Gary Briggs (footballer)
Encyclopedia
__FORCETOC__
Gary Briggs (born 21 June 1959 in Leeds
, West Riding of Yorkshire
) is a retired English
professional football
player. 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.
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. Briggs spent eleven years at the Manor Ground, where he received the nickname "Rambo
" and became a cult hero. 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
.
In May 1989, after 418 league games and eighteen league goals for Oxford, Briggs moved back north to Blackpool
, where he saw out the rest of his career. "Pool looked a club going places — and I want to go with them," he said at the time.
His first season
in Lancashire
was not a successful one: the Seasiders finished second-bottom of Division Three and were relegated to the league's basement division
. Briggs made seventeen league appearances and scored two goals. His season was ended by injury in late January. One bright note was his goal against Barnsley
in the second round of the League Cup at Bloomfield Road
on October 3, 1989. The game finished 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout, which the Tangerines won 5-4 and progressed to a third-round meeting with Exeter City
.
Graham Carr
was installed as the new manager prior to the 1990-91
season, but he too left just five months into the job. Carr's assistant, Billy Ayre
, was promoted to the hot seat. It was under Ayre's guidance that Briggs' career would once more flourish. After Ayre's appointment (at which point the team lay eighteenth in the table), Blackpool went on to lose only five of their remaining thirty league games. It was during this period that a new (and still existing) club record was set: thirteen consecutive home wins during an eventual twenty-four-game unbeaten run at Bloomfield Road. Blackpool finished the season in fifth place, missing automatic promotion by a single point, and qualified for the play-offs. After defeating Scunthorpe
in the two-legged semi-final, Blackpool were returning to Wembley for the first time in thirty-eight years, where they would face Torquay
in the final. Briggs missed out on the crunch match due to an injury sustained in the second leg of the semi-final against Scunthorpe. He made thirty appearances during the league campaign. In the final, Torquay won on penalties and Blackpool were condemned to another season of Fourth Division football.
The 1991-92
season followed along the same lines. After finishing fourth (again missing out on automatic promotion by a point), Blackpool made the play-offs. After defeating Barnet
in the semi-final, the Tangerines met Scunthorpe in the final. Frustratingly for Briggs, he sat out a second Wembley appearance because of injury, this one picked up in a defeat at Rotherham
with only two games remaining. He made twenty-six appearances in a start-stop season, and was voted the club's Player of the Month for September, October and November 1991.
In the final, and in another penalty shoot-out, Blackpool this time came out on top and would be playing the 1992-93
season in the new Division Two
.
Briggs' fourth at the seaside saw Blackpool finish in eighteenth place, just four points above the relegation zone. Local rivals Preston North End
were one of the four teams that made the drop.
The 1993-94
campaign ended in nailbiting fashion. A final-day 4-1 victory over Leyton Orient
at Bloomfield Road meant the Seasiders had avoided relegation by one point.
Billy Ayre ended his three-and-a-half-year association with Blackpool in the summer of 1994 and was replaced by Sam Allardyce
. Briggs ended his professional career the following May. His league record for Blackpool: 137 games and four goals. He joined Chorley
to see out the remainder of his playing days.
In March 2005, Briggs unveiled Executive Box 27 at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium
in his name.
In 2006, Briggs played for Bispham Juniors, whom he also managed.
Blackpool
Gary Briggs (born 21 June 1959 in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
) is a retired English
England
England 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, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. 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
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
" nickname.
Career
In the 1977-781977-78 in English football
The 1977–1978 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England, from August 1977 to May 1978:-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
season, at the age of eighteen, Briggs signed for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
but didn't make any first-team appearances for the club. Later that season, he moved to Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
. The fee was settled at the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
's first-ever transfer tribunal. Briggs spent eleven years at the Manor Ground, where he received the nickname "Rambo
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
" and became a cult hero. He formed a successful central-defensive partnership with club captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
Malcolm Shotton
Malcolm Shotton
Malcolm Shotton is an English former professional footballer and manager. He was on the books of Leicester City as an apprentice but failed to make the break into senior football there. He played for Atherstone United and Nuneaton Borough in non-league football before signing for Oxford United in...
as United won three trophies between 1984 and 1986: the Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
championship in 1983-84
1983-84 in English football
The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
, the Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 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...
championship the following season
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
, and the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1986
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
.
In May 1989, after 418 league games and eighteen league goals for Oxford, Briggs moved back north to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, where he saw out the rest of his career. "Pool looked a club going places — and I want to go with them," he said at the time.
His first season
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
was not a successful one: the Seasiders finished second-bottom of Division Three and were relegated to the league's basement division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
. Briggs made seventeen league appearances and scored two goals. His season was ended by injury in late January. One bright note was his goal against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in the second round of the League Cup at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
on October 3, 1989. The game finished 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout, which the Tangerines won 5-4 and progressed to a third-round meeting with Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
.
Graham Carr
Graham Carr
William Graham Carr is an English former professional footballer and football club manager. He is currently Head Scout at Newcastle United.-Club career:...
was installed as the new manager prior to the 1990-91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
season, but he too left just five months into the job. Carr's assistant, Billy Ayre
Billy Ayre
William "Billy" Ayre was an English footballer who played for three different clubs in a sixteen-year professional career, making over three hundred League appearances in the process. After retiring from the playing side of the game, he became a manager, and took the helm at five different clubs...
, was promoted to the hot seat. It was under Ayre's guidance that Briggs' career would once more flourish. After Ayre's appointment (at which point the team lay eighteenth in the table), Blackpool went on to lose only five of their remaining thirty league games. It was during this period that a new (and still existing) club record was set: thirteen consecutive home wins during an eventual twenty-four-game unbeaten run at Bloomfield Road. Blackpool finished the season in fifth place, missing automatic promotion by a single point, and qualified for the play-offs. After defeating Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
in the two-legged semi-final, Blackpool were returning to Wembley for the first time in thirty-eight years, where they would face Torquay
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
in the final. Briggs missed out on the crunch match due to an injury sustained in the second leg of the semi-final against Scunthorpe. He made thirty appearances during the league campaign. In the final, Torquay won on penalties and Blackpool were condemned to another season of Fourth Division football.
The 1991-92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
season followed along the same lines. After finishing fourth (again missing out on automatic promotion by a point), Blackpool made the play-offs. After defeating Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
in the semi-final, the Tangerines met Scunthorpe in the final. Frustratingly for Briggs, he sat out a second Wembley appearance because of injury, this one picked up in a defeat at Rotherham
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
with only two games remaining. He made twenty-six appearances in a start-stop season, and was voted the club's Player of the Month for September, October and November 1991.
In the final, and in another penalty shoot-out, Blackpool this time came out on top and would be playing the 1992-93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
season in the new Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 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...
.
Briggs' fourth at the seaside saw Blackpool finish in eighteenth place, just four points above the relegation zone. Local rivals Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
were one of the four teams that made the drop.
The 1993-94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
campaign ended in nailbiting fashion. A final-day 4-1 victory over Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
at Bloomfield Road meant the Seasiders had avoided relegation by one point.
Billy Ayre ended his three-and-a-half-year association with Blackpool in the summer of 1994 and was replaced by Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
. Briggs ended his professional career the following May. His league record for Blackpool: 137 games and four goals. He joined Chorley
Chorley F.C.
Chorley Football Club are a football club from Chorley, Lancashire, England. They were founded as a rugby union club in 1875 but switched to football in 1883. They have reached the FA Cup second round twice in 1986–87 and 1990–91. Their best performance in the FA Trophy was in 1995–96 when they...
to see out the remainder of his playing days.
In March 2005, Briggs unveiled Executive Box 27 at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium
Kassam Stadium
The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner, and former chairman of the club, Firoz Kassam....
in his name.
In 2006, Briggs played for Bispham Juniors, whom he also managed.
Honours
Oxford United- Division ThreeFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
championship: 1983-841983-84 in English footballThe 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history... - Division TwoFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
championship: 1984-851984-85 in English footballThe 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May... - League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner: 1985-861985-86 in English footballThe 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
Blackpool
- Division FourFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
play-off winner: 1991-92 - Lancashire Cup winner: 1993-941993-94 in English footballThe 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, 1994-951994-95 in English football-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
