Greg Downs

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Greg Downs
Personal information
Full name Gregory Downs
Date of birth (1958-12-13) 13 December 1958 (age 65)
Place of birth Carlton, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1]
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1976–1985 Norwich City 169 (8)
1977Connecticut Bicentennials (loan) 16 (1)
1977Torquay United (loan) 1 (1)
1985–1990 Coventry City 146 (4)
1990–1991 Birmingham City 17 (0)
1991–1994 Hereford United 108 (2)
1994 Raunds Town
1994 Kettering Town 0 (0)
1994 Redditch United
1994–1995 Merthyr Tydfil 8 (0)
1995 Worcester City
1995–1996 Forest Green Rovers
1996? Bridgnorth Town
1997? Malvern Town
1997 Merthyr Tydfil
1997–2001 Great Yarmouth Town
2001–2002 Mulbarton United
2002–2003 Blofield United
2003 Dereham Town
2003–2004 North Walsham Town
Managerial career
1992–1994 Hereford United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gregory Downs (born 13 December 1958) is an English former professional footballer. Originally a centre-forward, he switched to left full-back early in his career.

Downs began his career with Norwich City where he was player of the year in 1982, the year they won promotion to the First Division a year after relegation.

He remained at Carrow Road until 1985, when moved to Coventry City where he won an FA Cup winner's medal in the 1987 final, where they achieved a surprise 3–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur. He spent five years at Highfield Road, playing 146 league games and scoring four goals.

On leaving in 1990, he dropped down to the Third Division to sign for Birmingham City, playing 17 times in the disappointing 1990–91 campaign where the Blues recorded their lowest ever finish of 13th place. He was then signed by Hereford United, who had appointed former Coventry boss John Sillett as manager for the 1991–92 season. Sillett left Edgar Street after one disappointing season in charge, and Downs was appointed player-manager in his place, an arrangement which lasted for two seasons until he was succeeded by John Layton. In three seasons at the Bulls, he played 108 times in the league's basement division, scoring twice.

After retiring from professional football in 1995, Downs joined the police. However, he continued playing non-league football into his mid forties.

In 2006, he joined Wroxham as assistant to player-manager Damian Hilton. [2] The pair resigned in November 2007; [3] though Hilton had second thoughts and was re-appointed manager, Downs left the club. [4]

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References

  1. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 138. ISBN   978-0-356-14354-5.
  2. "Greg Downs". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  3. "Management Team Step Down". Wroxham F.C. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 29 November 2008.
  4. "Hilton U-turn over manager's job". Eastern Daily Press. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2008.