Oliver Ryan
Encyclopedia
Oliver Paul "Ollie" Ryan (born 26 September 1985) is an English
footballer. He played professionally with Lincoln City
as a forward
and currently is playing for Frickley Athletic
.
. He played junior football with Nortoft Boys and Boston Town in the Mid Lincolnshire Youth League before joining Lincoln City
's Centre of Excellence on 26 October 2000 despite an offer from Leicester City
. Having earned representative honours with the Lincolnshire Schools Under-16s and the Lincolnshire FA Under-16s, Ryan was awarded a three-year scholarship with the Imps commencing at the start of the 2002-03 season.
Ryan made impressive strides during his scholarship and at the end of his second year he was named Lincoln's Young Player of the Season. His third year saw him spend an impressive work experience spell with Spalding United
, scoring in each of his first two appearances. On his return to Lincoln, he entered the first team squad, making his debut, as a substitute, in the 3-0 FA Cup
defeat at Hartlepool United
on 13 November 2004 with his Football league debut coming a week later in the 3-0 away victory over Darlington
. He returned to Spalding for a second spell of work experience, once again marking his first appearance with a goal in the 3-1 away victory over Gresley Rovers
on 6 January 2005. By the end of his scholarship, Ryan had made six league appearances for Lincoln, all from the substitutes bench, and along with fellow scholars Lee Frecklington
and Chris Gordon, agreed a one-year professional contract.
on a month's loan debuting in the 3-1 home victory over Gateshead
on 5 November 2005. Recalled to Lincoln in December, he agreed a one-year extension to his Lincoln contract in March 2006.
His second professional season saw Ryan restricted to only seven league appearances, all from the substitutes bench, and despite regular goals for the reserve team he could not find a goal for the first-team. He was, however, given a final opportunity to impress when he agreed a new six-month contract in May 2007.
He continued to struggle to find not only a starting position but also an elusive goal in his third professional season despite scoring 119 goals in 125 appearances for the reserves. On 2 October 2007 he made his first league start for 598 days in the 1-1 away draw with Bury
. He kept his starting role for the next three league and cup games culminating in the 4-0 away defeat to MK Dons which saw Lincoln's manager John Schofield sacked and Ryan dropped from the team. He was offered a chance to impress the new manager Peter Jackson when handed a starting role in the game at Wycombe Wanderers
on 17 November 2008 but disaster struck when he was sent-off after just 27 minutes for a foul tackle on Will Antwi
. Despite this he did agree a six-month contract extension at the beginning of January, 2008 but he would start no further games and, with his substitute appearances becoming even more sporadic, it was no surprise when, in March 2008, he agreed to cancel his contract with Lincoln and join up with Hucknall Town
. Perhaps inevitably, he marked his Hucknall debut by scoring in the 2-1 defeat to Hinckley United
on 22 March 2008 but after one further start he dropped down to the substitutes bench. He enjoyed a brief sojourn to Bourne Town
, scoring in the 2-1 away victory over St Ives Town
on 15 April 2008, before returning to Hucknall and his place on the bench. At the end of the season, Hucknall announced that Ryan would not be offered a new contract. Having first expressed an interest in signing Ryan a year previously, it was no surprise when Tommy Taylor
signed Ryan for Boston United
ahead of the 2008-2009 season. Ryan was offered fresh terms for the 2009-10 season, but rejected a new contract and left the club, joining Harrogate Town
. In January 2010 he joined Belper Town
on loan. Released by Harrogate at the end of the season, Ryan trialled with both Northwich Victoria
and Chester before agreeing a deal to join the former club on 13 August 2010.
On 18 June 2011 he joined Frickley Athletic
.
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...
footballer. He played professionally with 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....
as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and currently is playing for Frickley Athletic
Frickley Athletic F.C.
Frickley Athletic F.C. are a football club based in South Elmsall, in West Yorkshire, England. They were established in 1910 as Frickley Colliery F.C., and changed to their present name in 1974.-History:...
.
Early career
Ryan attended Kirton Primary School before moving on to Boston Grammar SchoolBoston Grammar School
The Boston Grammar School is a selective grammar school and sixth form college for boys aged 11 to 18 and girls attending the sixth form aged 16–18 located in Boston, Lincolnshire, England....
. He played junior football with Nortoft Boys and Boston Town in the Mid Lincolnshire Youth League before joining 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....
's Centre of Excellence on 26 October 2000 despite an offer from 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...
. Having earned representative honours with the Lincolnshire Schools Under-16s and the Lincolnshire FA Under-16s, Ryan was awarded a three-year scholarship with the Imps commencing at the start of the 2002-03 season.
Ryan made impressive strides during his scholarship and at the end of his second year he was named Lincoln's Young Player of the Season. His third year saw him spend an impressive work experience spell with Spalding United
Spalding United F.C.
Spalding United F.C. is an English football club based in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of Division One of the United Counties League and play at Sir Halley Stewart Field.-History:...
, scoring in each of his first two appearances. On his return to Lincoln, he entered the first team squad, making his debut, as a substitute, in the 3-0 FA Cup
FA Cup
The 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...
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 13 November 2004 with his Football league debut coming a week later in the 3-0 away victory over 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...
. He returned to Spalding for a second spell of work experience, once again marking his first appearance with a goal in the 3-1 away victory over Gresley Rovers
Gresley Rovers F.C.
Gresley Football Club are an English football club from Church Gresley, near Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Gresley are currently in the Midland Football Alliance, playing their home games at The Moat Ground...
on 6 January 2005. By the end of his scholarship, Ryan had made six league appearances for Lincoln, all from the substitutes bench, and along with fellow scholars Lee Frecklington
Lee Frecklington
Lee Craig Frecklington is a footballer who plays for Peterborough United as a midfielder.-Lincoln City:Born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Frecklington made his way through Lincoln City's Centre of Excellence. He was rewarded with a scholarship place in the summer of 2002, where he was guided by former...
and Chris Gordon, agreed a one-year professional contract.
Professional career
His first season as a professional saw him make intermittent appearances without finding the net and in November 2005 he linked up with Ilkeston TownIlkeston Town F.C.
Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....
on a month's loan debuting in the 3-1 home victory over Gateshead
Gateshead F.C.
Gateshead Football Club are a professional Association football club, based in Gateshead, England. They currently play in the Conference National, the fifth level of the English football league system.Ian Bogie is the current manager....
on 5 November 2005. Recalled to Lincoln in December, he agreed a one-year extension to his Lincoln contract in March 2006.
His second professional season saw Ryan restricted to only seven league appearances, all from the substitutes bench, and despite regular goals for the reserve team he could not find a goal for the first-team. He was, however, given a final opportunity to impress when he agreed a new six-month contract in May 2007.
He continued to struggle to find not only a starting position but also an elusive goal in his third professional season despite scoring 119 goals in 125 appearances for the reserves. On 2 October 2007 he made his first league start for 598 days in the 1-1 away draw with Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
. He kept his starting role for the next three league and cup games culminating in the 4-0 away defeat to MK Dons which saw Lincoln's manager John Schofield sacked and Ryan dropped from the team. He was offered a chance to impress the new manager Peter Jackson when handed a starting role in the game at 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...
on 17 November 2008 but disaster struck when he was sent-off after just 27 minutes for a foul tackle on Will Antwi
Will Antwi
William Kwabena "Will" Antwi Agyei is an Anglo-Ghanaian footballer who plays for Conference National side Grimsby Town, on loan from Luton Town as a defender.-Crystal Palace:...
. Despite this he did agree a six-month contract extension at the beginning of January, 2008 but he would start no further games and, with his substitute appearances becoming even more sporadic, it was no surprise when, in March 2008, he agreed to cancel his contract with Lincoln and join up with Hucknall Town
Hucknall Town F.C.
Hucknall Town F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Watnall Road.-History:...
. Perhaps inevitably, he marked his Hucknall debut by scoring in the 2-1 defeat to Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
on 22 March 2008 but after one further start he dropped down to the substitutes bench. He enjoyed a brief sojourn to Bourne Town
Bourne Town F.C.
Bourne Town Football Club is an English football team based in Bourne, England, currently playing in the United Counties Football League Division One. They were established in 1883 and joined the United Counties Football League in 1947, where they have been champions on three occasions - in...
, scoring in the 2-1 away victory over St Ives Town
St Ives Town F.C.
St. Ives Town is a football club based in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. This St Ives Town must not be confused with the Cornwall Combination team playing in St Ives, Cornwall, which is also called St Ives Town.-History:...
on 15 April 2008, before returning to Hucknall and his place on the bench. At the end of the season, Hucknall announced that Ryan would not be offered a new contract. Having first expressed an interest in signing Ryan a year previously, it was no surprise when Tommy Taylor
Tommy Taylor (footballer born 1951)
Thomas Frederick Taylor is an English football manager and former footballer. As a footballer, he played as a defender. He is the former manager of Belper Town.-Career:...
signed Ryan for 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...
ahead of the 2008-2009 season. Ryan was offered fresh terms for the 2009-10 season, but rejected a new contract and left the club, joining Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town F.C.
Harrogate Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the Conference North division of the Football Conference.-History:...
. In January 2010 he joined Belper Town
Belper Town F.C.
-History:They were established in 1883 and joined the Midland League in 1961. After the 1981–82 season, Belper Town joined the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, winning the title in 1984–85...
on loan. Released by Harrogate at the end of the season, Ryan trialled with both Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...
and Chester before agreeing a deal to join the former club on 13 August 2010.
On 18 June 2011 he joined Frickley Athletic
Frickley Athletic F.C.
Frickley Athletic F.C. are a football club based in South Elmsall, in West Yorkshire, England. They were established in 1910 as Frickley Colliery F.C., and changed to their present name in 1974.-History:...
.