Keith Leonard

Last updated

Keith Leonard
Personal information
Full name Keith Andrew Leonard [1]
Date of birth (1950-11-10) 10 November 1950 (age 74) [1]
Place of birth Birmingham, England [1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) [2]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Kidderminster Harriers
Darlaston
Highgate United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1972–1976 Aston Villa 38 (11)
1973–1974 → Port Vale (loan) 13 (1)
Total51(12)
Managerial career
1986 Birmingham City (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Keith Andrew Leonard (born 10 November 1950) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Aston Villa. He also played on loan at Port Vale. He played non-League football for Kidderminster Harriers, Darlaston, and Highgate United. He won the League Cup with Villa in 1975, and was also promoted out of the Second Division. He later became a coach and led the Aston Villa youth team players to FA Youth Cup victory in 1980; he later served Birmingham City as caretaker manager in 1986.

Contents

Playing career

Born in Birmingham, Leonard worked as a draughtsman whilst playing non-League football with Highgate United before he joined Aston Villa in April 1972. [2] [3] He made his debut against Fulham but after just a few appearances fractured his right leg in two places in a road accident on Boxing Day 1972. [2] After recovering from his injuries he spent a few months on loan to Port Vale to regain fitness. [1] Arriving at Vale Park in November 1973, he scored once in 13 Third Division appearances, and his performances persuaded the club to offer Villa £5,000 for his services permanently. [1] The bid failed and he returned to Villa Park in February 1974. [1] "Valiants" manager Roy Sproson doubled the offer in September 1974 but was again rebuffed. [1]

On his return he played alongside Brian Little in their 1974–75 Second Division promotion campaign and in the 1975 League Cup final 1–0 victory over Norwich City at Wembley. A knee injury forced his retirement in 1976 and prompted manager Ron Saunders to sign Andy Gray from Dundee United as his replacement. [4]

Coaching career

Leonard took up coaching under Saunders at Aston Villa and led the youth team to victory in the FA Youth Cup in 1980. When Saunders joined Birmingham City in 1982, he appointed Leonard as first-team coach. [5]

After Saunders' resignation in 1986, Leonard acted as Birmingham's caretaker manager for one game before being dismissed when John Bond was appointed as Saunders' permanent successor. [6] He went on to coach at West Bromwich Albion before leaving football to work at the Land Rover plant in Solihull. [7]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition [8] [9]
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aston Villa 1972–73 Second Division 20000020
1973–74 Second Division71000071
1974–75 Second Division22732533012
1975–76 First Division 73001184
Total381132644717
Port Vale (loan) 1973–74 Third Division 1310000131
Career total511232646018

Honours

Player

Aston Villa

Youth team coach

Aston Villa

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Little</span> English football manager (born 1953)

Brian Little is an English football manager and former player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Barton (footballer)</span> English footballer and manager

Anthony Edward Barton was an English footballer, playing as an outside right, and football manager. He was born in Sutton, Surrey and managed Aston Villa to success in the 1982 European Cup, three months after taking charge. He followed this up by beating Barcelona in the 1982 European Super Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Saunders</span> English footballer and manager (1932–2019)

Ronald Saunders was an English football player and manager. He played for Everton, Tonbridge Angels, Gillingham, Portsmouth, Watford and Charlton Athletic during a 16-year playing career, before moving into management. He managed seven clubs in 20 years, and he was the first manager to have taken charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, the three rival clubs based in and around the city of Birmingham.

Stefan Leroy Moore is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Michael Pejic is a former England international footballer who played in the English Football League for Stoke City, Everton and Aston Villa.

Colin John Gibson is an English former footballer. He was an attacking left back who could also play in midfield. In a 17-year career, he scored 34 goals in 448 league and cup appearances and also won caps for the England under-21 and England B teams.

Gordon Francis Lee was an English football player and manager. He played 144 league and cup matches in a 12-year career in the Football League, before going on to greater success as a manager, as he would take charge of 777 matches in a 23-year managerial career.

Alan Arthur Oakes is an English former footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Oakes is a midfielder who, in total, played 776 in the Football League matches – the tenth most in history. He is a cousin of former teammate Glyn Pardoe, an uncle of defender Chris Blackburn, and the father of former goalkeeper Michael Oakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Mortimer</span> English footballer (born 1952)

Dennis George Mortimer is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder and captained Aston Villa. He made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Coventry City, Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Birmingham City.

Raymond Jack Graydon is an English former footballer and manager. In a 16-year professional career in the English Football League and North American Soccer League he scored 139 goals in 484 league and cup appearances.

David Geddis is a football coach and scout, a former professional football player and England Youth and B international. As a player, he scored 77 goals from 264 appearances in the Football League.

Stephen Kenneth Hunt is an English former professional footballer who was later known as Steve Evans. A pacey and creative left-sided midfielder and winger with long-range shooting ability, he was capped twice for England in 1984.

Mark Craig Smith is an English former professional football player and coach, and current loans manager at Sheffield United and a first-team coach at Ossett United.

Roy Clifford Chapman was an English professional football player and manager. He was the father of former Arsenal and Leeds United striker Lee Chapman.

Raymond Walker is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played 440 games for Port Vale in all competitions between 1986 and 1997, ensuring himself a place in the club's history. He was twice the club's player of the season. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year three times. He was promoted twice with the club and also played a part in the club's highest-ever post-war finish in the English Football League. With Aston Villa in the early '80s, he joined Port Vale in 1986, after a short loan spell in 1984. After eleven years at Vale Park, he went into non-League football with Leek Town and Newcastle Town.

Derek Anthony Brownbill is an English former footballer who played as a forward. He played in the Football League for Liverpool, Port Vale, and Wigan Athletic before spells with American side Cleveland Cobras and English non-League clubs Stafford Rangers, Oswestry Town, Morecambe, Witton Albion, and Warrington Town.

Thomas John Gore is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He played 257 league appearances in a six-year career in the Football League.

Anthony Thomas Betts is an English former footballer who played as a forward. He played in the Football League, the North American Soccer League, and the Major Indoor Soccer League.

The 1973–74 season was Port Vale's 62nd season of football in the Football League, and their fourth-successive season in the Third Division. They finished in twentieth spot, though were seven points clear of relegation. Manager Gordon Lee left the club in January and was replaced by club legend Roy Sproson.

The 1972–73 English football season was Aston Villa's 73rd season in the Football League, this season playing in the Football League Second Division. Under manager Vic Crowe Aston Villa won promotion in the previous season as champions with a record 70 points, and thus ended their two-year spell in the Third Division. By the end of the decade they would be firmly re-established as a First Division club.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 172. ISBN   0-9529152-0-0.
  2. 1 2 3 "Keith Leonard interview". onevalefan.co.uk. 24 September 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "Leonard, Keith Andrew". Aston Villa Player Database. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "On This Day: November 10". Aston Villa F.C. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
  5. ↑ "Roeber returns to Germany". The Times (Times Digital Archive 1785–1985). 9 July 1982. p. 20.
  6. ↑ "Bond favourite for Birmingham job". The Times . 23 January 1986. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
  7. ↑ Struthers, Greg (17 October 2004). "Caught in Time: Aston Villa win the League Cup, 1975" . The Sunday Times . London. Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  8. ↑ Keith Leonard at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  9. ↑ "ASTON VILLA : 1946/47 – 2007/08". Neil Brown stat site. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.