Guðni Bergsson
Encyclopedia
Guðni Bergsson is a former Iceland
ic football player who is best known for his time spent with Bolton Wanderers
.
but soon harboured ambitions to play overseas. In 1985, he had a trial with English
team Aston Villa
but they did not follow up their initial interest.
, as then manager Terry Venables
paid a fee of around £100,000 to Valur, a fee which was then a record sale for the Icelandic club who have since gone on to produce many other top Icelandic exports.
At Spurs the central defender or full back teamed up with England internationals Paul Gascoigne
, Gary Mabbutt
, Gary Lineker
and Chris Waddle
. Understandably he found it hard to make a regular breakthrough for the London
club often filling in intermittently due to injuries or suspension. This did not stop him from becoming a regular for the Icelandic national team, where he eventually became captain winning in excess of 80 caps, which was a record for that country at the time.
He had his most successful spell at Spurs under the management of Venables, but he did miss out on the infamous FA Cup
truimph of 1991. The appointment of Ossie Ardiles as the Tottenham manager effectively spelt the beginning of the end for Bergsson, who feared a life away from football at one stage.
reserves alerted the then Bolton Wanderers
manager Bruce Rioch
to Bergsson's availability. Rioch could not understand why such a seasoned international was struggling to find a new club. A fee of £65,000 was agreed between Bolton and Tottenham, rising to £110,000 dependent on a certain number of clauses.
Bergsson made his Bolton debut in the most extreme surroundings of Wembley Stadium when coming on as a substitute for Scott Green in the 1995 Football League Cup Final
defeat to Liverpool. England winger Steve McManaman
had given Green a torrid time throughout the afternoon but Bergsson's introduction gave Bolton renewed hope, as his first touch was to supply the cross for Alan Thompson to score. This was to be the start of a lifelong affection between Bolton Wanderers and Gudni Bergsson.
On the eve of the 1995-96 season, he was promoted back to the Premiership with Bolton where he proved to be a cool and assured performer in an otherwise shaky Wandererer's defence. He scored a number of vital goals against Newcastle United
, Leeds United and most notably on his return to White Hart Lane
as Bolton drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur
. Unfortunately that season ended in relegation for Bolton, but Bergsson was eager to help the club bounce back at the first attempt. In 1996-1997 the club finished the season as champions of the old Division 1 (now Championship), with Bergsson chipping in with three vital league goals, two of which came in the 7-0 defeat of relegation haunted Swindon Town
.
During the 1997-98 season, the team relegated again, but this time the club showed much more of a fight than in their previous stint in the top league, only losing out to Everton
on goal-difference on the final day. Bolton's loss at Chelsea F.C.
coupled with Everton's draw against Coventry City
meant that Bergsson and Bolton where back in the Nationwide League. That season Bergsson scored one of the goals of the season; on Boxing Day
1997 Bolton played a home match against fellow strugglers Barnsley F.C.
with both needing vital league points to climb away from trouble. Bergsson equalised for the Trotters shortly before half time with a 35-yard shot from right-back which sailed into the top corner past the goalkeeper David Watson. The next season saw Bergsson suffer a series of niggling injury problems and was one of his most frustrating seasons at Bolton. Players such as Mark Fish
, Andy Todd, Jon Newsome
and Paul Warhurst
had all played in the heart of the defence in his absence, rumours even circulated that he may leave but this was soon dispelled.
The following 1999-2000 season saw Bolton and Bergsson reach three domestic Semi-Final competitions, losing all of them. First, the club lost out to Tranmere Rovers
in a two-legged League Cup
semi-final, then were defeated by Premiership side Aston Villa
on penalties in a hard-fought encounter at Wembley in a game which Bergsson picked up a hamstring injury. Finally they faced Ipswich Town
in the Divisional Play-Offs in May 2000. Both sides had drawn 2-2 in the first leg at the Reebok Stadium
, this making for an excellent second leg in the return at Portman Road
.The game was marred by 12 Bolton bookings, the sending off of Robbie Elliott
and Mike Whitlow
and three debatable Ipswich penalties. Bolton criticised the highly controversial performance of referee Barry Knight
claiming that the Orpington official had given Ipswich an unfair advantage. Ipswich later won the game 5-3 after extra-time and it looked as if Bergsson would be retiring from football at the age of 35.
However, new Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce
persuaded the ever reliable Bergsson to sign up for another year and he did not disappoint as he scored 10 goals from defence, putting in a string of excellent performances alongside the likes of Whitlow and Colin Hendry
, as Bolton ultimately returned to the Premiership following a 3-0 play off win over Preston North End
at the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
.
With rumours again circulating of Bergssons imminent retirement Allardyce talked him into staying for one last season. This proved to be a rocky season for Bolton, only staying up on the last day with a 2-1 victory against Middlesbrough F.C.
at the Reebok Stadium
.
Despite his new job, he has maintained his links with the club and is now the President of the former-players association as well acting as a part-time scout of budding Icelandic players. In 2008, he was a major influence in persuading AZ Alkmaar defender Grétar Steinsson
to join Bolton.
TV-Show host and former footballer, Guðmundur Benediktsson the manager of Selfoss and many more. They discuss The F.A. Premier League and its results and watch the most interesting moments of the games and discuss it very closely or as the Icelanders say :"ítarlega". Gudni had a TV-Show back in 2004 called "Boltinn með Guðna Bergs" that was a hit in Iceland.
He returned to play for Bolton Wanderers one more time on 8 August 2009 for a Bolton Wanderers legends football match.
in 1984 and went on to earn 80 caps, scoring 1 goal. His last international came in June 2003 against Lithuania
. He is number three in Iceland's all-time international appearances list, behind record cap Rúnar Kristinsson
and second Hermann Hreiðarsson
.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic football player who is best known for his time spent with Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
.
Club career
Bergsson started life in football with his local club F.C ValurValur
Knattspyrnufélagið Valur is an Icelandic athletic club based in Reykjavík, Iceland. One of Iceland's most prolific clubs it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2011. The club is situated close to the city centre, in the traditional east side of town, at the old farmgrounds of Hlíðarendi...
but soon harboured ambitions to play overseas. In 1985, he had a trial with 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...
team Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
but they did not follow up their initial interest.
Tottenham Hotspur
In December 1988, he was to return to England with Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, as then manager Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
paid a fee of around £100,000 to Valur, a fee which was then a record sale for the Icelandic club who have since gone on to produce many other top Icelandic exports.
At Spurs the central defender or full back teamed up with England internationals Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
, Gary Mabbutt
Gary Mabbutt
Gary Mabbutt MBE is an English former professional footballer who made more than 600 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing for Bristol Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur, and won 16 caps for the England national team. He was most regularly seen in central defence but was a...
, Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
and Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
. Understandably he found it hard to make a regular breakthrough for the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
club often filling in intermittently due to injuries or suspension. This did not stop him from becoming a regular for the Icelandic national team, where he eventually became captain winning in excess of 80 caps, which was a record for that country at the time.
He had his most successful spell at Spurs under the management of Venables, but he did miss out on the infamous FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
truimph of 1991. The appointment of Ossie Ardiles as the Tottenham manager effectively spelt the beginning of the end for Bergsson, who feared a life away from football at one stage.
Bolton Wanderers
In 1995, after being told he could leave Spurs, Bergsson started study to become a lawyer. A trial game for Crystal Palace F.C.Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
reserves alerted the then Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
manager Bruce Rioch
Bruce Rioch
Bruce David Rioch is an English-born football manager and former player. He was manager of Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga, until his sacking on 23 October 2008....
to Bergsson's availability. Rioch could not understand why such a seasoned international was struggling to find a new club. A fee of £65,000 was agreed between Bolton and Tottenham, rising to £110,000 dependent on a certain number of clauses.
Bergsson made his Bolton debut in the most extreme surroundings of Wembley Stadium when coming on as a substitute for Scott Green in the 1995 Football League Cup Final
1995 Football League Cup Final
The 1995 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on 2 April 1995. Liverpool won the match 2–1. Two Steve McManaman goals in the 37th and 68th minutes put Liverpool ahead, but Alan Thompson scored a brilliant goal for Bolton to give them some...
defeat to Liverpool. England winger Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
had given Green a torrid time throughout the afternoon but Bergsson's introduction gave Bolton renewed hope, as his first touch was to supply the cross for Alan Thompson to score. This was to be the start of a lifelong affection between Bolton Wanderers and Gudni Bergsson.
On the eve of the 1995-96 season, he was promoted back to the Premiership with Bolton where he proved to be a cool and assured performer in an otherwise shaky Wandererer's defence. He scored a number of vital goals against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Leeds United and most notably on his return to White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
as Bolton drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. Unfortunately that season ended in relegation for Bolton, but Bergsson was eager to help the club bounce back at the first attempt. In 1996-1997 the club finished the season as champions of the old Division 1 (now Championship), with Bergsson chipping in with three vital league goals, two of which came in the 7-0 defeat of relegation haunted Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
.
During the 1997-98 season, the team relegated again, but this time the club showed much more of a fight than in their previous stint in the top league, only losing out to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on goal-difference on the final day. Bolton's loss at Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
coupled with Everton's draw against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
meant that Bergsson and Bolton where back in the Nationwide League. That season Bergsson scored one of the goals of the season; on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1997 Bolton played a home match against fellow strugglers Barnsley F.C.
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...
with both needing vital league points to climb away from trouble. Bergsson equalised for the Trotters shortly before half time with a 35-yard shot from right-back which sailed into the top corner past the goalkeeper David Watson. The next season saw Bergsson suffer a series of niggling injury problems and was one of his most frustrating seasons at Bolton. Players such as Mark Fish
Mark Fish
Mark Anthony Fish is a retired South African footballer.-Club career:Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria...
, Andy Todd, Jon Newsome
Jon Newsome
Jon Newsome is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender from 1989 until 2000, notably in the Premier League for Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United and Norwich City...
and Paul Warhurst
Paul Warhurst
Paul Warhurst is an English former football player. He was primarily as a defender, but has also played in midfield or as a striker at various points in his career...
had all played in the heart of the defence in his absence, rumours even circulated that he may leave but this was soon dispelled.
The following 1999-2000 season saw Bolton and Bergsson reach three domestic Semi-Final competitions, losing all of them. First, the club lost out to Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
in a two-legged 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...
semi-final, then were defeated by Premiership side Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
on penalties in a hard-fought encounter at Wembley in a game which Bergsson picked up a hamstring injury. Finally they faced Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
in the Divisional Play-Offs in May 2000. Both sides had drawn 2-2 in the first leg at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
, this making for an excellent second leg in the return at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
.The game was marred by 12 Bolton bookings, the sending off of Robbie Elliott
Robbie Elliott
Robert James "Robbie" Elliott is an English former football left back who is currently the strength coach for the United States U-20 men's football team....
and Mike Whitlow
Mike Whitlow
Michael William Whitlow is a former professional footballer, who now works as the Head Coach of Youth for Burton Albion....
and three debatable Ipswich penalties. Bolton criticised the highly controversial performance of referee Barry Knight
Barry Knight (Referee)
Barry Knight is an English football referee, who officiates in the Premier League. Since January 2008 he has been unable to officiate for them, due to injury.-Career:...
claiming that the Orpington official had given Ipswich an unfair advantage. Ipswich later won the game 5-3 after extra-time and it looked as if Bergsson would be retiring from football at the age of 35.
However, new Wanderers manager 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....
persuaded the ever reliable Bergsson to sign up for another year and he did not disappoint as he scored 10 goals from defence, putting in a string of excellent performances alongside the likes of Whitlow and Colin Hendry
Colin Hendry
Edward Colin Hendry is a retired Scottish footballer and manager, who played as a defender. Hendry started his career with Dundee in 1983 and spent spells at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Rangers, Coventry City, Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool...
, as Bolton ultimately returned to the Premiership following a 3-0 play off win over 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...
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
With rumours again circulating of Bergssons imminent retirement Allardyce talked him into staying for one last season. This proved to be a rocky season for Bolton, only staying up on the last day with a 2-1 victory against Middlesbrough F.C.
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...
at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
.
Retirement
Despite Allardyce's efforts to make him stay another season, Bergsson retired. In all he made 270 league appearances for the Trotters scoring 22 goals before finally taking up a career in law.Despite his new job, he has maintained his links with the club and is now the President of the former-players association as well acting as a part-time scout of budding Icelandic players. In 2008, he was a major influence in persuading AZ Alkmaar defender Grétar Steinsson
Grétar Steinsson
Grétar Rafn Steinsson is an Icelandic footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers.-Club career:He started his career with local team KS in Siglufjörður and later played for ÍA Akranes before going abroad to play professionally for Swiss club BSC Young Boys.On 2 July 2007, AZ Alkmaar announced they...
to join Bolton.
Post-football
Bergsson is now a certified lawyer in Iceland and a TV-show host. His show is called 4-4-2 with Heimir Karlsson. He usually gets football specialists, such as Hermann GunnarssonHermann Gunnarsson
Hermann Gunnarsson commonly referred to by his nickname, Hemmi Gunn, is an Icelandic television and radio personality, performer and former soccer and handball player at an international level....
TV-Show host and former footballer, Guðmundur Benediktsson the manager of Selfoss and many more. They discuss The F.A. Premier League and its results and watch the most interesting moments of the games and discuss it very closely or as the Icelanders say :"ítarlega". Gudni had a TV-Show back in 2004 called "Boltinn með Guðna Bergs" that was a hit in Iceland.
He returned to play for Bolton Wanderers one more time on 8 August 2009 for a Bolton Wanderers legends football match.
International career
Bergsson made his debut for IcelandIceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
in 1984 and went on to earn 80 caps, scoring 1 goal. His last international came in June 2003 against Lithuania
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
. He is number three in Iceland's all-time international appearances list, behind record cap Rúnar Kristinsson
Rúnar Kristinsson
Rúnar Kristinsson is a former Icelandic footballer who played for Lokeren, Lillestrøm SK and KR Reykjavík. He now works for KR as manager and director of football...
and second Hermann Hreiðarsson
Hermann Hreiðarsson
Hermann Hreiðarsson is an Icelandic football player who plays for Football League Championship club Portsmouth as a left back...
.
Honours
Bolton Wanderers:- First Division: 1996–97