Chris Pearce (footballer)

Last updated

Chris Pearce
Personal information
Full name Christopher Leslie Pearce [1]
Date of birth (1961-08-07) 7 August 1961 (age 62) [1]
Place of birth Newport, Wales [1]
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) [2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1979–1982 Blackburn Rovers 0 (0)
1980 → Rochdale (loan) 5 (0)
1981 → Barnsley (loan) 0 (0)
1982–1983 Rochdale 36 (0)
1983–1986 Port Vale 48 (0)
1986–1987 Wrexham 25 (0)
1987–1992 Burnley 181 (0)
1992–1993 Bradford City 9 (0)
1993–199? Chorley
199?–199? Fleetwood Town
199?–1995 Accrington Stanley
1995–1996 Rossendale United
Total304+(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christopher Leslie Pearce (born 7 August 1961) is a Welsh former footballer. A goalkeeper, he made 304 league appearances in a 14-year career in the Football League.

Contents

A former Wolverhampton Wanderers apprentice, he turned professional at Blackburn Rovers in 1979. He was loaned out to Rochdale and Barnsley, before he was allowed to sign with Rochdale permanently in 1982. He moved on to Port Vale in June 1983, and helped the "Valiants" to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86. He joined Wrexham in May 1986, before he was bought by Burnley for £4,000 in July 1987. He won a Football League Trophy runners-up medal with the "Clarets" in 1988, and helped the club to win the Fourth Division title in 1991–92. He later played for Bradford City, before spending time with non-League clubs Chorley, Fleetwood, Accrington Stanley, and Rossendale United.

Career

Pearce was an apprentice at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but was never offered a professional contract at Molineux. He instead turned professional with Howard Kendall's Blackburn Rovers in 1979. He spent three years at Ewood Park, but never made a first-team appearance. He did though play five Fourth Division games on loan at Rochdale in the 1980–81 season. [3] He was also loaned out to Second Division side Barnsley, but never made a first-team appearance for the "Tykes". He returned to Rochdale on a free transfer for the start of the 1982–83 campaign. [3] Described as "brave and agile", he also appeared to be vulnerable on crosses. [3] He played 36 league games at Spotland, before Jimmy Greenhoff replaced Peter Madden as manager, and selected Graham Crawford for the end-of-season run-in. [3]

He was signed by John McGrath's Port Vale as an understudy to Barry Siddall in June 1983. [1] He featured eight times in the 1983–84 season, as the "Valiants" suffered relegation out of the Third Division. [1] He became new manager John Rudge's preferred choice in goal, and played 43 games in the 1984–85 campaign. [1] However, he lost his first-team place at Vale Park to new signing Jim Arnold – who went on to win the club's Player of the Year award, and featured just six times in the 1985–86 Fourth Division promotion winning campaign. [1] He was given a free transfer in May 1986, and moved on to Wrexham. [1] He played 25 Fourth Division games for Dixie McNeil's "Dragons" in the 1986–87 season, and also played in Europe against Real Zaragoza at the Racecourse Ground. [4]

Pearce was signed by Burnley manager Brian Miller for a £4,000 fee as a replacement for Joe Neenan in July 1987. [4] He was one of eight "Clarets" players to make his debut in a 3–0 defeat to Colchester United at Turf Moor on 15 August 1987. [4] The team soon gelled though, and Pearce played a total of 59 games in the 1987–88 campaign. [4] The last of these games was the Football League Trophy final at Wembley, which ended in a 2–0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. [4] He played 47 games in the 1988–89 campaign, and only missed the chance to become an ever-present for two seasons running due to a facial injury in April. [4] He remained the first choice goalkeeper ahead of David Williams under new manager Frank Casper, and played 49 matches in the 1989–90 season. [4] He featured 55 times in the 1990–91 campaign as Burnley reached the play-off semi-finals, where they were beaten by Torquay United. [4] On 29 January, he kept a clean sheet against Bradford City at Valley Parade in the Football League Trophy after making "a string of top class saves". [4] However, he played just 14 league games in the 1991–92 season, as Burnley won promotion as champions of the Fourth Division. [4] At various point in the season he was on the bench as David Williams, and loanees Andy Marriott, Mark Kendall, and Nicky Walker all got the nod ahead of Pearce. [4] He was released in April 1992, though had become a "cult figure" at Turf Moor during his 236 league and cup games. [4]

Pearce played nine Second Division games for Bradford City in the 1992–93 campaign, though failed to impress for Frank Stapleton's "Bantams", and moved into Northern Premier League football with Chorley, Fleetwood and Accrington Stanley. He also spent time with North West Counties club Rossendale United. After leaving professional football he worked as a driving instructor and gardener, before working for a firm that supplies machines to the paper industry. [5]

Career statistics

Source: [6] [7]

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Blackburn Rovers 1979–80 Third Division 00000000
Rochdale (loan) 1980–81 Fourth Division 50002070
Barnsley (loan) 1981–82 Second Division 00000000
Rochdale 1982–83 Fourth Division3601040410
Port Vale 1983–84 Third Division70001080
1984–85 Fourth Division3602050430
1985–86 Fourth Division50001060
Total4802070570
Wrexham 1986–87 Fourth Division25030110390
Burnley 1987–88 Fourth Division46010120590
1988–89 Fourth Division3901070470
1989–90 Fourth Division3906040490
1990–91 Fourth Division4303090550
1991–92 Fourth Division1404080260
Total18101504002360
Bradford City 1992–93 Fourth Division900020110
Career total30402106603910

Honours

Port Vale

Burnley

Related Research Articles

Kevin Young is an English former footballer who played for Burnley, Torquay United, Port Vale, Bury, Utrecht, and Murton. He won promotion out of the Third Division with Burnley in 1981–82 and out of the Fourth Division with Bury in 1984–85.

Ronald Futcher is an English former footballer who played as a centre-forward. He was the fourth highest career scorer of the North American Soccer League, and made over 400 appearances in total for nine different English Football League clubs. He was noted for his aerial ability and solid ball control.

Leslie Terence Owen is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is the father of former England international striker Michael Owen.

Paul Bernard Maguire is a Scottish former footballer who scored 81 goals in 373 league appearances in the Football League. He played in all four divisions of the Football League, as well as the Conference and the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Barry Alfred Siddall is an English former professional football goalkeeper. When he retired from the game he had 614 appearances to his name over a 21-year career in the Football League, playing for numerous clubs. He played for 13 different Football League clubs: Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, Darlington, Port Vale, Blackpool, Stoke City, Tranmere Rovers, Manchester City, Stockport County, Hartlepool United, Carlisle United, Chester City and Preston North End. He won promotion out of the Second Division, Third Division, and Fourth Division, and also played in the First Division.

Dennis Anthony Butler is an English former professional football player and manager. He played as a winger for Bolton Wanderers between 1959 and 1968, before ending his playing career following a five-year spell at Rochdale. Later working as a coach and assistant manager, he spent an unsuccessful time as Port Vale manager between 1978 and 1979.

Raymond John Deakin was an English footballer, whose playing position was left-back. He had a 14-year career in the Football League with Everton, Port Vale, Bolton Wanderers, and Burnley. He captained Burnley at Wembley in the 1988 Football League Trophy final.

Henry Edward Hubbick was an English footballer who played professional football for Burnley, Bolton Wanderers, Port Vale, and Rochdale either side of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Jennings</span> English footballer and manager

Samuel Jennings was an English footballer and football manager. A tall player, he was a goal-scoring centre-forward, with a ratio of a goal every two games.

Anthony John Lacey is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Stoke City, Port Vale, Rochdale, and Stafford Rangers. He made 288 league appearances in a ten-year career in the Football League, and won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Port Vale in 1969–70. He later went into coaching with Stoke City, and served as caretaker manager for eight games in 1985. He began coaching at the Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy in 1996.

Gerard Patrick Keenan is an English former footballer who played 240 league and cup games in the English Football League for Bury, Port Vale, and Rochdale from 1975 to 1984. He served Accrington Stanley as player-manager from 1984 to 1986, and later worked as player-manager at Ashton United, Rossendale United and Bacup Borough.

Peter James Griffiths is an English former footballer who made 98 league appearances on the right-wing in the English Football League for Stoke City, Bradford City, and Port Vale in the 1980s. He also played non-League football for Bideford, Salisbury United (Australia), Newcastle KB United (Australia), Stafford Rangers, Northwich Victoria, Matlock Town and Milton United. He played in the First Division for Stoke, and helped Port Vale to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86.

Steven James Biggins is an English former footballer. A forward, he scored 66 goals in 237 league games in a fifteen-year career in the Football League.

Steven Jeffrey Taylor is an English former footballer. A forward, he scored 157 goals in 441 league games in a 15-year career in the Football League.

Stuart Chapman was an English footballer who played as a midfielder for Port Vale, Stafford Rangers and Macclesfield Town, and worked as the player-coach of Rocester. He won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Port Vale in 1969–70, and won the Northern Premier League, FA Trophy (twice) and Staffordshire Senior Cup (twice) with Stafford Rangers. He made more than 650 appearances and scored 60 goals during his 14 years at Stafford Rangers. He also led Rocester to two Staffordshire Senior League and two Staffordshire FA Vase titles.

Leslie Oliver Lawrence is an English former footballer who played as a forward. He scored 105 goals in 395 league and cup games during a twelve-year career in the Football League, most of which was spent in the Fourth Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1929–30 Port Vale F.C. season</span> Port Vale 1929–30 football season

The 1929–30 season was Port Vale's 11th consecutive season of football in the English Football League, and their first in the Third Division North. They finished as champions and were thus promoted back to the Second Division. With 67 points they broke a division record. After winning the North Staffordshire & District League in 1909–10 it was their first league title, as well as their first ever promotion in the Football League. They also racked up a still-standing club record Football League wins in a season, winning 30 of their 42 games. They were the most southerly team in the North Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1937–38 Port Vale F.C. season</span> Port Vale 1937–38 football season

The 1937–38 season was Port Vale's 32nd season of football in the English Football League, and their second-successive season in the Third Division North. With thirty goals, Jack Roberts was the division's top scorer. However, the club managed only a mid-table finish, also exiting both cup competitions at the first stage.

The 1982–83 season was Port Vale's 71st season of football in the English Football League, and their fifth-successive season in the Fourth Division. John McGrath led the Vale to a club-record 88 points, which saw them win promotion in third place. This was some achievement considering McGrath had sold both the Chamberlain brothers and goalkeeper Mark Harrison to rivals Stoke City at the start of the season. Receiving £240,000 for these three players, he spent only £15,000 to bring top-scorer Bob Newton to Vale Park, and signed Player of the Year Wayne Cegielski for free.

The 1983–84 season was Port Vale's 72nd season of football in the English Football League, and first back in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division. The club suffered a horrendous start, and John McGrath lost his job before Christmas; he was replaced by his assistant John Rudge. Rudge instigated an immense turnaround in results, but Vale still ended up relegated, six points shy of safety. Ireland international Eamonn O'Keefe was top-scorer and Player of the Year, and young Mark Bright showed his potential, though left at the end of the season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 226. ISBN   0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ↑ Rollin, Jack, ed. (1980). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81 . London: Queen Anne Press. p. 404. ISBN   0362020175.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Chris Pearce". clarkechroniclersfootballers.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Chris Pearce". claretsmad.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  5. ↑ Ellis, Adam (31 March 2016). "Where Are They Now? Port Vale Fourth Div promotion winners 1985/86". The Football League Paper. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Chris Pearce at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  7. ↑ "Stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  8. ↑ Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN   0-9508981-4-7.
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.