Gary Briggs (born 21 June 1959) is an English retired professional footballer. He made over 500 league appearances in an eighteen-year playing career, during which he became known as a no-nonsense, tough-tackling defender, hence his "Rambo" nickname.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 June 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1978 | Middlesbrough | 0 | (0) |
| 1978–1989 | Oxford United | 420 | (18) |
| 1989–1995 | Blackpool | 137 | (4) |
| 1995–19?? | Chorley | ? | (?) |
| Total | 557 | (22) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editIn the 1977–78 season, at the age of eighteen, Briggs signed for Middlesbrough but didn't make any first-team appearances for the club. Later that season, he moved to Oxford United. The fee was settled at the Football League's first-ever transfer tribunal.[1] Briggs spent eleven years at the Manor Ground, where he received the nickname "Rambo" and became a cult hero, winning the club's "Player of the Year" accolade three times. He formed a successful central-defensive partnership with club captain Malcolm Shotton as United won three trophies between 1984 and 1986: the Division Three championship in 1983–84, the Division Two championship the following season, and the League Cup in 1986.[2]
In May 1989, after 418 league games and 18 league goals for Oxford, Briggs moved back north to Blackpool, where he saw out the rest of his career. "Blackpool looked a club going places – and I want to go with them," he said at the time.[3] In the 1991–92 season he made 26 appearances in a start-stop season, and was voted the club's Player of the Month for September, October and November 1991.[4] The 1993–94 campaign ended in nail-biting fashion: a final-day 4–1 victory over Leyton Orient at Bloomfield Road meant the Seasiders avoided relegation by one point.[5]
In 2002, Briggs played for Bispham Juniors,[6] whom he later managed.[7]
In March 2005, Briggs unveiled Executive Box 28 at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium in his name.
References
edit- ^ Past Players at OxfordMail.co.uk
- ^ "The forgotten story of … Oxford United winning the 1986 League Cup" - The Guardian, 27 February 2016
- ^ Gillatt, Peter (30 November 2009). Blackpool FC On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year. Pitch Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-905411-50-4.
- ^ Blackpool Evening Gazette, 6 December 1991
- ^ Ridgway, Mark (2 May 2014). "The Past: Last Day Survivals". Blackpool F.C. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "It's prize day at last for Gary". Blackpool Gazette. 14 March 2002. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Gary Briggs". Where Are They Now?. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
Sources
edit- Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
- Briggs' profile at soccerbase.com
- Oxford Dream Team
● Playfair football annuals 1978-79 to 1995-96