Nick Platnauer
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Robert Platnauer (born 10 June 1961) is an English former professional footballer, who played as a left-back. He is currently assistant manager at Bedford Town
.
but moved to Bedford
as a youngster, where began his career with his local side Bedford Town
. He joined Bristol Rovers
of the Third Division
in August 1982. Having impressed in the 1982–83 season, in August 1983 he stepped up to the First Division
with Coventry City
for a fee of £50,000.
He played around fifty games for the Sky Blues before switching to Birmingham City
in December 1984. At the end of the season Birmingham were relegated
, they had finished one place and two points away from the safety of 19th place – occupied by Coventry.
Spending the 1984–85 season in the Second Division
, he struggled to establish himself at St Andrew's. The club bounced back to the top-flight at the first attempt. Finding the competition for first team places greater in the 1985–86 season, Platnauer joined Reading
on loan in January 1986.
He joined Cardiff City
in the Fourth Division
on a free transfer in September 1986, thereby completing the set of all four levels of the Football League
. After making his debut in a 1–1 draw with Halifax Town
he was a regular in the 1986–87 season. He also featured heavily in the 1987–88 promotion winning season before helping the Welsh
club consolidate their third tier status in 1988–89.
In August 1989 he won a £50,000 move to Neil Warnock
's Notts County
. He played at Wembley as County won promotion to the Second Division with a 2–0 victory over Tranmere Rovers
in the play-offs. Platnauer had now won promotion from three divisions of the Football League.
County would achieve promotion from the play-offs for a second successive season in 1990–91, though Platnauer would play little part in it. He was loaned out to Port Vale
in January 1991. He played fifteen games for the Burslem
club before returning to Nottinghamshire
in April.
In July 1991 he joined Second Division Leicester City
on a free transfer. He enjoyed regular football in the 1991–92 season, helping the Foxes to an encounter with Blackburn Rovers
in the play-off final, though he would finally taste defeat at the national stadium, as Rovers won 1–0.
Leicester would have another crack at the play-off final the following year
, though Platnauer would have little contribution to the season having lost his place and moved to Scunthorpe United
on a free transfer in March 1993.
His stay with Scunthorpe was a short one, later in the year he signed with basement division newcomers Mansfield Town
. His experience was appreciated at Mansfield, though the Stags did not challenge for promotion in the 1993–94 season. He also played once for Kettering Town
in 1993 in a cup game against Northampton Town
.
In 1994 he joined Lincoln City
, as they spent the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons in fourth tier mid-table.
On leaving Lincoln, he became player-coach at Bedworth United
, under former Notts County teammate Dean Thomas
. He joined the newly amalgamated Hinckley United
in 1997. The Knitters were then competing in the Southern Football League Division One Midlands, Platnauer playing over fifty times.
in 2000 and remained in this post until October 2003. The following month he became caretaker-manager of Kettering Town
, after the sacking of Dominic Genovese. He remained in charge until December 2003 when Kevin Wilson was installed as manager, Platnauer having ruled himself out of the running.
He took over as manager of Bedford Town
(where Wilson had previously been manager) in January 2004 and in 2006 guided Bedford to promotion from the Southern Football League Premier Division to the Conference South
via the play-offs. However, Bedford struggled the following season and Platnauer resigned in January 2007 with the side bottom of the table, at the season's end the club had failed to improve their position and were relegated.
In October 2007 he linked up with Dean Thomas once again, becoming assistant manager at Hinckley United
, where Thomas is the manager. Platnauer left Hinckley United in August 2011 and returned to Bedford Town
as assistant manager.
with Cardiff City
with Notts County
with Leicester City
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
.
Playing career
Platnauer was born in LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
but moved to Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
as a youngster, where began his career with his local side Bedford Town
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
. He joined Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
of the 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...
in August 1982. Having impressed in the 1982–83 season, in August 1983 he stepped up to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
with 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...
for a fee of £50,000.
He played around fifty games for the Sky Blues before switching to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in December 1984. At the end of the season Birmingham were relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
, they had finished one place and two points away from the safety of 19th place – occupied by Coventry.
Spending the 1984–85 season in the 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...
, he struggled to establish himself at St Andrew's. The club bounced back to the top-flight at the first attempt. Finding the competition for first team places greater in the 1985–86 season, Platnauer joined Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on loan in January 1986.
He joined Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in the Fourth 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...
on a free transfer in September 1986, thereby completing the set of all four levels of 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...
. After making his debut in a 1–1 draw with Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
he was a regular in the 1986–87 season. He also featured heavily in the 1987–88 promotion winning season before helping the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
club consolidate their third tier status in 1988–89.
In August 1989 he won a £50,000 move to Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
's Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. He played at Wembley as County won promotion to the Second Division with a 2–0 victory over 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 the play-offs. Platnauer had now won promotion from three divisions of the Football League.
County would achieve promotion from the play-offs for a second successive season in 1990–91, though Platnauer would play little part in it. He was loaned out to 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...
in January 1991. He played fifteen games for the Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
club before returning to Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
in April.
In July 1991 he joined Second Division Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on a free transfer. He enjoyed regular football in the 1991–92 season, helping the Foxes to an encounter with 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 play-off final, though he would finally taste defeat at the national stadium, as Rovers won 1–0.
Leicester would have another crack at the play-off final the following year
1993 Football League First Division play-off Final
The 1993 Football League First Division play-off Final was contested by Swindon Town and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium, London. Swindon Town won the match 4–3, despite Leicester coming back from 3–0 down....
, though Platnauer would have little contribution to the season having lost his place and moved to Scunthorpe United
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....
on a free transfer in March 1993.
His stay with Scunthorpe was a short one, later in the year he signed with basement division newcomers Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
. His experience was appreciated at Mansfield, though the Stags did not challenge for promotion in the 1993–94 season. He also played once for Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
in 1993 in a cup game against 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...
.
In 1994 he joined Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, as they spent the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons in fourth tier mid-table.
On leaving Lincoln, he became player-coach at Bedworth United
Bedworth United F.C.
Bedworth United Football Club is a football club based in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern League Division One Central....
, under former Notts County teammate Dean Thomas
Dean Thomas (footballer)
Dean Thomas is a former English footballer and current manager of Conference North side Hinckley United.-External links:...
. He joined the newly amalgamated Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
in 1997. The Knitters were then competing in the Southern Football League Division One Midlands, Platnauer playing over fifty times.
Management career
Platnauer was appointed as manager of Rothwell TownRothwell Town F.C.
Rothwell Town F.C. are a football club based in Rothwell in the north of Northamptonshire. They were founding members of the Northamptonshire League in 1895, and are now playing in the United Counties League Division One...
in 2000 and remained in this post until October 2003. The following month he became caretaker-manager of Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
, after the sacking of Dominic Genovese. He remained in charge until December 2003 when Kevin Wilson was installed as manager, Platnauer having ruled himself out of the running.
He took over as manager of Bedford Town
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
(where Wilson had previously been manager) in January 2004 and in 2006 guided Bedford to promotion from the Southern Football League Premier Division to the Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
via the play-offs. However, Bedford struggled the following season and Platnauer resigned in January 2007 with the side bottom of the table, at the season's end the club had failed to improve their position and were relegated.
In October 2007 he linked up with Dean Thomas once again, becoming assistant manager at Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
, where Thomas is the manager. Platnauer left Hinckley United in August 2011 and returned to Bedford Town
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
as assistant manager.
As a player
with Birmingham City- Football League Second DivisionFootball 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...
runner-up: 1984–85
with Cardiff City
- Football League Fourth DivisionFootball 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...
runner-up: 1987–88
with Notts County
- Football League Third DivisionFootball 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...
play-offFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
winner: 1990 - Football League Second DivisionFootball 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...
play-offFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
winner:1991
with Leicester City
- Football League Second DivisionFootball 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...
play-offFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
runner-up: 19921993 Football League First Division play-off FinalThe 1993 Football League First Division play-off Final was contested by Swindon Town and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium, London. Swindon Town won the match 4–3, despite Leicester coming back from 3–0 down....
As a manager
with Bedford Town- Southern Football League Premier Division play-off winner: 2006