Nish was again the target for criticism from the Hibernian fans, with manager Colin Calderwood expressing his sympathy for the player. [11] Nish was allowed to train with Chinese Super League club Tianjin Teda during January 2011, but Nish then decided to stay at Easter Road. [12] The signings of Akpo Sodje and Ricardo Vaz Tê pushed Nish out of the Hibernian starting eleven and he was advised in April 2011 that his contract would not be renewed. [12] [13]

Hartlepool United

Nish signed for Hartlepool United on a free transfer on 27 June 2011. [14] Nish missed a penalty in Hartlepool's League Cup first round penalty shoot-out defeat to Sheffield United. [15] Nish scored his first goal for Hartlepool in the 1–1 draw against Walsall on 13 August 2011. [16] Nish then scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Bury during the month of September. [17] Nish sustained an injury against Charlton in October 2011 that prevented him from playing for two months, during which time Hartlepool appointed a new manager. [17] Nish did not feature often under the club's new manager Neale Cooper, a former player of Aberdeen and Rangers. [18]

Nish's former club Kilmarnock attempted to sign Nish on loan during August 2012, after Paul Heffernan suffered an injury but were unfortunately unable to secure his services. [18] [19] Dundee signed Nish on loan until January 2013. [20] Nish scored two goals for a struggling Dundee team during his initial loan spell, which was extended until the end of the 2012–13 season. [21] Hartlepool announced on 7 May 2013 that Nish's contract would not be renewed for the 2013–14 season. [22]

Dumbarton

Nish signed for Scottish Championship club Dumbarton in August 2013. [23] As well as playing for the first team, Nish would also be in-charge of Dumbarton's under-19s. [23] Nish scored one goal and created another in his debut for Dumbarton, in a 3–1 win over Morton on 24 August 2013. [24] On 26 June 2014 Nish signed a new one-year deal with the Sons following a productive second half to the season which included the goal which took the Sons to their first Scottish Cup quarter final in over 30 years. [25] Nish departed Dumbarton in January 2015. [26]

Cowdenbeath

Nish joined Scottish Championship club Cowdenbeath in January 2015 on an 18-month contract following his release from Dumbarton. [27]

Coaching career

On 2 June 2015, Nish was named as the new player-manager of Scottish League One club Cowdenbeath, following the resignation of Jimmy Nicholl. [28] Nish's tenure lasted only one season however, with the club suffering their second successive relegation, this time to Scottish League Two. His contract was terminated in May 2016, less than a year after his appointment. [2]

He then took a position coaching youth players at Hibernian. [29] After a few years of coaching Hibernian youth and reserve teams, Nish became the manager of Lowland League side Tranent Juniors in September 2022. [30] He subsequently left the club when his contract ended in May 2023. [31]

Personal life

In September 2023, Nish was found guilty of assaulting his former partner. Following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, he was banned from having any contact with the woman for 12 months and was fined £500 with a supplement charge of £20. [32]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 7 May 2016 [28]
TeamFromToRecord
GWDLWin %
Cowdenbeath 2 June 201512 May 20164313723030.23

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Riordan</span> Scottish footballer

Derek George Riordan is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was capped three times by the Scotland national team.

Ian William Murray is a Scottish football player and coach, who was most recently the manager of Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Thomson</span> Scottish footballer

Kevin Thomson is a Scottish professional football coach and former player.

Mark Brown is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Fontaine</span> English footballer (born 1986)

Liam Vaughan Henry Fontaine is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He has previously played in the English leagues for Fulham, Yeovil Town and Bristol City, and in the Scottish leagues for Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Ross County, Dundee and Edinburgh City. Fontaine retired in 2024, having compiled a lengthy and successful career of over 550 appearances and honours such as the Scottish Cup with Hibernian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Heffernan</span> Irish footballer

Paul Heffernan is an Irish association football coach and former professional player who is first team coach of Bray Wanderers. A striker, Heffernan played for several clubs in Great Britain which include Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers, Notts County, Bristol City, Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Dundee, Queen of the South, and Dumbarton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Ross (footballer, born 1976)</span> Scottish footballer (born 1976)

John James Ross is a Scottish professional football coach and former player, who was most recently the manager of Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Robertson (footballer, born 1985)</span> Scottish footballer and coach

Scott Robertson is a Scottish football coach and former player, who currently serves as a coach at Dundee. Robertson played as a midfielder for Dundee, Peterhead, Dundee United, Blackpool, Hibernian, Romanian club Botosani, Raith Rovers, Brechin City and Forfar Athletic, and was also formerly the assistant manager of Forfar. He also represented Scotland twice in full international matches.

Season 2008–09 for Hibernian was their tenth consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. The SPL season began on 9 August 2008 with a 1–0 defeat at Kilmarnock. The team were eliminated from each cup competition at the first hurdle, due to defeats by IF Elfsborg in the last Intertoto Cup, Greenock Morton in the Scottish League Cup and Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts in the Scottish Cup. The team was inconsistent in the league, and only squeezed into the top six by a single point ahead of Motherwell. This led to the resignation of manager Mixu Paatelainen at the end of the season. One bright spot for the club was the performance of the under-19 team, which won the Scottish league & cup double.

Season 2010–11 for Hibernian was their 12th consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. It was the first season played in the redeveloped Easter Road stadium, with its capacity increased to over 20,000 for the first time since it became an all-seater stadium in the early 1990s. The SPL season began on 15 August 2010 with a 3–2 win at Motherwell. Hibs competed in the UEFA Europa League, losing 6–2 on aggregate to Slovenian club NK Maribor. They also lost at the first stage of competition in the Scottish League Cup, losing 3–1 at Kilmarnock. Those cup defeats and a poor start to the league season led to manager John Hughes leaving by mutual consent in early October. Colin Calderwood was appointed as the new manager, but struggled to make any sort of impression, as they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Ayr United and fell into a relegation battle. A winning streak after the January transfer window meant any danger was quickly averted, but the team still finished in the bottom six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren McGregor</span> Scottish footballer

Darren McGregor is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is currently a coach at Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.

Season 2011–12 for Hibernian was their 13th consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League (SPL). The season began on 24 July with a 2–0 home defeat by Celtic, who eliminated Hibs from the Scottish League Cup. With the club near the bottom of the league, manager Colin Calderwood was sacked and replaced with Pat Fenlon in November. Fenlon made several signings during January that helped the club to avoid relegation from the SPL. Hibs also reached the 2012 Scottish Cup Final, but this was lost 5–1 to local rivals Hearts.

Samuel Stanton is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers. He has also previously played for Hibernian, with loan spells at each of Cowdenbeath, Livingston & Dumbarton, before moving to Dundee United, Phoenix Rising and Dundalk as well as representing Scotland at youth international level.

James Keatings is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward, most recently for Tranent Juniors. He has previously played for Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, St Johnstone, Hibernian and Dundee United plus a loan and two permanent spells at Hamilton Academical. In May 2019, he agreed to play for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the following season. He most recently played for Raith Rovers, Montrose, Forfar Athletic and Tranent Juniors.

The 2012–13 season was Hibernian's fourteenth consecutive season in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the Scottish First Division at the end of the 1998–99 season. The club improved on its league performance in the previous season by finishing 7th in the 2012–13 Scottish Premier League, but were eliminated from the 2012–13 Scottish League Cup in the second round by Queen of the South. Hibernian progressed in the 2012–13 Scottish Cup to the 2013 Scottish Cup Final, but this was lost 3–0 to league champions Celtic.

Jordon John Forster is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender. Forster has previously played for Hibernian, Berwick Rangers, East Fife, Plymouth Argyle, Cheltenham Town, Dundee and Kelty Hearts.

The 2013–14 season was Hibernian's fifteenth consecutive season in the top flight of the Scottish football league system, having been promoted from the Scottish First Division at the end of the 1998–99 season. Having lost the 2013 Scottish Cup Final to league champions Celtic, Hibs entered the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, but suffered a Scottish record aggregate defeat against Swedish club Malmö in the second qualifying round. Hibs also competed in the 2013–14 Scottish League Cup but lost to Heart of Midlothian in the quarter-final at Easter Road. Days after that defeat, manager Pat Fenlon resigned and was replaced with Terry Butcher. Hibs were knocked out of the 2013–14 Scottish Cup in the fifth round by Raith Rovers. A long winless run to finish the 2013–14 Scottish Premiership season meant that Hibs finished in 11th place, and they were relegated after a playoff against Hamilton Academical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Ashcroft (Scottish footballer)</span> Scottish footballer

Lee Ashcroft is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish Championship club Partick Thistle. Ashcroft previously played for Kilmarnock, Dunfermline Athletic and Dundee, as well as on loan for Raith Rovers.

The 2016–17 season was Hibernian's (Hibs) third season of play in the second tier of Scottish football the Scottish Championship, since they were relegated from the Scottish Premiership at the end of the 2013–14 season. Hibs also competed in the Europa League, Challenge Cup, League Cup and they defended the Scottish Cup after winning the 2016 final.

The 2017–18 season was Hibernian's (Hibs) first season of play back in the top league of Scottish football the Scottish Premiership, having been promoted from the Scottish Championship at the end of the 2016–17 season. They last played in the Scottish Premiership during the 2013–14 season. Hibs reached the semi-final of the League Cup, where they lost 4–2 to holders Celtic. In the Scottish Cup, Hibs lost 1–0 to Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts in the fourth round. Hibs challenged for a second-place finish in the league, but eventually finished in fourth.

References

  1. "Colin Nish". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Cowdenbeath on the hunt for new manager after parting company with Colin Nish". The Courier. DC Thomson. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nish apologises to Hibernian fans for outburst". STV. 4 May 2010. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  4. More to follow as Nish moves, BBC Sport, 27 October 2000
  5. Killie snap up Hardie, BBC Sport, 7 July 2003
  6. Nish signs new Killie deal, BBC Sport, 18 December 2003
  7. "Hibs do deals for Nish and Zarabi". BBC Sport. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  8. "Dundee United 1–1 Hibernian". BBC Sport. 9 February 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  9. "Hibernian 4–2 Gretna". BBC Sport. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  10. "Dirty Dozen battle for Europe and break SPL record". STV. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  11. "Hibernian manager Calderwood wants support for Nish". BBC Sport. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  12. 1 2 McCafferty, Gavin (13 April 2011). "New Derek Adams ban as Colin Nish faces Hibs exit". The Scotsman . Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  13. "Hibernian to release 10 players". BBC Sport. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  14. "Pools clinch Nish deal". Sky Sports . 27 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  15. "Hartlepool vs Sheffield Utd". Hartlepool United FC. 9 August 2011. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  16. "Hartlepool 1 – 1 Walsall". BBC Sport. BBC. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  17. 1 2 Schweitzer-Thompson, Alex (7 December 2011). "Ex-Hibee enjoying life in League One but admits to unfinished business in SPL". Edinburgh Evening News. Johnston Press. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  18. 1 2 "Old boy Nish on Shiels' radar as Kilmarnock look for firepower". sport.scotsman.com. Johnston Press. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  19. Spence, Jim (21 August 2012). "Dundee hold talks with Hartlepool striker Colin Nish". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  20. "Colin Nish joins Dundee on loan". BBC Sport. BBC. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  21. "Dundee: Striker Colin Nish extends loan deal from Hartlepool United". BBC Sport. BBC. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  22. "Six head for Hartlepool exit". Sky Sports. BSkyB. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  23. 1 2 "Dumbarton: Colin Nish signs as player-coach". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  24. "Dumbarton 3 – 1 Morton: Colin Nish scores on debut". Scotland on Sunday. Johnston Publishing. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  25. Dumbarton FC
  26. "Striker Departs the Rock". Dumbarton FC. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  27. Cowdenbeath FC
  28. 1 2 "Cowdenbeath name Colin Nish as new player/manager". The Courier. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  29. Hardie, David (18 February 2017). "Colin Nish back at Hibs as a youth coach". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  30. "Tranent appoint former Hibs striker and coach as new manager after resignation of Calum Elliot". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  31. "Tranent Juniors and Colin Nish part company". East Lothian Courier. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  32. "Former Premiership striker headbutted ex in row over money". STV News. 27 September 2023.