Tony Ellis
Encyclopedia
Anthony Joseph "Tony" Ellis (born 20 October 1964) is an English
former professional footballer who commanded combined transfer fees of nearly £750,000 and scored 185 league goals in 518 league games during a sixteen-year Football League
career.
, began his playing career in non-league football, with Horwich RMI and Northwich Victoria. In August 1986 at the age of 21, Ellis was signed by Joe Royle
for Oldham Athletic, for whom he played ten games. Ellis was spotted by Preston North End
manager John McGrath banging in the goals for Oldham's reserve team. McGrath paid £23,000 in October 1987 to take Ellis to Deepdale
, where he scored a last-minute winner on his debut against Port Vale
. In his first spell at Deepdale Ellis scored 32 goals in 106 games in a little over two seasons
tabled a £250,000 offer for Ellis. For Preston, the money was too good to turn down, and Ellis found himself leaving for the Victoria Ground
in December 1989. His time at Stoke was disrupted by injury, but in two and a half years he scored 20 goals in 93 first-team appearances.
in 1992/93 and 1993/94. His final game for the Lilywhites was their 1994 play-off final defeat against Wycombe Wanderers
at Wembley.
over a new contract and his role within the club, Ellis signed for arch-rivals
Blackpool
for £165,000 in 1994. However in November 1995 Ellis handed in a transfer request fueling rumours of a return to Deepdale, by then managed by Gary Peters
. Blackpool got around this problem by offering Ellis an extension to his contract. In three and a half years at Bloomfield Road
, Ellis scored 65 goals in 173 games.
for £70,000. He scored twelve goals in 38 games at Gigg Lane
. Then in 1999 he joined Stockport County
for a fee of £25,000. He made 21 league appearances, scoring six goals before joining Rochdale on a free transfer later that year. He made a total of 68 appearance and scored 18 goals.
He was released by Rochdale at the end of the 2000–01 season, and found himself without a club and semi-retirement and a return to non-league football looked likely until Burnley
boss Stan Ternent
offered him a lifeline. In his only season at Turf Moor
, Ellis played ten games, all as a substitute. At the age of 37 he scored the winner against Bradford City in a 3-2 win at Valley Parade
, his only goal for the club. During his Football League career Ellis had scored 210 goals in 609 first team games.
side Leigh RMI. In 2003 he joined Northern Premier League
side Mossley
.
In 2003–04 he became player/assistant manager of Conference North
club Hyde United and also took on the role of coaching the Burnley under-15s at the Turf Moor club's Centre of Excellence.
manager Keith Hill
, as Director of Youth Development.
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Ellis is in the 1990s.
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...
former professional footballer who commanded combined transfer fees of nearly £750,000 and scored 185 league goals in 518 league games during a sixteen-year 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...
career.
Oldham Athletic and Preston North End
Borin in Salford, LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, began his playing career in non-league football, with Horwich RMI and Northwich Victoria. In August 1986 at the age of 21, Ellis was signed by Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
for Oldham Athletic, for whom he played ten games. Ellis was spotted by Preston North End
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...
manager John McGrath banging in the goals for Oldham's reserve team. McGrath paid £23,000 in October 1987 to take Ellis to Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
, where he scored a last-minute winner on his debut 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...
. In his first spell at Deepdale Ellis scored 32 goals in 106 games in a little over two seasons
Stoke City
In 1989 Alan Ball at Stoke CityStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
tabled a £250,000 offer for Ellis. For Preston, the money was too good to turn down, and Ellis found himself leaving for the Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground may refer to:*Victoria Ground, the former name of Hartlepool United’s ground Victoria Park.*Victoria Ground, Stoke City’s ground from 1878 to 1997.*Victoria Ground, current home of Bromsgrove Rovers...
in December 1989. His time at Stoke was disrupted by injury, but in two and a half years he scored 20 goals in 93 first-team appearances.
Back at Preston
In August 1992, Preston came back for him, paying Stoke £50,000 plus striker Graham Shaw. Stoke valued Ellis at £250,000 while Preston valued Shaw at £200,000. This deal therefore meant that Ellis became Preston's record signing at the time. His second spell at Preston was even more productive than his first: Ellis scored 56 goals in only 88 games and was named the club's official player of the yearPreston North End Player of the Year Award Winners
Winners of the official Preston North End F.C. Player of the Year Award since its inception in 1967–68:...
in 1992/93 and 1993/94. His final game for the Lilywhites was their 1994 play-off final defeat against 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...
at Wembley.
Blackpool
After a much-publicised fall out with Preston boss John BeckJohn Beck (footballer)
John Alexander Beck is an English former footballer and manager. As a player he made nearly 500 league appearances between 1972 and 1988....
over a new contract and his role within the club, Ellis signed for arch-rivals
West Lancashire derby
The West Lancashire derby is a local derby in English football, between Lancashire neighbours Blackpool F.C. and Preston North End F.C. The derby has taken place across all four tiers of the Football League, but not yet in the Premier League...
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...
for £165,000 in 1994. However in November 1995 Ellis handed in a transfer request fueling rumours of a return to Deepdale, by then managed by 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:...
. Blackpool got around this problem by offering Ellis an extension to his contract. In three and a half years at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
, Ellis scored 65 goals in 173 games.
Latter career
In December 1997, Ellis was on the move again, this time to BuryBury 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...
for £70,000. He scored twelve goals in 38 games at Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:...
. Then in 1999 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...
for a fee of £25,000. He made 21 league appearances, scoring six goals before joining Rochdale on a free transfer later that year. He made a total of 68 appearance and scored 18 goals.
He was released by Rochdale at the end of the 2000–01 season, and found himself without a club and semi-retirement and a return to non-league football looked likely until Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
boss Stan Ternent
Stan Ternent
Francis Stanley "Stan" Ternent is an English former footballer and manager. He managed Blackpool, Hull City, Bury, Burnley, Gillingham and Huddersfield Town. He is currently a scout for Sunderland.-Career:...
offered him a lifeline. In his only season at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
, Ellis played ten games, all as a substitute. At the age of 37 he scored the winner against Bradford City in a 3-2 win at Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
, his only goal for the club. During his Football League career Ellis had scored 210 goals in 609 first team games.
Non-League
After leaving Burnley at the end of the 2001–02 season, Ellis joined Football ConferenceFootball Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
side Leigh RMI. In 2003 he joined Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
side Mossley
Mossley A.F.C.
Mossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, Greater Manchester, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were founded in 1903 and are nicknamed the Lilywhites, owing to their colours...
.
In 2003–04 he became player/assistant manager of 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...
club Hyde United and also took on the role of coaching the Burnley under-15s at the Turf Moor club's Centre of Excellence.
Coaching career
In July 2007, Ellis left his position as assistant manager of Hyde United and coach of the youth teams at Turf Moor to join former teammate, RochdaleRochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
manager Keith Hill
Keith Hill (footballer)
Keith John Hill is an English former footballer, currently manager of Barnsley. As a player, Hill was a central defender...
, as Director of Youth Development.
Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame
Ellis was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy ArmfieldJimmy Armfield
James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE, DL is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right back...
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Ellis is in the 1990s.