Nicky Forster
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Michael "Nicky" Forster (born 8 September 1973) is a former professional footballer who has also been player-manager at Brentford
, and is now manager of Dover Athletic
. His stepson is Brighton player Jake Forster-Caskey.
, Surrey
, was spotted playing for non-league Horley Town
and invited for trials by Gillingham
in December 1991. After impressing with the youth and reserve teams he signed a professional contract in May 1992, making his debut the following September. He starred for the club during the otherwise disappointing 1993-94
season, scoring 18 goals, but at the end of the season he turned down a new contract and instead joined Brentford
for £320,000, a move which provoked bad feeling from Gillingham fans which persisted for many years.
and Robert Taylor
, both of whom would later join his former club Gillingham. He made 109 league appearances for Brentford and scored 39 goals during his time at Griffin Park. He was later capped by England at under-21 level soon afterwards. In January 1997, Forster moved to Birmingham City
for a fee of £700,000. He made 67 league appearances and scored eleven league goals as a Blue.
, where he spent six years at the club at a cost of £650,000 between 1999 and 2005. Forster receives part of the credit for salvaging Reading's 1999–2000 season, during which the club rose from Division Two's relegation zone at Christmas to a finish in the top ten under caretaker manager Alan Pardew
. However, an injured Forster was unable to contribute to the club's good fortune the following season. However, he did return in time for the 2000–01 Division Two play-off
semi final against Wigan Athletic. In the second leg with Wigan leading 1–0 on aggregate, Forster came on as a late substitute. He set up Martin Butler
for the equaliser before winning a penalty; after Jamie Cureton
's effort was saved, and Forster scored from the rebound. Reading were to lose the final 3–2 after extra time to Walsall
. He then scored 18 goals the following season as Reading were promoted to Division One
.
Forster regards Reading's 2002–03 campaign as his best period of form during his career, when he notched 17 goals, including hattricks against Ipswich Town
and Preston North End
as Reading finished in fourth place. He scored the opening goal in the play-off semi final against Wolverhampton Wanderers
, but went off injured and Reading lost 3–1 on aggregate.
Forster considers the club as "home".
on a free transfer in 2005. Unable to replicate for Ipswich the form he showed with Reading due to several injury setbacks over the 2005-06
season, Forster signed a two year contract with Hull City
on 31 August 2006 for a £250,000 transfer fee. He had been a team-mate of Hull City's then manager, Phil Parkinson
, while at Reading.
appearances. His form helped propel him to second place in the club's Player of the Year awards for the 2006-07
season.
made an unsuccessful £100,000 bid for Forster. However, at the end of the 2006-07 season, Forster stated his wish to move back to the south of England for family reasons, and eventually signed a three year contract with Brighton in late June 2007 for a £75,000 fee. He attributed his decision to drop down to Football League One
from the Championship
to the ambition shown by Brighton manager Dean Wilkins
and chairman Dick Knight.
Forster was appointed club captain after the departure of Dean Hammond
during January 2008, and confirmed in the role by new manager Micky Adams
for the 2008-09 season. He won the Football League One
Player of The Month award for September 2009 after scoring five goals in four League games. Having lost his first-team place after a contract dispute with manager Gus Poyet, Forster left Brighton for Charlton Athletic
on 25 March 2010 on loan until the end of the season. At the conclusion of the season, Forster's contract at Brighton expired and he left the club.
on a two-year deal. He scored his first goal in his second spell at the club in a 1-1 draw with Exeter City
on 14 January 2011. Forster was appointed as temporary manager following the departure of Andy Scott
on 3 February 2011. On 1 March 2011, it was confirmed Forster would remain first team manager on a permanent basis until the end of the current season. On 19 May 2011, Forster announced his retirement from football to concentrate on management. Earlier that week, it was announced that he had failed to land the Brentford manager's job.
of the Sussex County League. He scored twice on his debut in an FA Cup match against Hailsham Town. His first league goals came in his next game for the club in a 3–0 win against AFC Uckfield.
after the departure of Martin Hayes
.
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, and is now manager of Dover Athletic
Dover Athletic F.C.
Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
. His stepson is Brighton player Jake Forster-Caskey.
Early years
Forster, who was born in CaterhamCaterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, was spotted playing for non-league Horley Town
Horley Town F.C.
Horley Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Horley, Surrey, England. They currently run 3 senior teams with the first team playing at step 5 of the National League System in the Combined Counties Football League. They have a junior section with teams from Under 7 to...
and invited for trials by Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in December 1991. After impressing with the youth and reserve teams he signed a professional contract in May 1992, making his debut the following September. He starred for the club during the otherwise disappointing 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...
season, scoring 18 goals, but at the end of the season he turned down a new contract and instead joined Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
for £320,000, a move which provoked bad feeling from Gillingham fans which persisted for many years.
Brentford and Birmingham City
While at Brentford, Forster formed prolific partnerships with Carl AsabaCarl Asaba
Carl Edward Asaba is a former English professional football player who played as a striker.-Career:Asaba first came to prominence at Brentford, debuting in 1994 after joining the club from Dulwich Hamlet. His goalscoring soon attracted attention and Reading signed him for a club record £800,000...
and Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (footballer)
Robert Anthony Taylor is an English retired association football player turned manager. He was appointed as manager of Diss Town of the Eastern Counties Football League on 25 April 2008.-Playing career:...
, both of whom would later join his former club Gillingham. He made 109 league appearances for Brentford and scored 39 goals during his time at Griffin Park. He was later capped by England at under-21 level soon afterwards. In January 1997, Forster moved 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...
for a fee of £700,000. He made 67 league appearances and scored eleven league goals as a Blue.
Reading
Two years later he was on the move again, this time to ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, where he spent six years at the club at a cost of £650,000 between 1999 and 2005. Forster receives part of the credit for salvaging Reading's 1999–2000 season, during which the club rose from Division Two's relegation zone at Christmas to a finish in the top ten under caretaker manager Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
. However, an injured Forster was unable to contribute to the club's good fortune the following season. However, he did return in time for the 2000–01 Division Two play-off
Football League One play-offs
The 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....
semi final against Wigan Athletic. In the second leg with Wigan leading 1–0 on aggregate, Forster came on as a late substitute. He set up Martin Butler
Martin Butler
Martin Neil Butler is a former English footballer who played as a striker between 1993 and 2009. Butler notably played for Walsall, Cambridge United and Reading...
for the equaliser before winning a penalty; after Jamie Cureton
Jamie Cureton
Jamie Cureton is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Leyton Orient.-Early years:Cureton began his professional career with Norwich City, before moving on to Bristol Rovers...
's effort was saved, and Forster scored from the rebound. Reading were to lose the final 3–2 after extra time to Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
. He then scored 18 goals the following season as Reading were promoted to Division One
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
Forster regards Reading's 2002–03 campaign as his best period of form during his career, when he notched 17 goals, including hattricks against 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....
and 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...
as Reading finished in fourth place. He scored the opening goal in the play-off semi final against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, but went off injured and Reading lost 3–1 on aggregate.
Forster considers the club as "home".
Ipswich Town
Despite being a popular player at Reading, he was allowed to join Ipswich TownIpswich 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....
on a free transfer in 2005. Unable to replicate for Ipswich the form he showed with Reading due to several injury setbacks over the 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, Forster signed a two year contract with Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on 31 August 2006 for a £250,000 transfer fee. He had been a team-mate of Hull City's then manager, Phil Parkinson
Phil Parkinson
Philip John "Phil" Parkinson is an English football manager and former player who currently manages Bradford City.-Playing career:...
, while at Reading.
Hull City
During his time at Hull City, Forster made 37 appearances and scored six goals for the club; these totals include one goal in two FA CupFA 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...
appearances. His form helped propel him to second place in the club's Player of the Year awards for the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season.
Brighton & Hove Albion
In January 2007, Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
made an unsuccessful £100,000 bid for Forster. However, at the end of the 2006-07 season, Forster stated his wish to move back to the south of England for family reasons, and eventually signed a three year contract with Brighton in late June 2007 for a £75,000 fee. He attributed his decision to drop down to Football 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....
from the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
to the ambition shown by Brighton manager Dean Wilkins
Dean Wilkins
Dean Mark Wilkins is an English former footballer and the ex manager of English football team Brighton & Hove Albion. Wilkins was temporarily in charge of Southampton, after the sacking of Alan Pardew, but was succeeded by Nigel Adkins after only 3 games.-Club career:Born in Hillingdon, Wilkins...
and chairman Dick Knight.
Forster was appointed club captain after the departure of Dean Hammond
Dean Hammond
Dean John Hammond is an English football player who plays for Southampton in the Championship. He previously played in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, Leyton Orient and Colchester United.-Football career:...
during January 2008, and confirmed in the role by new 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...
for the 2008-09 season. He won the Football 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....
Player of The Month award for September 2009 after scoring five goals in four League games. Having lost his first-team place after a contract dispute with manager Gus Poyet, Forster left Brighton for Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 25 March 2010 on loan until the end of the season. At the conclusion of the season, Forster's contract at Brighton expired and he left the club.
Brentford (second spell)
On 16 June 2010, Forster re-signed for BrentfordBrentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
on a two-year deal. He scored his first goal in his second spell at the club in a 1-1 draw 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...
on 14 January 2011. Forster was appointed as temporary manager following the departure of Andy Scott
Andy Scott (English footballer)
Andrew "Andy" Scott is an English former professional footballer whose clubs included Sheffield United, Brentford, Oxford United and Leyton Orient. He is currently manager of League Two team Rotherham United, after being sacked from Brentford in February 2011. During his playing career, Scott was...
on 3 February 2011. On 1 March 2011, it was confirmed Forster would remain first team manager on a permanent basis until the end of the current season. On 19 May 2011, Forster announced his retirement from football to concentrate on management. Earlier that week, it was announced that he had failed to land the Brentford manager's job.
Lingfield
In 2011, Forster signed for LingfieldLingfield F.C.
Lingfield F.C. are a football club based in the village of Lingfield, near East Grinstead, Surrey, England. They were established in 1893 and joined the Combined Counties Football League in 1980. In the 2005-06 season, they were runners-up of the Sussex County League Division Three, earning...
of the Sussex County League. He scored twice on his debut in an FA Cup match against Hailsham Town. His first league goals came in his next game for the club in a 3–0 win against AFC Uckfield.
Dover Athletic
On 27 September 2011, he was appointed player-manager of Dover AthleticDover Athletic F.C.
Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
after the departure of Martin Hayes
Martin Hayes (footballer)
Martin Hayes is an English former footballer.-Career:Born in Walthamstow, London, Hayes played youth football for Essex schoolboys before joining Arsenal as an apprentice in June 1982...
.
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nation | From | Brentford Brentford F.C. Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One.... (caretaker manager) | 3 February 2011 | 7 May 2011 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover Athletic Dover Athletic F.C. Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club... |
27 September 2011 | Present |
External links
- Nicky Forster player profile at seagulls.co.uk
- Nicky Forster player profile at hullcityafc.net
- Nicky Forster player profile at readingfc.co.uk
- Nicky Forster player profile at margatefchistory.co.uk