Stuart Lovell

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Stuart Lovell
Personal information
Full name Stuart Andrew Lovell [1]
Date of birth (1972-01-09) 9 January 1972 (age 51)
Place of birth Sydney, Australia
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Striker; Midfielder
Youth career
Reading
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1990–1998 Reading 227 (58)
1998–2001 Hibernian 88 (17)
2001–2005 Livingston 87 (6)
2005–2006 Queen of the South 38 (1)
Total440(82)
International career
2000 Australia 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stuart Andrew Lovell (born 9 January 1972 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian professional footballer, who played as a striker early in his career, before reverting to a midfield role later in his career. [2]

Contents

Playing career

Lovell was born in Sydney, Australia [3] and spent his childhood in Reading, Berkshire. [4] He joined the local professional team and was part of the Reading team that narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the 1994–95 season. [2] He had a penalty kick saved in the playoff final against Bolton Wanderers when Reading were leading 2–0; they eventually lost 4–3 after extra time. [2] [4]

After damaging a cruciate ligament in 1997 and almost having his career ended as a result, Lovell moved to Scottish club Hibernian in 1998, ultimately prolonging his career by nearly a decade.

Hibs were in the First Division at the time and he was part of the team who won promotion back to the Scottish Premier League by winning the First Division. He was capped twice by Australia and was a Hibs first team regular as they finished a creditable third in the SPL and reached the 2000-01 Scottish Cup Final.

In the summer of 2001, Lovell surprisingly left Hibs to sign for SPL newcomers Livingston, who he helped to finish third in their first season in the SPL. He subsequently skippered the club to their only major trophy to date, the Scottish League Cup in 2004. Livingston defeated Hibs 2–0 in the final. [5]

Lovell retired after a 15-month spell with Dumfries club Queen of the South, where he also had a spell as caretaker manager. [6]

Post-playing career

Lovell has since done media work, appearing on Setanta Sports and Sky Sports, [7] and writing a column for the Edinburgh Evening News . [8] He also commentates for Hibs TV [9] and has served as a representative of PFA Scotland. [10]

As of 2022, Lovell is a Network Programme Manager for Street Soccer. [11] [12]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition [13]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Reading 1990–91 Third Division 30200000020322
1991–92 Third Division24442000020306
1992–93 Second Division 22830100000268
1993–94 Second Division4520204200305422
1994–95 First Division 3011104100644116
1995–96 First Division35720320000409
1996–97 First Division26510100000285
1997–98 First Division15130000000181
Reading total227581621350013426969
Hibernian 1998–99 Scottish First Division 3111203100003612
1999–2000 Scottish Premier League 26151100000322
2000–01 Scottish Premier League31530200000365
Hibernian total881710161000010419
Livingston 2001–02 Scottish Premier League27300110000284
2002–03 Scottish Premier League15110002100182
2003–04 Scottish Premier League25150400000341
2004–05 Scottish Premier League20110300000241
Livingston total876708121001048
Queen of the South 2004–05 Scottish First Division12000000000120
2005–06 Scottish First Division26120100011302
QoS total38120100011422
Career total440823532872114551998

Honours

Club

Reading

Hibernian

Livingston

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Season 2005–06 was a season of missed opportunities for Hibernian. The team started strongly in the league, winning 10 of their first 14 games, but this form dipped after Christmas. The Scottish Cup seemed to be opening up for Hibs after they defeated Rangers 3–0 at Ibrox in the fourth round, but they then lost 4–0 in an Edinburgh derby semi–final against Hearts. Hibs lost 3–0 in the quarter–final of the Scottish League Cup at Dunfermline, and were well beaten by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the UEFA Cup.

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Season 2002–03 was a disappointment for Hibernian, as the team finished in the bottom half of the Scottish Premier League in Bobby Williamson's first full season in charge. The team were also knocked out of the two domestic cup competitions at an early stage. In a preview for the next season, BBC Sport commented that the biggest problem "was a fragile defence that developed a nasty habit of conceding late goals".

Season 2001–02 was a turbulent one for Hibernian, as the team had three different permanent managers during the season. Alex McLeish left the club in December to manage Rangers; Hibs surprisingly replaced him with star player Franck Sauzée, who retired as a player when he was appointed manager. Sauzee's brief tenure saw a long winless run in the SPL and domestic cup defeats by Rangers and Ayr United. The winless run in the league dragged Hibs into the fringes of a relegation battle, and Sauzee was sacked after just 69 days in charge. Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson was hired as Sauzee's replacement, and a brief winning run averted any danger of relegation. Earlier in the season, Hibs had been knocked out of the UEFA Cup in the first round by AEK Athens, but only after a dramatic second leg at Easter Road that went to extra time.

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References

  1. ↑ "Stuart Lovell". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lovell indulges in title horseplay". BBC Sport. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  3. ↑ getreading (27 March 2006). "Lovell: These lads took a monkey off my back". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 "TTE Pod: Stuart Lovell Interview". The Tilehurst End. 28 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Smith, Aidan (27 February 2021). "Stuart Lovell on Hibs cup heartache, Livingston Hampden glory, doing the running for Latapy and Sauzee and his new charity role". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Lovell takes over as Scott leaves". BBC Sport. 1 November 2005.
  7. ↑ Fort, Hugh (14 June 2015). "Reading FC: Where are the 1995 play-off final side now?". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  8. ↑ Lovell, Stuart (16 June 2008). "Euro treats all round as tournament off to a flier". Edinburgh Evening News .
  9. ↑ "How To Watch: Hearts (A)". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Stirling Albion cash for trial scheme criticised". BBC Sport. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  11. ↑ Clark, Alasdair (2 April 2022). "Former Hibs star Stuart Lovell gets Fifers on to the pitch in free coaching programme". The Courier. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Bryan, Matt (6 November 2022). "Ex pro launches free footy sessions in Lanarkshire alongside recovery group". Daily Record.
  13. ↑ "Stuart Lovell". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Livingston lift CIS Cup". BBC Sport. 14 March 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
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