Chris Garland
Encyclopedia
Christopher "Chris" Garland (born 24 April 1949 in Bristol
) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League
for Bristol City
, Chelsea
and Leicester City
between the 1960s and 1980s. He was capped
once by England at under-23 level.
A forward, Garland began his professional career with Bristol City
, for whom he played from 1965 to 1971. While with City he won his only international cap
, for England under-23 against their Bulgarian
counterparts in 1970. He scored 31 goals in 143 League games for the club, before joining Chelsea
for £100,000 at the start of the 1971–72
season, although he did not score until December, when he scored a crucial goal in a League Cup
semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur
. He also played in the final
, in which Chelsea lost to Stoke City
.
Garland moved on to Leicester City
in 1974 having scored 31 goals in 114 appearances for Chelsea (including 22 goals in 92 League matches). Less than two years later, after playing 55 League games for Leicester, he returned to Bristol City
, who had just won promotion to the First Division after 65 years away. He helped keep them there for four seasons before they were finally relegated in 1980 - this was the first of three successive relegations, an indignity that no other English professional club had suffered at the time.
In 1982, after relegation to the Fourth Division, Garland and seven teammates, known as the "Ashton Gate Eight", took voluntary redundancy
as part of a last-ditch plan to save the club, which was on the verge of folding. Garland would go on to be re-employed by Bristol City for one more season, becoming one of the few players (along with Tom Ritchie
) who would play for the club in all four divisions. He ended his career in non-league football
with clubs including Gloucester City and Minehead.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
in 1998.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
) is an English former footballer who played in 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...
for Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, Chelsea
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...
and 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...
between the 1960s and 1980s. He was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
once by England at under-23 level.
A forward, Garland began his professional career with Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, for whom he played from 1965 to 1971. While with City he won his only international cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, for England under-23 against their Bulgarian
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
counterparts in 1970. He scored 31 goals in 143 League games for the club, before joining Chelsea
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...
for £100,000 at the start of the 1971–72
1971-72 in English football
The 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in England.-FA Cup:Leeds United overcame holders Arsenal to win the 1972 FA Cup Final...
season, although he did not score until December, when he scored a crucial goal in a 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 win over 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....
. He also played in the final
1972 Football League Cup Final
The 1972 Football League Cup Final took place on 4 March 1972 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Stoke City. Chelsea went into the match as strong favourites having won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the previous two seasons, whereas Stoke were attempting to win their...
, in which Chelsea lost to Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
.
Garland moved on to 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...
in 1974 having scored 31 goals in 114 appearances for Chelsea (including 22 goals in 92 League matches). Less than two years later, after playing 55 League games for Leicester, he returned to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, who had just won promotion to the First Division after 65 years away. He helped keep them there for four seasons before they were finally relegated in 1980 - this was the first of three successive relegations, an indignity that no other English professional club had suffered at the time.
In 1982, after relegation to the Fourth Division, Garland and seven teammates, known as the "Ashton Gate Eight", took voluntary redundancy
Voluntary redundancy
Voluntary redundancy is a financial incentive offered by an organisation to its employees with the purpose of attracting volunteers to leave the organisation, due to downsizing or restructuring situations. The purpose is to circumvent union employee regulation laws.-Reasons:A Voluntary Redundancy...
as part of a last-ditch plan to save the club, which was on the verge of folding. Garland would go on to be re-employed by Bristol City for one more season, becoming one of the few players (along with Tom Ritchie
Tom Ritchie
Tom Ritchie is a Scottish footballer who played as a striker, most notably for Bristol City.Ritchie signed from Bridgend Thistle in 1972 and established himself in the Bristol City attack, playing a key role in the club's rise to the First Division by 1976...
) who would play for the club in all four divisions. He ended his career in non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with clubs including Gloucester City and Minehead.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in 1998.
External links
- Chelsea stats, biography and photo at Sporting Heroes
- League stats at Neil Brown's site