Robert Taylor (footballer, born 1971)

Last updated

Robert Taylor
Personal information
Full name Robert Anthony Taylor [1]
Date of birth (1971-04-30) 30 April 1971 (age 52)
Place of birth Norwich, England
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Watton United (manager)
Youth career
Watton United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1990–1991 Norwich City 0 (0)
1990Mjølner (loan) 5 (1)
1991Leyton Orient (loan) 3 (1)
1991 Birmingham City 0 (0)
1991–1994 Leyton Orient 73 (20)
1994–1998 Brentford 183 (58)
1998–1999 Gillingham 61 (33)
1999–2000 Manchester City 12 (5)
2000–2002 Wolverhampton Wanderers 9 (0)
2001Queens Park Rangers (loan) 3 (0)
2001–2002Gillingham (loan) 11 (0)
2002Grimsby Town (loan) 4 (1)
2002–2003 Grimsby Town 1 (0)
2003 Scunthorpe United 8 (0)
2004 Gorleston 3 (1)
2008–2012 Diss Town 3 (0)
Total379(120)
Managerial career
2003–2004 Watton United
2004 King's Lynn (caretaker)
2004–2008 Dereham Town
2008–2012 Diss Town
2013 Mundford
2016 Swaffham Town
2017 Acle United
2019– Watton United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert Anthony Taylor (born 30 April 1971) is an English former professional footballer, licensed football agent and manager who is in charge of Watton United.

Contents

As a player he was a forward and was active as a professional between 1990 and 2003. Although featuring for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City, he notably had lengthy and prolific spells with Leyton Orient, Brentford and Gillingham. He notably scored for the Gills at Wembley Stadium in the 1999 Division Two Play-off final against Manchester City, only months before he would join The Blues. Taylor also played professionally for Norwich City, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United. He retired in 2003 following a brief spell with Non-League side Gorleston, although whilst manager of Diss Town he did make three more senior appearances between 2008 and 2012. Since retiring Taylor has managed at Non-League level for Watton United, King's Lynn Town, Dereham Town, Diss Town, Mundford, Swaffham Town and Acle United.

Playing career

Born in Norwich, Taylor played for Watton United's youth team. [2] He was first spotted after playing for Watton United's first team at the age of 15 against Norwich City's reserves in a pre-season friendly. [3]

A forward, Taylor failed to make a first-team appearance for Norwich, making his professional debut in 1991 whilst on loan at Leyton Orient. [4] He spent August and September 1990 with Norwegian side Mjølner to gain further experience. [5] He played five games and scored one goal for Mjølner in the second tier of the Norwegian league during a loan spell that lasted until the end of the season in Norway.

In 1991 Taylor signed for Birmingham City where he also failed to make the first team. [4] He then signed permanently former loan club Leyton Orient where he scored 20 goals in 81 appearances, before moving to Brentford where he scored 74 goals in 208 appearances. [6]

In 1998, he signed for Gillingham for a then club-record fee of £500,000. [7] Playing under manager Tony Pulis Taylor enjoyed the best goal scoring run of his career, totalling 39 goals in 70 games. This included 5 goals away in a single game, away to Burnley in February 1999. [8] Taylor played and scored in the 1999 Second Division play-off Final against Manchester City. [8]

Taylor remained with the club until November 1999 when he signed for Manchester City for £1.5 million. [9] Playing for the club as it gained promotion from the First Division, he scored 5 goals in 12 appearances. [10] [11]

In 2000, he signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1.55 million on a four-year deal, commenting that City's signings of Paolo Wanchope and George Weah meant his playing time would be limited at the club. [12] He only made 12 first team appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals and suffered with then-undiagnosed circulatory problems in his legs. [4] [9] Whilst at the club he was sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers, Grimsby Town and his former club Gillingham. [4]

Leaving Wolves in 2002 he then signed permanently for Grimsby Town, before ending his professional career with Scunthorpe United. [4]

He also went on to play for non-League club Gorleston. [9] In 2008, while Diss Town manager, he made a brief playing comeback early in the 2008–09 season. [13]

Managerial career

Taylor moved into management with Watton United, King's Lynn (as caretaker manager), [14] Dereham Town, [15] Diss Town, [16] Mundford and more recently Swaffham Town. [17]

In 2019 he returned to Watton United as manager.

Personal life

As a child Taylor supported Liverpool, citing Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush as his inspiration. [3]

In 2016 Taylor launched a football agency, TG-Inspire. [18]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leyton Orient (loan) 1990–91 [4] Third Division 3131
Brentford 1993–94 [6] Second Division 5252
1994-95 [6] 432321414 [lower-alpha 1] 05325
1995–96 [6] 421143412 [lower-alpha 2] 15216
1996–97 [19] 43732416 [lower-alpha 3] 35613
1997–98 [20] 401312431 [lower-alpha 2] 04618
Total1735610812613420874
Gillingham 1998–99 [8] Second Division431610106 [lower-alpha 4] 55121
1999-00 [10] 151522211918
Total58313231657039
Manchester City 1999-00 [10] First Division 125125
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2000–01 [21] First Division900033123
Queens Park Rangers (loan) 2001–02 [22] Second Division3030
Gillingham (loan) 2001–02 [22] First Division11000110
Gillingham total69313231658139
Grimsby Town (loan) 2001–02 [22] First Division4141
Grimsby Town 2002–03 [23] First Division10000010
Grimsby Town total51000051
Scunthorpe United 2002–03 [23] Third Division8080
Gorleston 2004–05 [24] Eastern Counties League Premier Division31000031
Diss Town 2008–09 [13] Eastern Counties League First Division30000030
Career total2889513101810199338124
  1. Two appearances in Second Division play-offs; two appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. 1 2 Appearances in Football League Trophy
  3. Three appearances, two goals in Second Division play-offs; three appearances, one goal in Football League Trophy
  4. Three appearances, two goals in Second Division play-offs; three appearances, three goals in Football League Trophy

Honours

As a player

Manchester City

Individual

As a manager

Diss Town

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References

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  17. "Thurlow Nunn League Swaffham Town appoint former Manchester City striker as their new boss". Watton and Swaffham Times. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
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