Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953 in
IpswichIpswich is a non-metropolitan district and the county town of Suffolk, England on the estuary of the River Orwell. Nearby towns are Felixstowe in Suffolk and Harwich and Colchester in Essex...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
manager and former player.
A
midfieldMidfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
er, Talbot began his footballing career as an apprentice with
Ipswich TownIpswich Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk...
in 1968, turning professional in 1972; in the meantime he had spent two seasons on loan with
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
club Toronto Metros. He made 227 appearances for Ipswich, and won the 1978 FA Cup with the club. In the 1978 FA Cup semi-final against West Bromwich Albion, Talbot scored the first goal eight minutes into the game.
Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953 in
IpswichIpswich is a non-metropolitan district and the county town of Suffolk, England on the estuary of the River Orwell. Nearby towns are Felixstowe in Suffolk and Harwich and Colchester in Essex...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
manager and former player.
Playing career
A
midfieldMidfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
er, Talbot began his footballing career as an apprentice with
Ipswich TownIpswich Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk...
in 1968, turning professional in 1972; in the meantime he had spent two seasons on loan with
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
club Toronto Metros. He made 227 appearances for Ipswich, and won the 1978 FA Cup with the club. In the 1978 FA Cup semi-final against West Bromwich Albion, Talbot scored the first goal eight minutes into the game. He was injured on the play when he collided head-to-head with Albion's skipper,
John WileJohn David Wile is an English former footballer and manager.Wile played as a central defender for Sunderland and Peterborough United, before joining West Bromwich Albion in December 1970. He spent more than 12 years at Albion, and formed a solid defensive partnership with Ally Robertson...
. Wile played with a bandaged head for the remainder of the contest while Talbot was removed on a stretcher. In January 1979, Talbot moved to
ArsenalArsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
for a fee of £450,000.
Talbot immediately became a first-team player at Arsenal. He played for the Gunners in the FA Cup final of that year, scoring a goal in a thrilling 3-2 victory over
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
; Talbot thus achieved the rare distinction of winning the FA Cup with two different teams in consecutive seasons. The following year he set a club record, as an ever-present in Arsenal's marathon
1979–80The 1979-80 season was the 100th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's Liverpool retained their league championship trophy after fighting off a determined challenge by Dave Sexton's Manchester United...
season, when he played a total of 70 matches in a single season (the club reached the finals of both the FA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, but lost them both).
Talbot's impressive stamina and fitness meant he played nearly every Arsenal first-team game for the next five seasons, missing fewer than half a dozen League games. In all, the strong and sturdy midfielder played 327 first-team matches for the Gunners, scoring 49 goals. He also played for
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
, five times while at Ipswich and once as an Arsenal player.
After leaving Arsenal in June 1985 he went on to play for
WatfordWatford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. They play in the Championship. The club was founded in 1881, first playing at Cassio Road ground, before moving to Vicarage Road in 1922, where they remain to this day. Since 1997, they have shared the...
,
Stoke CityStoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1863, Stoke is the oldest club in the Premier League, and thought to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts County....
,
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club , also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA, are an English professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands...
,
FulhamFulham Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2004, and are in the top tier of English football, the Premier League...
and
AldershotAldershot Football Club was an English Football League club which went out of business in 1992. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable of the town name and the military links to Aldershot...
. From 1984 to 1988 Talbot was also chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.
Managerial career
Talbot first tasted football management with West Bromwich Albion, where he served as player-manager from November 1988 to January 1991. His tenure started well, with the side challenging for promotion in the 1988-89 season. However, the following season saw the side struggle, which continued into the 1990–91 season. His departure from West Brom coincided with the famous 4-2 FA Cup defeat at the hands of
WokingWoking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They will be playing in the Conference South in the 2009-10 season.-Early years:...
. He then managed Aldershot (February–November 1991) and subsequently
MalteseMalta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed European country in the European Union. The Southern European island nation is an archipelago that includes the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with a number of smaller, uninhabited islands...
club Hibernians, where his team won the island's Premier League in 1993 and 1994.
Talbot returned to English club football as part of the coaching staff of
Rushden and DiamondsRushden & Diamonds F.C. is a professional football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club currently plays in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
, then in the
Football ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, but most of them are semi-professional...
, in 1997. After a spell as head coach he was appointed club manager before the start of the
1999–2000-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
season. At the end of the
2000–01The 2000-01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
season Rushden secured promotion to the
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
under his management. The team reached the
Division ThreeFrom the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest division in the overall English football league system. Before that it was the third division overall, but that ended with the creation of the...
playoffs in 2002 but lost in the final. In their second season in the League they secured the 2002–03 Division Three Championship, but were relegated the following season, Talbot having left the club in March 2004 after seven years to take over at
Oldham AthleticOldham Athletic Association Football Club Limited , more commonly Oldham Athletic Football Club or Oldham Athletic, is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Furtherwood Road in Oldham, Greater Manchester...
.
Talbot succeeded in keeping Oldham in
Division TwoFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992-93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 2004, but resigned in March 2005. In May 2005 he signed a two-year contract as manager of
Oxford UnitedOxford United Football Club is an English association football team that plays in the Conference National. The club has been a non-league side since its relegation from League Two in 2005–06...
before the final game of the
2004–05The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season. However, after an unsuccessful stint in charge, Talbot was sacked in March 2006, leaving the club 22nd in League Two and destined to lose their League status at the end of the season.
Talbot made a quick return to management with
MalteseMalta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed European country in the European Union. The Southern European island nation is an archipelago that includes the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with a number of smaller, uninhabited islands...
side
MarsaxlokkMarsaxlokk Football Club are a Maltese football club from the town of Marsaxlokk, which currently play in the Maltese First Division.The club were founded in 1949...
, and guided them to the domestic league title and a place in the
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
.
Following a disappointing start to the
2008-09The Maltese Premier League 2008–09 was the 94th season of the Maltese Premier League, the top-tier football in Malta. It began on 23 August 2008 with a scoreless draw between and and ended on 24 May 2009. The first goal in the season was scored by Ivan, who plays for Qormi...
season,
MarsaxlokkMarsaxlokk Football Club are a Maltese football club from the town of Marsaxlokk, which currently play in the Maltese First Division.The club were founded in 1949...
appointed former Msida Saint-Joseph manager
Patrick CurmiPatrick Curmi was a professional footballer and is currently manager of Marsaxlokk in the Maltese First Division.-Marsaxlokk:...
as the club's new head coach on 17 December, 2008. Brian Talbot will, however, remain with the club, moving upstairs to take on a Technical Director role.
Honours (Player)
Winner
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
(1977-78) with Ipswich TownIpswich Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk...
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
(1978-79) with ArsenalArsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
Finalist
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
(1979-80) with ArsenalArsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
- UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1979-80) with Arsenal
Arsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
Hibernians
Champions
- 1993-94 Maltese Premier League
The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons , is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909...
- 1992-93 Maltese Premier League
The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons , is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909...
Rushden & Diamonds
Champions
- 2002-03 Football League Division Three (now League Two)
- 2000-01 Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, but most of them are semi-professional...
Finalists
- 2001-02 Football League Division Three Play-Off