Kit Symons
Encyclopedia
Christopher "Kit" Symons (born 8 March 1971, in Basingstoke
, Hampshire
, England
) is a former Welsh
international footballer.
, spending seven years at the south coast club, making 160 appearances. He helped Portsmouth to the 1992 FA Cup semi final, but was the only Pompey player successful from the spot as they lost on a penalty shootout to Liverpool. In the summer of 1995 he transferred to Manchester City
for a £1.2 million fee. He played for The Citizens until 1998 when he moved to London club Fulham
, on a free transfer, having made 124 appearances. He played for Fulham until 2001, when he was signed by Crystal Palace
for £400,000, the club at which he finished his playing career after 49 appearances.
, scoring twice. His first appearance was against the Republic of Ireland
on 19 February 1992 and his last appearance was on 6 October 2001 against Belarus
. Symons qualified to play for Wales because his father was from Cardiff
.
he combined the roles of player and assistant manager.
For the 2005–06
season, Symons was replaced by Neil McDonald as assistant manager, and was instead given the task of managing Crystal Palace's reserve team, who played in the Premier Reserve Southern League
until the end of the 2005–06
season (The side will play in the Pontin's Holiday Combination League for the 2006–07
season, following changes that meant only Premier League teams can have a reserve team in the Premier Reserve League).
Following the departure of both Iain Dowie
and Neil McDonald in the summer of 2006, Symons was named First-Team Coach under new manager Peter Taylor. The title of Assistant Manager was not given to anyone, but it was instead seen that Symons had the role closest to assistant.
After Taylor was dismissed from the Eagles on 8 October 2007, Symons was confirmed as Caretaker Manager until the appointment of Neil Warnock
three days later (Palace did not play during this time). Following Warnock's appointment, Symons stepped down from his position of Assistant Manager and left the club on 15 October.
Kit joined Colchester United
on 16 January 2008 following Micky Adams
' resignation as assistant the previous week. He was appointed as Colchester's caretaker-manager in September 2008 after the departure of Geraint Williams
. He led the club to two wins in five games, in the process becoming the bookie's favourite to get the job full time . However, he left the club after Paul Lambert
took over as manager.
He has since been employed by Fulham
as Senior Scout and Academy Coach.
|1988–89
||rowspan="8"|Portsmouth
||rowspan="4"|Second Division
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|1989–90
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|1990–91
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|1991–92
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|1992–93
||rowspan="4"|First Division
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|1993–94
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|-
|1994–95
||40||4||||||||
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|1995–96
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|1995–96
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City
||Premier League||38||2||||||||
|-
|1996–97
||rowspan="2"|First Division
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|-
|1997–98
||42||2||||||||
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|1998–99
||rowspan="4"|Fulham
||Second Division
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|1999-00
||rowspan="2"|First Division
||29||2||||||||
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|2000–01
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|2001–02
||Premier League||4||0||||||||
|-
|2001–02
||rowspan="4"|Crystal Palace
||rowspan="3"|First Division
||9||0||||||||
|-
|2002–03
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|2003–04
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|2004–05
||Premier League||0||0||||||||
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Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
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...
) is a former 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...
international footballer.
Club career
A defender, Symons began his career at PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, spending seven years at the south coast club, making 160 appearances. He helped Portsmouth to the 1992 FA Cup semi final, but was the only Pompey player successful from the spot as they lost on a penalty shootout to Liverpool. In the summer of 1995 he transferred 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...
for a £1.2 million fee. He played for The Citizens until 1998 when he moved to London club Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, on a free transfer, having made 124 appearances. He played for Fulham until 2001, when he was signed by 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...
for £400,000, the club at which he finished his playing career after 49 appearances.
International career
During his playing career Symons also won 36 caps for WalesWales 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...
, scoring twice. His first appearance was against 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....
on 19 February 1992 and his last appearance was on 6 October 2001 against Belarus
Belarus national football team
The Belarus national football team represents Belarus in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus, the governing body for football in Belarus. Belarus' home ground is Dinamo Stadium in Minsk...
. Symons qualified to play for Wales because his father was from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
Coaching and management
Symons spent some of his time at Crystal Palace as a player-coach, and after retiring from playing became a full-time member of the coaching staff. He became caretaker player-manager for a short while in 2003, and following the subsequent appointment of Iain DowieIain 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...
he combined the roles of player and assistant manager.
For 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, Symons was replaced by Neil McDonald as assistant manager, and was instead given the task of managing Crystal Palace's reserve team, who played in the Premier Reserve Southern League
FA Premier Reserve League
The Premier Reserve League is the reserve team league for the top English football teams in the Premier League...
until the end of 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 (The side will play in the Pontin's Holiday Combination League 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, following changes that meant only Premier League teams can have a reserve team in the Premier Reserve League).
Following the departure of both 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...
and Neil McDonald in the summer of 2006, Symons was named First-Team Coach under new manager Peter Taylor. The title of Assistant Manager was not given to anyone, but it was instead seen that Symons had the role closest to assistant.
After Taylor was dismissed from the Eagles on 8 October 2007, Symons was confirmed as Caretaker Manager until the appointment of Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
three days later (Palace did not play during this time). Following Warnock's appointment, Symons stepped down from his position of Assistant Manager and left the club on 15 October.
Kit joined Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
on 16 January 2008 following 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...
' resignation as assistant the previous week. He was appointed as Colchester's caretaker-manager in September 2008 after the departure of Geraint Williams
Geraint Williams
David Geraint Williams is a former professional footballer who also played for Wales. He has also managed Colchester United and Leyton Orient.- Career :...
. He led the club to two wins in five games, in the process becoming the bookie's favourite to get the job full time . However, he left the club after Paul Lambert
Paul Lambert
Paul Christopher Lambert is a Scottish football manager and former player who is the manager of Norwich City. He won numerous trophies as a player, winning the Scottish Cup with St...
took over as manager.
He has since been employed by Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
as Senior Scout and Academy Coach.
Career statistics
|-|1988–89
The Football League 1988-89
The 1988–1989 season was the 89th completed season of the Football League.No European qualification took place due to the Heysel Stadium disaster suspension in place....
||rowspan="8"|Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
||rowspan="4"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
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|1989–90
The Football League 1989-90
The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains...
||1||0||||||||
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|1990–91
The Football League 1990-91
The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points...
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|1991–92
The Football League 1991-92
The 1991–1992 season was the 92nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David...
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|1992–93
The Football League 1992-93
The 1992–1993 season was the 93rd completed season of the The Football League.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
||rowspan="4"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
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|1993–94
The Football League 1993-94
The 1993–1994 season was the 94th completed season of the The Football League. From 1993 to 1996 the league was sponsores by Endsleigh.-Football League Division One:...
||29||3||||||||
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|1994–95
The Football League 1994-95
The 1994–1995 season was the 95th completed season of the The Football League. It was the third season of The Football League since the formation of the Premier League...
||40||4||||||||
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|1995–96
The Football League 1995-96
The 1995–1996 season was the 96th completed season of the The Football League. It was contested through three divisions, the First Division, Second Division and Third Division.- First Division playoffs :- First Division Table:...
||1||0||||||||
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|1995–96
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
||rowspan="3"|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...
||Premier League||38||2||||||||
|-
|1996–97
The Football League 1996-97
The 1996–1997 season was the 97th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Bolton Wanderers returned to the Premiership in superb fashion, hitting 100 goals and taking 98 points...
||rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||44||0||||||||
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|1997–98
The Football League 1997-98
The 1997–1998 season was the 98th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Champions Nottingham Forest and runners-up Middlesbrough won promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Charlton Athletic won the playoffs to end an eight-year absence from the top...
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|1998–99
The Football League 1998-99
The 1998–1999 season was the 99th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Sunderland were crowned First Division champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for promotion...
||rowspan="4"|Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||45||11||||||||
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|1999-00
The Football League 1999-2000
The 1999–2000 season was the 100th completed season of the The Football League.-Overview:The 1999–2000 season saw the league dispense with the traditional 1–11 numbering of players’ shirts in favour of squad numbers, a system that had been adopted by the Premier League a few seasons before...
||rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||29||2||||||||
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|2000–01
The Football League 2000-01
-Overview:The 2000–2001 season was the 101st completed season of the The Football League.- First Division playoffs :-First Division :...
||24||0||||||||
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|2001–02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||Premier League||4||0||||||||
|-
|2001–02
The Football League 2001-02
-Overview:The 2001–2002 season was the 102nd completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables and results :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website, with home and away statistics separated...
||rowspan="4"|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...
||rowspan="3"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||9||0||||||||
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|2002–03
The Football League 2002-03
The 2002–2003 season was the 103rd completed season of The Football League.-Football League First Division:Portsmouth won the First Division by some distance, passing manager Harry Redknapp’s old club, West Ham on the way down. Leicester City earned a somewhat controversial promotion, as...
||25||0||||||||
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|2003–04
The Football League 2003-04
The 2003–2004 season was the 104th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season was the last association football season in the football league where the divisions were known as "First", "Second", and "Third"...
||15||0||||||||
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|2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
||Premier League||0||0||||||||
436||27||||||||
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