Anthony "Tony" Bird is a former Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 professional footballer.

Career

Bird began his career at Cardiff City

Cardiff City F.C.

Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

 coming through the clubs youth system, making his debut in August 1992 when he replaced Cohen Griffith

Cohen Griffith

Cohen Griffith is a former professional footballer.-Career:Griffith began his career at Kettering Town before moving to Cardiff City in October 1989 for £60,000 as a replacement for Jimmy Gilligan. He made his debut for the Bluebirds against Huddersfield Town and scored after just nineteen minutes...

 during a 3-2 win over Walsall

Walsall F.C.

Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

. He went on to make three starts during his first season and scored his first league goal in a 2-1 victory over 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....

 as the Bluebirds won promotion to division two. Bird remained at Cardiff for the next three years, although never fully managing to hold down a first team place and was released at the start of the 1996-97 season, despite scoring twice in the opening three games, in an attempt to cut costs at Ninian Park

Ninian Park

Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...

.

He joined Barry Town

Barry Town F.C.

Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated...

 midway through the 1995-96 season, scoring 9 goals in 16 league appearances. The following season he scored 42 goals in all competitions, his only full season. His form prompted Swansea City

Swansea City A.F.C.

Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

 boss Jan Molby to bring him back into league football for a fee of £30,000 and Bird was a regular in his first season at the club before eventually following Molby to his next club, Kidderminster Harriers

Kidderminster Harriers F.C.

Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...

, on a free transfer. He was transfer listed in January 2001 but managed to force his way back into the side by switching to a right-midfield position. He eventually spent three years in Ireland with St. Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United before moving back to Wales and playing for non-league sides Bath City

Bath City F.C.

Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...

 and Haverfordwest County

Haverfordwest County F.C.

Haverfordwest County A.F.C. is a football team, playing in the Welsh Football League Division One.The club was founded in 1899 and was variously known as Haverfordwest FC, Haverfordwest Town, and Haverfordwest Athletic before adopting the current name, and plays at the Bridge Meadow Stadium,...

.

After his departure from Ireland, Bird attended a seven-week training course to become a qualified dog-groomer.

Honours

Cardiff City

• Football League Third Division
  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...
  
   Winner: 1

1992–93

• Welsh Cup
  Welsh Cup
  The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
  
   Runner-up: 1

1993–94

External links

• Tony Bird at WelshPremier.com