Michael Symes
Encyclopedia
Michael Symes is an English professional footballer who plays for League One
club Bournemouth
—his second spell with the club. He plays as a striker.
He started his career as a trainee with Everton
, playing in attack with future England
international Wayne Rooney
. He moved to Bradford City
after he failed to break into the Everton side but after two injury-ravaged seasons with Bradford he moved to Shrewsbury Town
, following a short loan spell. He spent three seasons with Shrewsbury, then joined Accrington Stanley
in July 2009 after a loan period the previous season. His most successful campaign in terms of goal, as of the 2009–10 season, was with Accrington, which resulted in a summer move to newly-promoted Bournemouth. He has had a number of other loan spells, also playing for Crewe Alexandra
, Stockport County
and Macclesfield Town
.
, in East Anglia, but moved to Liverpool
in his youth, where he attended Maricourt High School. Symes grew up a fan of Everton Football Club
in contrast to his brother Joe, who was a supporter of their rivals Liverpool
. Symes started his career as a trainee at his boyhood heroes, Everton, with whom he reached the final of the 2002 FA Youth Cup
, playing up-front with Wayne Rooney
. Symes scored 31 goals from 51 games at youth level for Everton but was also hampered by six operations. In March 2004, he joined Crewe Alexandra
on loan for the rest of the 2003–04
season making his debut as a substitute against Nottingham Forest
on 27 March. He played four games during his loan spell, starting once against Coventry City
when he scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 win. A succession of injuries prevented him from breaking into the Everton first team and he was released by David Moyes
after ten years with the club but having played just three reserve games.
decided not to offer a contract to Symes, who instead spent a period on trial at Bradford City
, which included an 8–1 pre-season friendly win over Farsley Celtic
. He signed for the League One
side in July 2004 with fellow former Everton trainee Steven Schumacher
, with whom he lived during his spell at Bradford. Symes made his Bradford debut in a 2–1 defeat at Hartlepool United
on the opening day of the 2004–05
season. Three days later he missed a late penalty which would have secured Bradford victory over Peterborough United
in a game in which Symes was also booked. Symes was dropped from the first team after Bradford signed Dele Adebola
. When Bradford were allowed special dispensation to sign Neil Roberts, Bradford tried to give Symes a loan
transfer to Darlington
but the deal was blocked by the Football League
. The following month, Symes scored his first goals for Bradford when he came off the bench at half-time to score twice in a 3–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday
on 23 October 2004. They were the only goals he scored that season from just 15 games.
Before the following season started, Symes was loaned out to Macclesfield Town
for six months, but in July he suffered an ankle injury keeping him out until September. He never played for Macclesfield meaning his action in 2005 was limited to just 35 minutes on New Year's Day. Instead he joined Stockport County
in another loan deal in January 2006, where he made his one and only appearance in a 1–1 draw with Torquay United
on 31 January 2006. He returned to Bradford and played another three games, scoring in a 1–1 draw with Brentford
on 8 April 2006. However his season again ended early when he pulled his hamstring during the draw with Brentford. Symes later admitted "it never happened" for him at City and that his confidence was shattered by manager Colin Todd
.
season, Symes was kept on at Bradford but started the season on loan at Shrewsbury Town
. He made his Town debut as a late substitute in the opening game of the season in a 2–2 draw with Mansfield Town
. He scored in his second appearance, when he again came on as substitute, as Shrewsbury defeated Boston United
5–0. He started his first game in the League Cup
against Birmingham City
as Shrewsbury lost 1–0. His move from Bradford was made permanent by the end of the August transfer window
. He had started just six games in two seasons with Bradford. He scored the second brace of his career to give Shrewsbury a 2–1 victory over Hereford United
in the Football League Trophy
first round, a competition in which Shrewsbury eventually reached the southern section semi-final stage. In January 2007, his contract was extended further, lasting until summer 2009. He scored 13 goals in his first season at Shrewsbury, but was also given the first red card of his career in a game against Mansfield Town, as they missed out on promotion
when they lost 3–1 to Bristol Rovers
in the play-off final
at Wembley Stadium
.
Symes was not a regular in the Shrewsbury side at the start of the 2007–08
season, making 12 starts and nine substitute appearances as he scored just three goals. In January 2008, he rejoined Macclesfield Town with defender Neil Ashton
on loan until the end of the season. Despite his exit, Shrewsbury manager Gary Peters
said the pair could both return to Shrewsbury at the end of the season. He played his first Macclesfield game in a 1–0 defeat to Peterborough on 12 January, and scored his first goal as Macclesfield drew 1–1 with Milton Keynes Dons
on 29 January. It was his only goal in his first eight games and he was dropped for Macclesfield's 3–0 defeat against Peterborough on 23 February when he came on as a substitute in the 44th minute. He returned to the side a week later for new manager Keith Alexander
's first match against Notts County
when Macclesfield were denied a victory by a late goal from Richard Butcher. While Symes was on loan at Macclesfield, Shrewsbury manager Peters left the club and was replaced with Paul Simpson
, who promised Symes and other players out on loan that he would monitor their progress and build his own opinion of them. Macclesfield were involved in a relegation fight during Symes' stay and it was not until a 1–0 victory over Chesterfield
on the penultimate weekend of the season that Macclesfield ensured they would be in the league the following season. Symes played 14 games, four as substitute, but scored just one goal during his stay with Macclesfield.
Symes returned to Shrewsbury and started pre-season training ahead of the 2008–09 season, having being told by Simpson that he would be given the same chance as any other player at Shrewsbury to impress, and also personally vowing to force his way into the manager's first-team plans. However, Simpson signed new strikers during the summer including Grant Holt
, who cost a club record £170,000, and Symes spent the start of the season out of the team. After scoring six goals in two consecutive reserve games, Symes earned his first game for the first team, when he came off the bench to score a late equaliser and earn Shrewsbury a 2–2 draw with Notts County on 30 August. After starting in a 2–1 Football League Trophy victory against Exeter City
, he was again sidelined when he picked up a knee injury. He returned to action in mid-October, when he came on as substitute to give Shrewsbury a late equaliser against Port Vale
, only for Vale to score another goal to give them victory.
In November 2008, he was again sent out on loan, this time to Bournemouth
, also in League Two, for one month. Simpson said: "We have a big squad and I felt that the opportunity for Michael to go and get a month out on loan at Bournemouth would do him the world of good." Symes made his debut for Bournemouth on 15 November, as they lost 3–0 to Accrington Stanley
. He returned to Shrewsbury at the end of his month loan spell, in which he failed to score from five appearances. He was immediately recalled to the Shrewsbury squad and came on as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 defeat to league leaders Wycombe Wanderers
the following weekend. Because of injury problems, Symes played only three more games, before he moved on loan once again, this time to Accrington Stanley, another League Two side. He made his Accrington debut the day following his transfer, helping them to a 2–1 victory at home to Exeter City. Symes scored with a headed goal to give Accrington a 1–0 victory against Grimsby Town
, which proved to be the only goal he recorded in seven games for Accrington, before he returned to Shrewsbury Town at the end of the season. However he was one of seven players released by Simpson after they lost the play-off final.
, before scoring his first league goal later the same week against former team Shrewsbury Town but in another defeat. After an improved run of form, Symes' first two-goal haul for Accrington in a 5–3 victory over another of his former teams, Crewe Alexandra, helped his new side into the top-half of the League Two table. Symes also scored goals in the FA Cup and the Football League Trophy, helping Accrington to the third round of the former competition and into the northern zone semi-finals against Leeds United
in the latter.
His goals helped Symes land December's League Two player of the month and an offer of a contract extension by Accrington to fend off reported interest from other clubs during the January 2010 transfer window. However, Symes announced he would not sign a new contract during the transfer window increasing the chance he could leave on a free transfer during the summer on a Bosman ruling
transfer. Two weeks later, Accrington announced they had rejected two bids from fellow League Two side Grimsby Town
for their striker. One bid included striker Barry Conlon
moving in the opposite direction. The second bid was reported to be a six-figure sum. Symes continued his rich vein of form as his 14th goal of the season—making it his most productive season to date—levelled the scoring against Premier League Fulham
in the FA Cup fourth round. A victory would have given Stanley a fifth round place for the first time in their history, but they eventually lost 3–1. In the crowd at the club's following game was Preston North End's
new manager Darren Ferguson
to become Symes' latest suitor. Despite the interest in Symes, no further bids were reported by Accrington for him or for midfielder Bobby Grant
as the January transfer window closed. Symes finished the season with 19 goals—his best return of his career to that point—with 13 of those coming in the league.
Symes was injured during pre-season but made his second Bournemouth debut on the opening day of the 2010–11 season
against Charlton Athletic
as a half-time substitute. Bournemouth lost the game 1–0 but played against ten-men for the last half-hour after defender José Semedo was sent off for a bad tackle on Symes. He was again a substitute for his side's League Cup match before he made his first start the following weekend as Bournemouth defeated Peterborough United 5–1 and a week later he grabbed his first Bournemouth goal with a penalty in a 3–0 win against Tranmere Rovers
. However, Symes soon suffered a shoulder injury, which required specialist treatment and kept him out for nearly a month. With Bournemouth's form pushing them towards the top of the league, Symes admitted he would have to prove himself once again to manager Eddie Howe
. Bournemouth, however, suffered a number of injuries to strikers, and they risked bringing Symes back early. He was brought on as a half-time substitute against Carlisle United
and helped lead his side to a 2–0 victory by scoring the second goal. He instantly won a place in Bournemouth's starting team and followed up his goal-scoring performance by netting twice against Exeter City
to put Bournemouth second in the table. He soon spent another six weeks on the sidelines because of a shoulder injury before returning in November. His injury problems continued during the winter and he struggled to gain a run of games in the team meaning he did not score again until February at which point he scored in three successive matches.
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....
club Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
—his second spell with the club. He plays as a striker.
He started his career as a trainee with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, playing in attack with future England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
. He moved to Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
after he failed to break into the Everton side but after two injury-ravaged seasons with Bradford he moved to Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, following a short loan spell. He spent three seasons with Shrewsbury, then joined 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....
in July 2009 after a loan period the previous season. His most successful campaign in terms of goal, as of the 2009–10 season, was with Accrington, which resulted in a summer move to newly-promoted Bournemouth. He has had a number of other loan spells, also playing for Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, 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...
and Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
.
Everton
Symes was born in Great YarmouthGreat Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, in East Anglia, but moved to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in his youth, where he attended Maricourt High School. Symes grew up a fan of Everton Football Club
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in contrast to his brother Joe, who was a supporter of their rivals Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Symes started his career as a trainee at his boyhood heroes, Everton, with whom he reached the final of the 2002 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...
, playing up-front with Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
. Symes scored 31 goals from 51 games at youth level for Everton but was also hampered by six operations. In March 2004, he joined Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
on loan for the rest of the 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season making his debut as a substitute against 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...
on 27 March. He played four games during his loan spell, starting once against 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...
when he scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 win. A succession of injuries prevented him from breaking into the Everton first team and he was released by David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
after ten years with the club but having played just three reserve games.
Bradford City
Crewe manager Dario GradiDario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
decided not to offer a contract to Symes, who instead spent a period on trial at Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, which included an 8–1 pre-season friendly win over Farsley Celtic
Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic Association Football Club was an English football club based in Farsley, in the City of Leeds. The club was known by the nicknames of the Villagers and the Celts; their colours were blue and white. Founded in 1908, the club spent their entire existence in non-league football, winning...
. He signed for the 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 in July 2004 with fellow former Everton trainee Steven Schumacher
Steven Schumacher
Steven Thomas Schumacher is an English footballer who plays for Bury. His position is central midfielder.-Everton:...
, with whom he lived during his spell at Bradford. Symes made his Bradford debut in a 2–1 defeat at 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...
on the opening day of the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season. Three days later he missed a late penalty which would have secured Bradford victory over 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...
in a game in which Symes was also booked. Symes was dropped from the first team after Bradford signed Dele Adebola
Dele Adebola
Bamberdele "Dele" Adebola is a Nigerian footballer, who plays as a striker for Hull City.-Early life:...
. When Bradford were allowed special dispensation to sign Neil Roberts, Bradford tried to give Symes a loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
transfer to Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
but the deal was blocked by 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...
. The following month, Symes scored his first goals for Bradford when he came off the bench at half-time to score twice in a 3–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on 23 October 2004. They were the only goals he scored that season from just 15 games.
Before the following season started, Symes was loaned out to Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
for six months, but in July he suffered an ankle injury keeping him out until September. He never played for Macclesfield meaning his action in 2005 was limited to just 35 minutes on New Year's Day. Instead 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 another loan deal in January 2006, where he made his one and only appearance in a 1–1 draw with Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on 31 January 2006. He returned to Bradford and played another three games, scoring in a 1–1 draw with Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
on 8 April 2006. However his season again ended early when he pulled his hamstring during the draw with Brentford. Symes later admitted "it never happened" for him at City and that his confidence was shattered by manager Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...
.
Shrewsbury Town
At the start of the 2006–072006-07 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, Symes was kept on at Bradford but started the season on loan at Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
. He made his Town debut as a late substitute in the opening game of the season in a 2–2 draw with 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...
. He scored in his second appearance, when he again came on as substitute, as Shrewsbury defeated Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
5–0. He started his first game in the 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...
against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as Shrewsbury lost 1–0. His move from Bradford was made permanent by the end of the August transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
. He had started just six games in two seasons with Bradford. He scored the second brace of his career to give Shrewsbury a 2–1 victory over Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
first round, a competition in which Shrewsbury eventually reached the southern section semi-final stage. In January 2007, his contract was extended further, lasting until summer 2009. He scored 13 goals in his first season at Shrewsbury, but was also given the first red card of his career in a game against Mansfield Town, as they missed out on promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
when they lost 3–1 to 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....
in the play-off final
Football League Two play-offs
The Football League Two play-offs are a series of play-off matches, contested by the teams finishing from 4th to 7th in the Football League Two table to determine the fourth promotion place to the third tier of English football, League One. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 7th playing...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
Symes was not a regular in the Shrewsbury side at the start of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season, making 12 starts and nine substitute appearances as he scored just three goals. In January 2008, he rejoined Macclesfield Town with defender Neil Ashton
Neil Ashton
Neil John Ashton is an English footballer who joined Chester City in the summer of 2009. He typically plays as left-back, but occasionally acts as a midfielder....
on loan until the end of the season. Despite his exit, Shrewsbury manager Gary Peters
Gary Peters (footballer)
Gary David Peters is an English former professional footballer and now manager. He is currently Director of Football at Hereford United.-Playing career:...
said the pair could both return to Shrewsbury at the end of the season. He played his first Macclesfield game in a 1–0 defeat to Peterborough on 12 January, and scored his first goal as Macclesfield drew 1–1 with Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
on 29 January. It was his only goal in his first eight games and he was dropped for Macclesfield's 3–0 defeat against Peterborough on 23 February when he came on as a substitute in the 44th minute. He returned to the side a week later for new manager Keith Alexander
Keith Alexander (footballer)
Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...
's first match against 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...
when Macclesfield were denied a victory by a late goal from Richard Butcher. While Symes was on loan at Macclesfield, Shrewsbury manager Peters left the club and was replaced with Paul Simpson
Paul Simpson (footballer)
Paul David Simpson is an English former footballer and manager. His son Jake is also a professional footballer.-Manchester City:...
, who promised Symes and other players out on loan that he would monitor their progress and build his own opinion of them. Macclesfield were involved in a relegation fight during Symes' stay and it was not until a 1–0 victory over Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
on the penultimate weekend of the season that Macclesfield ensured they would be in the league the following season. Symes played 14 games, four as substitute, but scored just one goal during his stay with Macclesfield.
Symes returned to Shrewsbury and started pre-season training ahead of the 2008–09 season, having being told by Simpson that he would be given the same chance as any other player at Shrewsbury to impress, and also personally vowing to force his way into the manager's first-team plans. However, Simpson signed new strikers during the summer including Grant Holt
Grant Holt
Grant Holt is an English footballer, currently playing in the Premier League for Norwich City. He plays as a striker and is club captain....
, who cost a club record £170,000, and Symes spent the start of the season out of the team. After scoring six goals in two consecutive reserve games, Symes earned his first game for the first team, when he came off the bench to score a late equaliser and earn Shrewsbury a 2–2 draw with Notts County on 30 August. After starting in a 2–1 Football League Trophy victory against Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
, he was again sidelined when he picked up a knee injury. He returned to action in mid-October, when he came on as substitute to give Shrewsbury a late equaliser against Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, only for Vale to score another goal to give them victory.
In November 2008, he was again sent out on loan, this time to Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, also in League Two, for one month. Simpson said: "We have a big squad and I felt that the opportunity for Michael to go and get a month out on loan at Bournemouth would do him the world of good." Symes made his debut for Bournemouth on 15 November, as they lost 3–0 to 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....
. He returned to Shrewsbury at the end of his month loan spell, in which he failed to score from five appearances. He was immediately recalled to the Shrewsbury squad and came on as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 defeat to league leaders Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
the following weekend. Because of injury problems, Symes played only three more games, before he moved on loan once again, this time to Accrington Stanley, another League Two side. He made his Accrington debut the day following his transfer, helping them to a 2–1 victory at home to Exeter City. Symes scored with a headed goal to give Accrington a 1–0 victory against 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...
, which proved to be the only goal he recorded in seven games for Accrington, before he returned to Shrewsbury Town at the end of the season. However he was one of seven players released by Simpson after they lost the play-off final.
Accrington Stanley
As a result of his loan spell at Accrington, Symes was one of five signings made by their manager John Coleman on the same day at the start of pre-season training in July 2009. Symes scored his first goal of the new season with a late consolation goal for Accrington in a 2–1 League Cup defeat to Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, before scoring his first league goal later the same week against former team Shrewsbury Town but in another defeat. After an improved run of form, Symes' first two-goal haul for Accrington in a 5–3 victory over another of his former teams, Crewe Alexandra, helped his new side into the top-half of the League Two table. Symes also scored goals in the FA Cup and the Football League Trophy, helping Accrington to the third round of the former competition and into the northern zone semi-finals against 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...
in the latter.
His goals helped Symes land December's League Two player of the month and an offer of a contract extension by Accrington to fend off reported interest from other clubs during the January 2010 transfer window. However, Symes announced he would not sign a new contract during the transfer window increasing the chance he could leave on a free transfer during the summer on a Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
transfer. Two weeks later, Accrington announced they had rejected two bids from fellow League Two side 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...
for their striker. One bid included striker Barry Conlon
Barry Conlon
Barry John Conlon is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker and is currently without a club.Conlon's career started with Queens Park Rangers but he moved to Manchester City before he had played a game. He made his Football League debut with City...
moving in the opposite direction. The second bid was reported to be a six-figure sum. Symes continued his rich vein of form as his 14th goal of the season—making it his most productive season to date—levelled the scoring against Premier League 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...
in the FA Cup fourth round. A victory would have given Stanley a fifth round place for the first time in their history, but they eventually lost 3–1. In the crowd at the club's following game was Preston North End's
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...
new manager Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently in his second spell as the manager of Peterborough United...
to become Symes' latest suitor. Despite the interest in Symes, no further bids were reported by Accrington for him or for midfielder Bobby Grant
Robert Grant (footballer)
Robert 'Bobby' Grant is a footballer playing for Scunthorpe United.He made his professional début for Accrington Stanley on 5 May 2007 in the Football League Two clash with Milton Keynes Dons at the National Hockey Stadium which ended in 3–1 defeat for Stanley...
as the January transfer window closed. Symes finished the season with 19 goals—his best return of his career to that point—with 13 of those coming in the league.
Bournemouth
With his contract at Accrington having expired, Symes turned down Accrington's contract offer and instead rejoined Bournemouth on 4 June 2010 ahead of their first season back in League One. Symes was one of three players signed on the same day—they were Bournemouth's first permanent signings in 17 months after the Football League lifted the club's transfer embargo.Symes was injured during pre-season but made his second Bournemouth debut on the opening day of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 A.F.C. Bournemouth season
The 2010–11 A.F.C. Bournemouth season is the club's first season back in Football League One after a two year absence. During the 2010–11 English football season, Bournemouth will participate in League One, the Johnstones Paint Trophy, the FA Cup, and the Football League Cup...
against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
as a half-time substitute. Bournemouth lost the game 1–0 but played against ten-men for the last half-hour after defender José Semedo was sent off for a bad tackle on Symes. He was again a substitute for his side's League Cup match before he made his first start the following weekend as Bournemouth defeated Peterborough United 5–1 and a week later he grabbed his first Bournemouth goal with a penalty in a 3–0 win against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. However, Symes soon suffered a shoulder injury, which required specialist treatment and kept him out for nearly a month. With Bournemouth's form pushing them towards the top of the league, Symes admitted he would have to prove himself once again to manager Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe
Edward "Eddie" Howe is an English former footballer and manager of Burnley. A defender before retirement who spent much of his career at Bournemouth, he was the youngest manager in the Football League when appointed Bournemouth manager in January 2009.-Playing career:Howe began his professional...
. Bournemouth, however, suffered a number of injuries to strikers, and they risked bringing Symes back early. He was brought on as a half-time substitute against 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....
and helped lead his side to a 2–0 victory by scoring the second goal. He instantly won a place in Bournemouth's starting team and followed up his goal-scoring performance by netting twice against Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
to put Bournemouth second in the table. He soon spent another six weeks on the sidelines because of a shoulder injury before returning in November. His injury problems continued during the winter and he struggled to gain a run of games in the team meaning he did not score again until February at which point he scored in three successive matches.
Career statistics
- Updated to 21 February 2011.
Club Season League FA Cup FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...League Cup Football League CupThe 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...Other Total Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C.Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
(loan)2003–04 The Football League 2003-04The 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"...4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 Bradford City Bradford City A.F.C.Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....2004–05 The Football League 2004-05The 2004–2005 season was the 105th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season the league was contested through three divisions. 2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football...12 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 15 2 2005–06 The Football League 2005-06The 2005–2006 season was the 106th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:In this season of Football League, Reading was the only club in England to get more than 100 points and they also have won the League Championship...3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 Total 15 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 18 3 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...
(loan)2005–06 The Football League 2005-06The 2005–2006 season was the 106th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:In this season of Football League, Reading was the only club in England to get more than 100 points and they also have won the League Championship...1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town F.C.Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...2006–07 The Football League 2006-07The 2006–2007 season was the 107th completed season of the Football League.-Overview:The Football League was contested through three Divisions in England and Wales. The divisions were the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two...33 9 2 0 1 0 7 4 43 13 2007–08 The Football League 2007-08The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...21 3 1 0 2 0 1 0 25 3 2008–09 The Football League 2008-09The Football League 2008–09, titled the Coca-Cola Football League, was the 109th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2008 and concluded in May 2009, with the promotion play-off finals....8 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 11 2 Total 62 14 4 0 3 0 10 4 79 18 Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town F.C.Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
(loan)2007–08 The Football League 2007-08The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 1 Bournemouth A.F.C. BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
(loan)2008–09 The Football League 2008-09The Football League 2008–09, titled the Coca-Cola Football League, was the 109th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2008 and concluded in May 2009, with the promotion play-off finals....5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 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....
(loan)2008–09 The Football League 2008-09The Football League 2008–09, titled the Coca-Cola Football League, was the 109th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2008 and concluded in May 2009, with the promotion play-off finals....7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 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....2009–10 41 13 5 3 1 1 4 2 51 19 Total 48 14 5 3 1 1 4 2 58 20 Bournemouth A.F.C. BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....2010–11 2010–11 A.F.C. Bournemouth seasonThe 2010–11 A.F.C. Bournemouth season is the club's first season back in Football League One after a two year absence. During the 2010–11 English football season, Bournemouth will participate in League One, the Johnstones Paint Trophy, the FA Cup, and the Football League Cup...18 7 0 0 1 0 0 0 19 7 Career totals 167 40 10 3 6 1 15 6 198 50