Phil Gulliver
Encyclopedia
Philip Stephen Gulliver (born 12 September 1982) is an English footballer who played in the Football League
for Blackpool
, Carlisle United
, A.F.C. Bournemouth
, Bury
, Scunthorpe United
, Rushden & Diamonds
and Hereford United
. Since 2008 he has played for Corby Town
. He plays as a central defender.
, County Durham
. He was a trainee at Middlesbrough
where he was a key member of their reserve side but never made a first team appearance. He made his league debut on 30 November 2002 while on loan at Blackpool
, in the starting eleven for the Division Two
game against Notts County
which finished 1–1. He also spent a month at Carlisle United
, and finished the season at A.F.C. Bournemouth
, where he helped the Cherries gain promotion
from Division Three
via the playoffs
. The following season he had two more loan spells in Division Three, with Bury
and Scunthorpe United
, before he was released by Boro at the end of the season.
He signed for Rushden & Diamonds
where he was a first-team regular in central defence in his two seasons with the club. Indeed he captained the side in his second season, when Rushden were ultimately relegated from the Football League
. In July 2006 he apparently signed for Hereford United
on a free transfer and appeared in the squad photo. A few days later he returned to Rushden, pending clarification of his status: if a player aged under 24 rejects the offer of a new deal, the club he leaves is entitled to compensation. He returned to Hereford after an agreement was reached between the two clubs.
He was mostly named on the bench for Hereford's opening matches of the season, but after a change in formation to three centre-backs he was given a run in the team. He was named Hereford's joint Player of the Month for December, but for the last three months of the season he was usually confined to the bench.
He rejoined Rushden at the end of the 2007–08 season. In October 2008 he was one of eight players transfer-listed following a number of poor team performances. After a move to his local club, Corby Town
of the Southern League Premier Division, broke down, Gulliver joined league rivals Oxford City
on a short term deal. He signed for Corby at the end of 2008, and his arrival in a team which had conceded 14 goals in their last five league games prompted a run of 530 minutes without conceding a goal. Appointed captain, Gulliver went on to help the club to promotion to the Conference North
in his first season.
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...
for Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, 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....
, A.F.C. 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....
, 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...
, 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....
, Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
and 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',...
. Since 2008 he has played for Corby Town
Corby Town F.C.
Corby Town F.C. is an English football club based in Corby, Northamptonshire. They will be members of the Conference North for the 2011–12 season. The Steelmen play their home games at the newly built Steel Park, adjacent to their previous ground, Rockingham Triangle Sports Stadium, which is...
. He plays as a central defender.
Career
Gulliver was born in Bishop AucklandBishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He was a trainee at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
where he was a key member of their reserve side but never made a first team appearance. He made his league debut on 30 November 2002 while on loan at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, in the starting eleven for the Division Two
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...
game 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...
which finished 1–1. He also spent a month at 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 finished the season at A.F.C. 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....
, where he helped the Cherries gain 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...
from Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
via the playoffs
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...
. The following season he had two more loan spells in Division Three, 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...
and 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....
, before he was released by Boro at the end of the season.
He signed for Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
where he was a first-team regular in central defence in his two seasons with the club. Indeed he captained the side in his second season, when Rushden were ultimately relegated from 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...
. In July 2006 he apparently signed for 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',...
on a free transfer and appeared in the squad photo. A few days later he returned to Rushden, pending clarification of his status: if a player aged under 24 rejects the offer of a new deal, the club he leaves is entitled to compensation. He returned to Hereford after an agreement was reached between the two clubs.
He was mostly named on the bench for Hereford's opening matches of the season, but after a change in formation to three centre-backs he was given a run in the team. He was named Hereford's joint Player of the Month for December, but for the last three months of the season he was usually confined to the bench.
He rejoined Rushden at the end of the 2007–08 season. In October 2008 he was one of eight players transfer-listed following a number of poor team performances. After a move to his local club, Corby Town
Corby Town F.C.
Corby Town F.C. is an English football club based in Corby, Northamptonshire. They will be members of the Conference North for the 2011–12 season. The Steelmen play their home games at the newly built Steel Park, adjacent to their previous ground, Rockingham Triangle Sports Stadium, which is...
of the Southern League Premier Division, broke down, Gulliver joined league rivals Oxford City
Oxford City F.C.
Oxford City Football Club is an English football club, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division after gaining promotion via the Division One South & West playoffs...
on a short term deal. He signed for Corby at the end of 2008, and his arrival in a team which had conceded 14 goals in their last five league games prompted a run of 530 minutes without conceding a goal. Appointed captain, Gulliver went on to help the club to promotion to the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
in his first season.
External links
- League stats at Neil Brown's site