John McCombe
Encyclopedia
John Paul McCombe is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 footballer who plays for League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

. His brother Jamie
Jamie McCombe
Jamie Paul McCombe is an English football defender who currently plays for Huddersfield Town in Football League One, although as of 24 November 2011, he is on loan at fellow League One side Preston North End....

 is also a professional footballer.

A centre back, he graduated through the Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

 Academy to make his senior debut in May 2003. Unused in 2003–04, he also rarely featured in 2004–05, 2005–06, and 2006–07. During this time he spent brief periods on loan at Torquay United
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...

 and Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...

, though he never took the field for either outfit. He spent the 2007–08 campaign with Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

, helping the club to win promotion into League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

. He joined Port Vale in May 2008, and after establishing himself in the first team in 2008–09 and 2009–10, he managed to win the club's Player of the Year Award
Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...

 in 2011
2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...

.

Huddersfield Town

McCombe joined Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

 as a trainee, making his league debut on 3 May 2003 as a late substitute for Jon Stead in the 1–1 draw at home to Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

. Unused in 2003–04, he had to wait until September 2004 for his next first team appearance. He made a total of seven appearances in 2004–05.

McCombe's only appearances 2005–06 were against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

 in 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...

 – where he only played because of injuries and suspensions, against Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...

 in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

 – when manager Peter Jackson rested all his first-team players, and on the last game of the season against 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...

. In between these appearances he spent February on loan at Torquay United
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...

, but didn't appear in the first team for John Cornforth's
John Cornforth (footballer)
John Cornforth is a former Wales international football player and is now a coach, most recently Head Coach at English League Two side Torquay United F.C...

 struggling side.

On 15 March 2007, he, along with Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

's Michael Proctor
Michael Proctor
Michael Anthony Proctor is a former English footballer. He was born in Sunderland, England.-Sunderland:Proctor made his debut for Sunderland against Everton in the League Cup on 11 November 1998, which finished as a 1–1 draw. He was loaned to Danish side Hvidovre in 2000 to recuperate from a...

, agreed to join Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...

 on loan. However due to Boston's financial state, Boston Chairman James Rodwell
James Rodwell
Jim Rodwell is the former chairman of Boston United and also a former professional footballer who played centre-half for the club....

 was unable to sanction the deals and the players returned to their clubs. He was released by Huddersfield in May 2007, and two months later he signed for Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

, ending his eleven years association with the "Terriers".

Hereford United

He began the 2007–08 season as third choice centre back, but an injury to Dean Beckwith
Dean Beckwith
Dean Stuart Beckwith is an English footballer who plays as a central defender. He plays for Luton Town, signing for them in June 2011 having reached the end of his contract with Northampton Town.-Early career:...

 gave McCombe his chance. He turned in a number of impressive performances, preserving Hereford's unbeaten record and scoring his first professional goal against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

. McCombe made 29 appearances as Hereford gained promotion from League Two, but was dropped for the run-in, in favour of Karl Broadhurst
Karl Broadhurst
Karl Matthew Broadhurst was an English footballer who played as a central defender. He last signed to play in the Conference North for AFC Telford United but retired that same month because his new job did not allow him time to play....

. This coincided with McCombe's mistake in a match against Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

 when he conceded a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...

 in the last minute for handball, which enabled Chester to draw the match 2–2. He was to make only one more appearance for the club, as a second-half substitute on the final day of the season. In May 2008 manager and chairman Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....

 confirmed that out-of-contract McCombe would not be offered a new deal.

Port Vale

On 29 May 2008, Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 announced that McCombe had agreed a two-year contract to join the "Valiants". He claimed one of the reasons he put pen to paper was that having met manager Lee Sinnott
Lee Sinnott
Lee Sinnott is an English former professional footballer turned football manager, who is in charge at Conference North side Altrincham....

 thirteen years previously, he knew that Sinnott could help improve his game. However he established himself as a first choice centre-back under new boss Dean Glover
Dean Glover
Dean Victor Glover is an English former footballer and football manager. A cultured and stylish defender, he had the ball control skills of a midfielder. He played 457 league games in a seventeen year career in the Football League.He started his career at Aston Villa in 1980, before he moved on to...

, but was also told he was too 'nice' and needed to be more aggressive in his defending. Nevertheless, his performances 2008–09
2008–09 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-seventh season of football in the Football League, and first season in League Two, following their relegation from League One. After a poor start to the season manager Lee Sinnott was sacked in September, and was replaced by Dean Glover. Despite a brief...

 earned him the Chairman
Bill Bratt
William Amos "Bill" Bratt MBE is the former chairman of Port Vale Football Club, who served the club in this post from 2003 to 2011....

's Player of the Year Award, as well as the nickname 'Boom Boom McCombe' from fans.

Retaining his first team place in 2009–10
2009–10 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-eighth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League Two. Micky Adams received plaudits for his first full season in charge. He took a squad of players that had previously been near the bottom of the division and made...

, he was transfer listed in late September, along with the entire Port Vale squad, after manager Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...

 saw his team slip to a third consecutive defeat. However by the end of October he had played in the opening eighteen games of the season, picking up a goal on the way, and was confident of earning a new contract by the season's end. On 12 December, he received the first sending off
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...

 of his professional career, following a professional foul on Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

's Adebayo Akinfenwa
Adebayo Akinfenwa
Adebayo Saheed Akinfenwa is an English professional footballer, of Nigerian descent, who plays for Northampton Town.- Life and career :...

. This brought to an end his run of 29 consecutive starts, and kept him out of the team for the next six weeks, as manager Micky Adams switched his tactics during McCombe's absence, moving from a 3–5–2 to 4–4–2 formation. He was offered a new two year contract by the club at the end of the season, which he quickly signed.

He started the 2010–11
2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...

 campaign in fine form, and his strong performances in November 2010 saw him nominated for the League Two player of the month award. His strong performances continued throughout the season, leading him to be awarded the club's Players' Player of the Year and Away Travel Player of the Year awards, as well as the main prize – the Player of the Year
Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...

 award.

Adams continued to use McCombe in the heart of the Vale defence at the start of the 2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...

 season, however he dropped him from the first team after eleven games in favour of loan signing Liam Chilvers
Liam Chilvers
Liam Christopher Chilvers is an English footballer who plays as a centre back for League Two side Port Vale, on loan from League One club Notts County.A graduate of the Arsenal Academy, he won the FA Youth Cup with the club in 2000...

. He marked his return to the first team on 14 October with the second goal of a 3–0 win over Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

.

Style of play

A solid and efficient defender, in the opposition's box he is a goal threat from set pieces.

Personal life

In January 2009, he was attending Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...

, studying for a sports science qualification. He is a Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

 fan.

His elder brother Jamie
Jamie McCombe
Jamie Paul McCombe is an English football defender who currently plays for Huddersfield Town in Football League One, although as of 24 November 2011, he is on loan at fellow League One side Preston North End....

 plays for League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

.

He lives in Huddersfield with his fiancee Isabelle and their daughter Mary-Kate McCombe, who was born on 4 October 2011.

Honours

Individual
  • Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
    Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
    The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...

    :
    2011
    2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
    The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...


Promotions

  • 2007–08: League Two
    Football League Two
    Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

     3rd (promotion to League One
    Football League One
    Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

    ) – Hereford United
    Hereford United F.C.
    Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...


Statistics

|-
|2002–03||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

||Second Division
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...

||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2003–04||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

||Third Division
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...

||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2004–05||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||5||0||0||0||0||0||7||0
|-
|2005–06||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||1||0||0||0||1||0||3||0
|-
|2006–07||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||7||0||1||0||0||0||9||0
|-
|2007–08||Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||27||0||4||1||0||0||32||1
|-
|2008–09
2008–09 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-seventh season of football in the Football League, and first season in League Two, following their relegation from League One. After a poor start to the season manager Lee Sinnott was sacked in September, and was replaced by Dean Glover. Despite a brief...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||31||2||1||0||1||0||34||2
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-eighth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League Two. Micky Adams received plaudits for his first full season in charge. He took a squad of players that had previously been near the bottom of the division and made...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||40||3||3||0||3||0||48||4
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||42||4||4||1||2||0||48||5
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||13||1||2||0||1||0||17||1
|-
167||10||15||2||8||0||199||13
167||10||15||2||8||0||199||13

Notes:
  • Football League Trophy
    Football League Trophy
    The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

     results included in totals.

External links

  • Profile at the official Port Vale site
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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