Andrew Gerald "Andy" Dibble (born 8 May 1965 in Cwmbran

Cwmbran

Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...

) is a 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...

 former professional

Professional

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...

 football player who played as a goalkeeper.

A journeyman who played for many different teams, Dibble won three caps for the Wales national football team

Wales national football team

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

.

Early career (1982–1988)

Dibble began his career at 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...

, joining as an apprentice in June 1981 and turning professional in August 1982. He made his first team debut on his 17th birthday in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace

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...

. The following season he established himself as the clubs first choice goalkeeper helping the side to promotion and the next year he missed just one league match. His performances at the club alerted a number of club and he moved to Luton Town

Luton Town F.C.

Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

 for £125,000 in July 1984. During his time there he twice went out on loan, firstly to Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

 in 1986 and then to 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...

 in 1987. Arguably the finest moment of his career was saving a Nigel Winterburn

Nigel Winterburn

Nigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...

 penalty in the 1988 League Cup Final

1988 Football League Cup Final

The 1988 Littlewoods Cup Final,took place at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1988, and was contested between Luton Town and Arsenal. Luton won the match, thanks to goals from Danny Wilson and Brian Stein . Goals from Alan Smith and Martin Hayes had seen Arsenal lead 2-1 before a late comeback from Luton...

 at Wembley, as Luton beat Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 3-2 to win their first major trophy. Luton were 2-1 down when Dibble, standing in for the injured Les Sealey

Les Sealey

Leslie Jesse "Les" Sealey was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for, among others, Coventry City, Luton Town, Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham United...

, made the save.

Manchester City and loan spells (1988–1997)

He moved on to Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 in July 1988 for a £240,000 fee (2009: £). His time at City was interrupted by injuries, and despite being virtually ever-present during his first two seasons, subsequently found himself second choice behind Tony Coton

Tony Coton

Anthony Philip "Tony" Coton is an English former footballer who made 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing as a goalkeeper for Birmingham City, Watford, Manchester City and Sunderland...

 and arguably even third choice when youngster Martyn Margetson

Martyn Margetson

Martyn Walter Margetson is a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international, currently working for Football League Championship side West Ham United as a goalkeeping coach....

 broke through onto the senior scene. Dibble was loaned out to several teams (namely Aberdeen

Aberdeen F.C.

Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

, Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough F.C.

Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

, 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....

, West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 and Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

), and only very rarely played first team football for the Manchester team after his first two seasons.

During his time at Manchester City, Andy became the face of Kellogg's All-Bran, appearing in numerous television adverts and billboard posters.

Later career (1997–2006)

He moved to Rangers F.C.

Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 on a free transfer in March 1997. He had a baptism of fire in a tempestuous and crucial old firm derby, standing in for the injured Andy Goram. He kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 victory which helped seal Rangers ninth consecutive title.

After a trial at Middlesbrough in July 1997 he moved back to former club Luton Town on a free transfer, before re-joining Middlesbrough in January 1998, again for no fee, however it was a disastrous move for Dibble as he let in eleven goals in just two games, six in a 6-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest and another five in a 5-0 loss to QPR QPR

QPR

QPR usually refers to Queens Park Rangers F.C., an English football club.QPR may also refer to:*Queen + Paul Rodgers, a 2004-2009 musical supergroup*Queen's Park Rangers , a football club playing in the Grenada League...

. In July 1998 Dibble signed for Altrincham

Altrincham F.C.

Altrincham Football Club is an English association football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference North, having been relegated from the Conference National at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:...

, before a brief spell at League of Wales

League of Wales

The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales. It has both Professional and Semi-Professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...

 side Barry Town

Barry Town F.C.

Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated...

. In December 1998, whilst playing for Barry against Carmarthen Town

Carmarthen Town F.C.

Carmarthen Town Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, who play in the Welsh Premier League...

, he was hospitalised after suffering chemical burns as a result of diving on the Richmond Park

Richmond Park (Carmarthen)

----Richmond Park is a Welsh Premier League stadium in Carmarthen, Wales. Situated on Priory Street, It is currently used for football matches and is the home ground of Carmarthen Town AFC...

 pitch markings. Scarred for life, he received £20,000 in damages. In March 1999 he signed for 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...

, who loaned him to Carlisle United

Carlisle United F.C.

Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

 in October of the same year. He joined Stockport County

Stockport County F.C.

Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

 in August 2000, enjoying a successful spell there and being named man of the match in many of the games he played.

Dibble signed for Wrexham in May 2002, but his time there was blighted by injuries. In March 2004 he broke his arm in a 6-1 defeat at Peterborough and missed the remainder of the season, while in September of the following season he was out for three months after severing tendons in his finger. He suffered a further injury later in the season when a torn thigh muscle ruled him out for the rest of the campaign. Dibble was released by Wrexham in May 2005.

He finished his career at Accrington Stanley

Accrington Stanley F.C.

Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....

 (whom he joined in 2005) and became their goalkeeping coach. In November 2006 he moved to 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...

 to take up the same role. However he lasted only three months in this position at Coventry, he left the club, along with Adrian Heath

Adrian Heath

Adrian Paul Heath is an English football manager and former player. He manages American USL Pro Orlando franchise. As a player he is remembered as part of the Everton side of the 1980s, where he won several trophies...

, prior to the announcement that Iain Dowie

Iain Dowie

Iain Dowie is a former footballer and manager. He is currently without a club. He has previously managed Hull City and Queens Park Rangers and was assistant manager of Newcastle United...

 would be the club's new manager following the dismissal of 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...

. On 9 March 2007 he was appointed as goalkeeping coach at 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 Peterborough United

Peterborough United F.C.

Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

.

After a two-year stint at Peterborough, Dibble joined Ronnie Moore

Ronnie Moore

Ronald David "Ronnie" Moore is an English football manager and former player. He is considered one of the greatest Rotherham United players of all time, and is also considered the best manager Rotherham United have ever had, becoming a club legend. and went on to manage the Millers for seven years...

's coaching staff at Rotherham United

Rotherham United F.C.

Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

.