Jamie Mark Forrester is a former English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 professional footballer who played as a Striker between 1991 and 2010 in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 and his native England. He notably played for Grimsby Town

Grimsby Town F.C.

Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

, 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....

, 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...

 and 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....

, having also had spells with AJ Auxerre

AJ Auxerre

Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...

, Leeds United

Leeds United A.F.C.

Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

, FC Utrecht, 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...

, 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...

, 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....

, 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...

, Lincoln United

Lincoln United F.C.

Lincoln United F.C. is an English football team which plays in the Northern Premier League. The club is based in Lincoln. 'The Whites', as they are commonly known, play at the Ashby Avenue ground, which backs on to Hartsholme Country Park.-History:...

 and Lincoln Moorlands Railway. Forrester has since set up home in Lincoln and runs his own business as well as coaching youngsters in the city.

AJ Auxerre

At the age of 16, Forrester moved south of England to France, where he was to ply his trade for Auxerre, a team with unprecedented success for the size of their town. Unfortunately, "after a year of homesickness", Forrester returned to Leeds in an attempt to break into their first team, after failing to make any first team appearances.

Leeds United

Whilst at Leeds, Forrester had two relatively successful loan spells at Southend United and Grimsby Town, however, only managed to bag 9 first team appearances for The Whites, stating he "was not able to consistently perform at the top level." This eventually led him to join Grimsby Town on a permanent basis.

His highlight whilst at Elland Road was undoubtedly winning the FA Youth Cup in 1993, helping to defeat a Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 squad 4–1 on aggregrate over a two-legged final, scoring Leeds' first goals in both their 2–0 victory at Old Trafford and their 2–1 win at Elland Road. Forrester scored a total of 11 goals in 1993's FA Youth Cup for the Yorkshire outfit. This Manchester United team contained players who were to become internationals, including David Beckham

David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...

, Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...

, Gary Neville

Gary Neville

Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....

, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt

Nicky Butt

Nicholas "Nicky" Butt is an English footballer. He began his career with Manchester United and spent 12 years in their first-team before moving to Newcastle United in 2004. He spent one season on loan to Birmingham City in 2005–06...

, Robbie Savage

Robbie Savage

Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...

 and Keith Gillespie

Keith Gillespie

Keith Robert Gillespie is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays in midfield for Longford Town....

.

Grimsby Town

The Mariners had seen enough in Forrester's loan spell to offer him a permanent deal, and in the 1995/96, his contributions to the club were justly recognized as he received the Grimsby Town Supporters Young Player of the Year award. Despite this, his goal:game ratio was somewhat poor, which lead to Forrester joining Grimsby's Lincolnshire rivals, Scunthorpe United.

Scunthorpe United

Forrester's spell at The Iron was arguably his most successful spell at a club. He quoted "Joining Scunthorpe was the best football decision I have made because it allowed me to play first team football on a regular basis and this is where I ‘came of age’ as a footballer." Despite being a firm favourite at Scunthorpe, another opportunity for him to play abroad came along, this time at the reasonably successful F.C. Utrecht of Holland.

FC Utrecht

Those at the Stadion Galgenwaard obviously saw enough potential in Forrester to take him on under the Bosman ruling, however, once again his spell away from home was shortlived, stating "things never really worked out in Holland." And after only one first team appearance to his name, and two short loan spells at Walsall and Northampton Town, Forrester headed back to England to play for Northampton on a permanent basis.

Northampton Town

In terms of success, Forrester's spell at Northampton was very similar to that of Scunthorpe. Scoring a goal every other game and winning promotion with The Cobblers rivalled his success at The Iron. His impressive displays led Peter Taylor, manager of the uprising Hull City, to hand him a contract.

Hull City

Hull City were by no means like a club who Forrester had played for before, they were playing in the fourth tier of English football, yet according to Forrester, were a "different animal." This was perhaps why Forrester's first team appearances were limited for The Tigers. Being surplus to requirements at the KC Stadium, despite being named in the Hull squad for every game of the 2003–04 season. Forrester scored against previous club Northampton Town in a 5–1 mauling of his old side for Hull City but was still applauded by the Northampton fans, showing the respect his attitude won. Forrester soon found a new club, this time Bristol Rovers.

Bristol Rovers

Forrester's time at The Pirates was somewhat frustrating, only managing to bag a handful of goals in 52 appearances. He was farmed out on loan to Lincoln City and scored 5 goals in 9 appearances, helping them reach the League Two Play-Off Semi-Finals. His performances whilst on loan at Sincil Bank won him instant respect, and led him to sign a permanent deal for the Lincolnshire outfit shortly after.

Lincoln City

Having already played for Scunthorpe United and Grimsby Town, Forrester was no stranger to playing football in Lincolnshire. Despite the fact that he has not gained promotion with The Imps, his goal:game ratio is that of a goal every other game and has been a very influential figure in a side which has pushed for promotion for two seasons whilst he has served at the club. During his first full season at the club, the 2006–07 season, Forrester scored three hat-tricks in the opening stages and went on to be the clubs top scorer. As of May 2008, Forrester secured a year long extension to his current Lincoln contract, although this was not accepted and Forrester decided to join League Two rivals Notts County to the dismay of the Lincoln faithful.

Notts County

After failing to agree a new contract at the end of the 2007–08 season, on 11 June 2008 he signed a contract for 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...

. Forrester was released by the Meadow Lane

Meadow Lane

Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...

 club after the end of the 2008–09 season.

Lincoln United

On 6 August 2009, Forrester signed for Non League side Lincoln United

Lincoln United F.C.

Lincoln United F.C. is an English football team which plays in the Northern Premier League. The club is based in Lincoln. 'The Whites', as they are commonly known, play at the Ashby Avenue ground, which backs on to Hartsholme Country Park.-History:...

, effectively dropping four levels down from League Two to play for United. In December 2009, Forrester and fellow former 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....

 player Sam Mullarkey

Sam Mullarkey

Sam Mullarkey Is an English professional footballer who plays for Northern Premier League Division One South side Stamford....

 departed the club due to the desire of the club to trim the budget.

Lincoln Moorlands Railway

In April 2010, Forrester came out of retirement to play for Lincoln Moorlands Railway until the end of the season, debuting in the 3–0 home victory over Selby Town

Selby Town F.C.

Selby Town Football Club is an English football club based in Selby, North Yorkshire, founded in 1919. They play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.-History:...

 on 7 April 2010. He departed the club at the end of the 2009–10 season and returned to his retirement.

Retirement

Upon his retirement, Forrester remained in Lincoln where he began to coach youngsters, as well as setting up his own company, Community Business Solutions Limited, a firm which specialises in reducing energy bills for its clients.

In June 2011 he hinted at a possible return to professional football after impressing in a match in memory of the late Richard Butcher, Forrester hinted that he would be tempted to re-sign for former club 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....

 following their relegation to the Conference National

Conference National

Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

 a few months earlier.

Club

Leeds United:

• FA Youth Cup
  FA Youth Cup
  The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
  
  
  • Winner: 1993

Scunthorpe United:

• League Two
  • Play-Off Winners: 1998/99

Northampton Town:

• League Two
  • Third-Placed: 1999/00

Hull City:

• League Two
  • Runners-Up: 2003/04

Individual:

• Grimsby Town Supporters Young Player of the Year: 1995/96
• FourFourTwo Magazine
  FourFourTwo
  FourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket. Published monthly, costing £4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011...
  
  
  • 50 Best Players in the Football League: 50th in 2006/07

External links

• Jamie Forrester at Soccerbase
• The Jamie Forrester Soccer Academy Jamie's Soccer Academy