David Kelly (footballer)
Encyclopedia
David Thomas Kelly is a retired footballer and former assistant manager of Nottingham Forest
. As a child, Kelly suffered from Perthes Disease, but recovered to forge a long and successful career in professional football.
, West Ham United, Leicester City
, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sunderland
, Tranmere Rovers, Sheffield United, Motherwell
, Mansfield Town
and Derry City F.C.
, retiring in 2002
.
He was a top goalscorer for Walsall when they won promotion to the Second Division via the playoffs in 1988, but was transferred to West Ham United soon afterwards, having scored 63 goals in 147 games for Walsall since making his debut for them in 1983. He was a regular player at West Ham United, helping them reach the Football League Cup
semi-finals in the 1989–90 season and taking them to the verge of the Second Division playoffs that year, but managed just seven goals in 41 games before being sold to Second Division strugglers Leicester City in the autumn of 1990.
He recaptured his form at Filbert Street
, helping them avoid relegation in 1990–91 and mount a challenge for promotion in 1991–92. He had a strong goalscoring record in the East Midlands
, so it was a surprise when halfway through the 1991–92 season he accepted an offer from Ossie Ardiles to sign for Newcastle United, who were battling against relegation in the division. He scored 10 league goals for the Magpies that season as they avoided relegation, and was their leading scorer with 25 league goals when they won promotion from to the Premier League
as Division One champions in the 1992–93 season. In his final game for the Magpies, on the last day of the season against his old club Leicester City (who had qualified for the playoffs) he and new strike-partner Andy Cole both scored hat-tricks in a 7–1 win.
However, he was transferred to Wolves (who were still a Division One side) in fear of losing his first-team place at St James' Park
following the return of Peter Beardsley
.
Kelly played well in his first two seasons in the Black Country
, but lost his first team place to Don Goodman
in the autumn of 1995 and this led to him asking for a transfer. He signed for Sunderland
in a £
1million deal as manager Peter Reid
was piecing together a side capable of reaching the Premier League.
He helped Sunderland win the Division One title in 1995–96, and although he remained a regular player in their 1996–97 Premier League campaign he failed to score a single league goal all season and his days on Wearside
were numbered.
Upon completing his move to Tranmere Rovers in the summer of 1997, Kelly quickly became a firm fan's favourite. Starting 69 league matches for the Rovers with a further 19 substitute appearances Kelly also featured in 7 FA Cup and 17 League Cup games for the Superwhites. Kelly scored 35 goals for Tranmere. His most prolific season was the 1999–2000 season. Kelly featured prominently in Rovers' League Cup Run which ultimately led to them reaching the final and losing 2–1 to Leicester City. Kelly scored the goal for Rovers in that final and finished the season as the competition's top scorer. Kelly left Tranmere (he later made a highly successful but brief return to Tranmere as assistant manager in 2002) and moved to Sheffield United on a free transfer at the start of the 2000–2001 season season. However his one season at Bramall Lane
was not a success, as he scored just six goals in 35 league games and when the season ended he accepted an offer to sign for Motherwell
in the Scottish Premier League
. His six goals in 19 games went some way to ensuring Motherwell's league safety, so it was something of a surprise when he accepted an offer to return to the English league in Division Three with Mansfield Town. He scored four goals in 17 games as the Stags leapfrogged Cheltenham Town
in the race for the final automatic promotion place. However, Kelly left the club after their promotion, and instead crossed the Irish Sea
to complete his playing career with Derry City, scoring twice in seven games before retiring from playing in 2002 and returning to England as assistant manager of Tranmere Rovers.
Kelly is a unique player as he was actually applauded while running onto St James' Park as a substitute in the colours of rivals Sunderland
, which is usually an extremely fierce game filled with hatred, Kelly lists this as his second favourite and proudest moment as a footballer.
In his final game of professional football, Kelly helped Derry City to victory over Shamrock Rovers in the 2002 FAI Cup
final, departing for Dublin Airport
immediately after the final whistle sounded at Tolka Park
in order to assume his duties as newly-appointed assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers.
, England but chose to play for the Republic of Ireland
due to his ancestry, picking up 26 caps and scoring 9 goals (including a hat trick on his debut against Israel in Dublin on 10 November 1987).
His most famous goal for Ireland came in a February 1995 friendly clash against England in which Ireland won 1–0, with Kelly scoring just before the half hour mark. The game was abandoned shortly thereafter due to a riot started by right-wing Combat-18
extremists amongst the English fans.
, as a player at Motherwell
and being part of Davies' backroom staff at Sheffield United Preston North End
, Derby County
and Nottingham Forest
.
He was named as assistant manager to Davies at Derby in July 2007, a few weeks after the club achieved promotion to the Premier League after Davies had spent the majority of the 2006–07 season trying to secure Kelly from Preston, who placed him on gardening leave
following Davies' move to Derby. He left the club, with Davies, just four months later when Davies left the club by mutual consent following a disastrous start to the 2007–08 season
. He followed Davies to Nottingham Forest
, again being named as assistant manager on 1 January 2009. He left Forest in June 2011 when his contract was terminated by the club following the departure of Billy Davies.
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. As a child, Kelly suffered from Perthes Disease, but recovered to forge a long and successful career in professional football.
Playing career
Kelly turned out for WalsallWalsall 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...
, West Ham United, 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...
, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, 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...
, Tranmere Rovers, Sheffield United, Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
, 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...
and Derry City F.C.
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
, retiring in 2002
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
.
He was a top goalscorer for Walsall when they won promotion to the Second Division via the playoffs in 1988, but was transferred to West Ham United soon afterwards, having scored 63 goals in 147 games for Walsall since making his debut for them in 1983. He was a regular player at West Ham United, helping them reach the Football 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-finals in the 1989–90 season and taking them to the verge of the Second Division playoffs that year, but managed just seven goals in 41 games before being sold to Second Division strugglers Leicester City in the autumn of 1990.
He recaptured his form at Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
, helping them avoid relegation in 1990–91 and mount a challenge for promotion in 1991–92. He had a strong goalscoring record in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
, so it was a surprise when halfway through the 1991–92 season he accepted an offer from Ossie Ardiles to sign for Newcastle United, who were battling against relegation in the division. He scored 10 league goals for the Magpies that season as they avoided relegation, and was their leading scorer with 25 league goals when they won promotion from to the Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
as Division One champions in the 1992–93 season. In his final game for the Magpies, on the last day of the season against his old club Leicester City (who had qualified for the playoffs) he and new strike-partner Andy Cole both scored hat-tricks in a 7–1 win.
However, he was transferred to Wolves (who were still a Division One side) in fear of losing his first-team place at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
following the return of Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
.
Kelly played well in his first two seasons in the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
, but lost his first team place to Don Goodman
Don Goodman
Don Goodman is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.-Career:Born in Leeds, Goodman played for Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Barnsley, Motherwell, Walsall, Exeter City, Doncaster Rovers and Stafford...
in the autumn of 1995 and this led to him asking for a transfer. He signed for 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 a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1million deal as manager Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
was piecing together a side capable of reaching the Premier League.
He helped Sunderland win the Division One title in 1995–96, and although he remained a regular player in their 1996–97 Premier League campaign he failed to score a single league goal all season and his days on Wearside
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
were numbered.
Upon completing his move to Tranmere Rovers in the summer of 1997, Kelly quickly became a firm fan's favourite. Starting 69 league matches for the Rovers with a further 19 substitute appearances Kelly also featured in 7 FA Cup and 17 League Cup games for the Superwhites. Kelly scored 35 goals for Tranmere. His most prolific season was the 1999–2000 season. Kelly featured prominently in Rovers' League Cup Run which ultimately led to them reaching the final and losing 2–1 to Leicester City. Kelly scored the goal for Rovers in that final and finished the season as the competition's top scorer. Kelly left Tranmere (he later made a highly successful but brief return to Tranmere as assistant manager in 2002) and moved to Sheffield United on a free transfer at the start of the 2000–2001 season season. However his one season at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
was not a success, as he scored just six goals in 35 league games and when the season ended he accepted an offer to sign for Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
. His six goals in 19 games went some way to ensuring Motherwell's league safety, so it was something of a surprise when he accepted an offer to return to the English league in Division Three with Mansfield Town. He scored four goals in 17 games as the Stags leapfrogged Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
in the race for the final automatic promotion place. However, Kelly left the club after their promotion, and instead crossed the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
to complete his playing career with Derry City, scoring twice in seven games before retiring from playing in 2002 and returning to England as assistant manager of Tranmere Rovers.
Kelly is a unique player as he was actually applauded while running onto St James' Park as a substitute in the colours of rivals 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...
, which is usually an extremely fierce game filled with hatred, Kelly lists this as his second favourite and proudest moment as a footballer.
In his final game of professional football, Kelly helped Derry City to victory over Shamrock Rovers in the 2002 FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
final, departing for Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
immediately after the final whistle sounded at Tolka Park
Tolka Park
Tolka Park is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne...
in order to assume his duties as newly-appointed assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers.
International career
He was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England but chose to play for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
due to his ancestry, picking up 26 caps and scoring 9 goals (including a hat trick on his debut against Israel in Dublin on 10 November 1987).
His most famous goal for Ireland came in a February 1995 friendly clash against England in which Ireland won 1–0, with Kelly scoring just before the half hour mark. The game was abandoned shortly thereafter due to a riot started by right-wing Combat-18
Combat 18
Combat 18 is a violent neo-Nazi organisation associated with Blood and Honour. It originated in the United Kingdom, but has since spread to other countries. Members of Combat 18 have been suspected in numerous deaths of immigrants, non-whites, and other C18 members...
extremists amongst the English fans.
Coaching career
After retiring as a footballer he became a coach and has consistently worked with Billy DaviesBilly Davies
William McIntosh "Billy" Davies is a Glasgow-born Scottish football manager, noted for his achievement in the Football League Championship with East Midlands Rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest and Preston North End which has led him to be described, in 2011, as "probably the best manager at...
, as a player at Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
and being part of Davies' backroom staff at Sheffield United 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...
, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
.
He was named as assistant manager to Davies at Derby in July 2007, a few weeks after the club achieved promotion to the Premier League after Davies had spent the majority of the 2006–07 season trying to secure Kelly from Preston, who placed him on gardening leave
Gardening leave
Garden leave describes the practice whereby an employee who is leaving a job is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll...
following Davies' move to Derby. He left the club, with Davies, just four months later when Davies left the club by mutual consent following a disastrous start to the 2007–08 season
Premier League 2007–08
The 2007–08 Premier League season was the sixteenth since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008...
. He followed Davies to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, again being named as assistant manager on 1 January 2009. He left Forest in June 2011 when his contract was terminated by the club following the departure of Billy Davies.