David Puckett

David Puckett

Personal information
Full name	David Charles Puckett [1]
Date of birth	(1960-10-29) 29 October 1960 (age 63) [1]
Place of birth	Southampton, England [1]
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) [2]
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1977–1978	Southampton
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1978–1986	Southampton	94	(14)
1986–1989	Bournemouth	35	(14)
1987–1988	→ Stoke City (loan)	7	(0)
1988–1989	→ Swansea City (loan)	8	(3)
1989–1991	Aldershot	113	(50)
1991–1992	Bournemouth	4	(0)
1993–1994	Woking	25	(5)
2011	Lymington Town	6	(1)
2013–2014	Totton & Eling	15	(1)
Total		282	(83)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David Charles Puckett (born 29 October 1960) is a former professional footballer who played in The Football League for Aldershot, Bournemouth, Southampton, and Stoke City. ^[1]

Playing career

Puckett began his career with Southampton during the 1970s and played nearly 100 games for them in the First Division between 1978 and 1986, scoring 14 times. However, he struggled to hold down a first team place and was transferred to Third Division side Bournemouth in 1986, helping them win that division's title and promotion to the Second Division a year later. During his time at Bournemouth he played on loan for Stoke City and Swansea City. ^[1]

Puckett suffered a major knee injury while playing for the Dean Court side and was loaned to Aldershot in the 1988–89 season, scoring a hat-trick on his Third Division debut for the club, and was soon signed on a permanent basis, but was unable to save the Shots from relegation.

He made a total of 113 appearances for Aldershot in the league, scoring 50 goals, before returning to Bournemouth during the 1991–92 season, a few weeks before Aldershot went out of business and left the Football League.

The return to Bournemouth was Puckett's final contribution to senior football, as he made just four appearances for the club before hanging up his boots in professional football during 1992.

In 2011 Puckett signed for Wessex League club Lymington Town and on 26 November 2011 scored to become the league's oldest ever goalscorer at the age of 51. ^{[3] [4]} He later broke this record while playing for Totton & Eling when scoring at the age of 53 in February 2014. ^[5] He made fifteen league appearances for Totton & Eling, scoring one goal. ^[6]

On 21 May 2014 Puckett played a 4th division game in Iceland for Hvíti Riddarinn (The White Knights). Puckett was substituted in to the game in the 66th minute along with his son Bill who is one of two coaches of the team. The Knights won the game 2–0. ^[7]

Coaching career

In July 2003, Puckett returned to Southampton as coach to the Saints academy, working with seven to 12-year-olds. ^[8] He is currently the Assistant Academy Manager, working with 12- to 16-year-olds. ^[9]

Career statistics

Source: ^[10]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other [A]		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Southampton	1980–81	First Division	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
	1981–82	First Division	17	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	18	3
	1982–83	First Division	24	3	0	0	3	1	0	0	27	4
	1983–84	First Division	18	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	3
	1984–85	First Division	13	1	1	0	3	0	0	0	17	1
	1985–86	First Division	15	4	2	0	5	1	2	0	24	5
	Total		94	14	3	0	12	2	2	0	111	16
Bournemouth	1986–87	Third Division	19	10	2	3	2	0	1	3	24	15
	1987–88	Second Division	12	4	1	0	1	0	1	0	15	4
	1988–89	Second Division	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	0
	Total		35	14	3	3	4	0	2	3	44	20
Stoke City (loan)	1987–88	Second Division	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Swansea City (loan)	1988–89	Third Division	8	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	10	3
Aldershot	1988–89	Third Division	21	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	11
	1989–90	Fourth Division	46	18	1	0	4	3	3	1	54	22
	1990–91	Fourth Division	46	21	4	2	2	3	3	0	55	26
	Total		113	50	5	2	6	6	6	1	130	59
Bournemouth	1991–92	Third Division	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Career Total			261	81	11	5	22	8	12	4	306	98

A.  ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy, Full Members Cup and Screen Sport Super Cup.

Honours

Southampton

• Football League Division 1 Runners-up: 1983–84

Woking

• FA Trophy: 1993–94 ^[11]

Lymington Town

• Oldest goalscorer in the Wessex League Premier Division.

References

1. Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era – A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN   1-874287-39-2.
2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p.  74. ISBN   978-0-356-14354-5.
3. https://fulltime.thefa.com/statsForPlayer.html?selectedOrgStatRecordingTypeID_ForSort=&teamID=&selectedStatisticDisplayMode=3&personID=3210837&selectedSeasonID=3812550
4. "Sydenhams Football League (Wessex) –". Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
5. "Newsham becomes first new Gladiators signing of the summer | Non League Daily".
6. https://fulltime.thefa.com/statsForPlayer.html?selectedSeasonID=225445765&personID=3210837&selectedStatisticDisplayMode=3&selectedOrgStatRecordingTypeID_ForSort=
7. "Leikskýrsla: Hvíti riddarinn – Snæfell – Knattspyrnusamband Íslands". ksi.is.
8. "Claridge Looks For Better Display". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 29 July 2003. Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
9. "Academy contacts". Southampton F.C. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
10. David Puckett at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
11. Winter, Henry (21 May 1994). "Football / FA Trophy Final: Steele has edge for Woking". The Independent. Retrieved 25 May 2022.

External links

• David Puckett at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database