Scott Minto
Encyclopedia
Scott Christopher Minto (born 6 August 1971 in Heswall
) is an English former footballer who played as a left back in the Football League
and the Premier League for Charlton Athletic
, Chelsea
, West Ham United
and Rotherham United
, and for Benfica in Portugal. He now works for Sky Sports
as a football pundit on Soccer Saturday
and also makes appearances on Chelsea TV
hosting programmes if needed. At the start of the 2011-12 season it has been confirmed that he will be presenting the live coverage of La Liga for Sky.
and made his debut as a 17 year old in 1988. After over 220 appearances for the Addicks, he moved across London
to sign for Chelsea
in July 1994 for £875,000.
side FK Viktoria Žižkov
, and played in every round of the side's run to the semi-finals. His time at Chelsea was plagued by injuries, but he was nevertheless a regular member of the Chelsea defence when fit. In 1996–97, he was an important part of the side's run to the 1997 FA Cup Final, which they won, defeating Middlesbrough
2-0 in what proved to be his last game for the club. He scored two goals in 72 appearances for Chelsea, all of which came in his final season.
win, Minto joined Benfica of Portugal
on a free transfer. He remained in Lisbon
for 18 months, making 31 appearances, before returning to England with West Ham United
for £1,000,000 in January 1999.
His West Ham career got off to a poor start, losing 4-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday
, but he quickly established himself in the side, as the club secured 5th place in the league - their highest ever Premier League finish. However, his time there was again plagued by injury problems and he was released by the club upon the expiry of his contract in June 2003. He played in 51 league games for West Ham, without scoring.
Minto then joined League One
side Rotherham United
, but once again injuries hindered his progress and he made just seven league appearances during the 2005–06 season. He announced his retirement from the game in July 2006.
. He also appears on talkSPORT
's Evening Kick-Off show from time to time as co-presenter, and has also worked as a pundit for BBC London 94.9
's live football commentaries.
Minto has since been linked with various coaching positions within Chelsea
, which he has so far refused to comment on.
He graduated from Staffordshire University
with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting in summer of 2008.
Scott is the current presenter of Revista de la Liga's live coverage of La Liga football on Sky Sports as of 28 August 2011 replacing Mark Bolton for the 2011-2012 season.
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
) is an English former footballer who played as a left back in 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...
and the Premier League for 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,...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
, and for Benfica in Portugal. He now works for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
as a football pundit on Soccer Saturday
Soccer Saturday
Gillette Soccer Saturday is a weekly television programme broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the football season. The programme updates viewers on the progress of association football games in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday afternoons. The current host is...
and also makes appearances on Chelsea TV
Chelsea TV
Chelsea TV is a British subscription based sports television channel, dedicated to the fans of the English Premier League football club, Chelsea. The channel first launched in August 2001 on Sky Digital. The station is registered with Ofcom as Chelsea Digital Media Ltd. It broadcasts daily from...
hosting programmes if needed. At the start of the 2011-12 season it has been confirmed that he will be presenting the live coverage of La Liga for Sky.
Career
Minto started his career with Charlton AthleticCharlton 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,...
and made his debut as a 17 year old in 1988. After over 220 appearances for the Addicks, he moved across London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to sign for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in July 1994 for £875,000.
Chelsea
Minto made his debut for Chelsea in a 6-2 Cup Winners' Cup win against CzechCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
side FK Viktoria Žižkov
FK Viktoria Žižkov
FK Viktoria Žižkov ranks among the oldest football clubs in the Czech Republic. It plays in the Gambrinus liga, the top level of football in the country.The team was founded by a group of students in 1903 in the town of Žižkov...
, and played in every round of the side's run to the semi-finals. His time at Chelsea was plagued by injuries, but he was nevertheless a regular member of the Chelsea defence when fit. In 1996–97, he was an important part of the side's run to the 1997 FA Cup Final, which they won, defeating 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...
2-0 in what proved to be his last game for the club. He scored two goals in 72 appearances for Chelsea, all of which came in his final season.
West Ham and Rotherham
In June 1997, shortly after Chelsea's FA CupFA 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...
win, Minto joined Benfica of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
on a free transfer. He remained in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
for 18 months, making 31 appearances, before returning to England with West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
for £1,000,000 in January 1999.
His West Ham career got off to a poor start, losing 4-0 at home to 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...
, but he quickly established himself in the side, as the club secured 5th place in the league - their highest ever Premier League finish. However, his time there was again plagued by injury problems and he was released by the club upon the expiry of his contract in June 2003. He played in 51 league games for West Ham, without scoring.
Minto then joined 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 Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
, but once again injuries hindered his progress and he made just seven league appearances during the 2005–06 season. He announced his retirement from the game in July 2006.
Post retirement
Minto is now giving something back to his local community, spending one day a week ferrying passengers to and from Rotherham hospice as a voluntary unpaid driver. Minto also regularly reports from live football games for Sky Sports, and occasionally makes appearances commenting on games from the studio for Soccer SaturdaySoccer Saturday
Gillette Soccer Saturday is a weekly television programme broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the football season. The programme updates viewers on the progress of association football games in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday afternoons. The current host is...
. He also appears on talkSPORT
TalkSPORT
Talksport , owned by UTV radio, is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters, offering a sports and talk radio service broadcast from London to the United Kingdom....
's Evening Kick-Off show from time to time as co-presenter, and has also worked as a pundit for BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
's live football commentaries.
Minto has since been linked with various coaching positions within Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, which he has so far refused to comment on.
He graduated from Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University is a university with its main campus based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield and Shrewsbury.- History :...
with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting in summer of 2008.
Scott is the current presenter of Revista de la Liga's live coverage of La Liga football on Sky Sports as of 28 August 2011 replacing Mark Bolton for the 2011-2012 season.