Tony Williams (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Williams is a former Welsh
professional
footballer who played as a goalkeeper from 1997 until 2010. He is currently employed as the Goalkeeping Coach of Football League One
side Bury
. He has appeared for nine clubs, notably making over 140 appearances for Hartlepool United
and 50 appearances for Grimsby Town
.
Williams is also a former Wales U-21
player.
in 1997 and had loan spells at Queens Park Rangers
, Macclesfield Town
, Huddersfield Town
, Bristol Rovers
and Gillingham
in three seasons but made no appearances for Blackburn.
on a free transfer in June 2000 and started 131 league games in four seasons at Victoria Park
, helping Hartlepool to the Division Three play-off semi-final in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, and to promotion in the 2002–03 season. He lost his place in the first-team to Jim Provett
at the start of the 2003–04 season and had loan spells with Swansea City
and Stockport County
. At the end of the season, his contract was not renewed and he was released by Hartlepool.
where he was an ever-present in the 2004–05 season but rejected the offer of a new contract at the end of the season after being notified he would only be second choice following a poor first season.
. At the start of the 2005–06 season he was the first choice goalkeeper but lost his place to Kieren Westwood
and joined Bury
on a short loan spell in January 2006 before joining Wrexham on loan in March 2007 until the end of the 2006–07 season.
in May 2008, he was transfer listed by the club, but stayed with the side until the end of the season before being released.
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
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
footballer who played as a goalkeeper from 1997 until 2010. He is currently employed as the Goalkeeping Coach of Football 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 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 has appeared for nine clubs, notably making over 140 appearances for 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...
and 50 appearances for Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
.
Williams is also a former Wales U-21
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
player.
Blackburn Rovers
Williams began his career as a trainee at Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in 1997 and had loan spells at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
, Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
and Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in three seasons but made no appearances for Blackburn.
Hartlepool United
Williams joined Hartlepool UnitedHartlepool 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 a free transfer in June 2000 and started 131 league games in four seasons at Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football ground in Hartlepool, County Durham, England and it is the home of Hartlepool United.The four sides of the ground are known as the Town End Terrace , the Niramax Stand , the Cyril Knowles Stand and the Rink End Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football...
, helping Hartlepool to the Division Three play-off semi-final in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, and to promotion in the 2002–03 season. He lost his place in the first-team to Jim Provett
Jim Provett
James "Jim" Provett is a football goalkeeper, who currently plays for Norton & Stockton Ancients.-Playing career:...
at the start of the 2003–04 season and had loan spells with 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...
and 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...
. At the end of the season, his contract was not renewed and he was released by Hartlepool.
Grimsby Town
Williams joined Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
where he was an ever-present in the 2004–05 season but rejected the offer of a new contract at the end of the season after being notified he would only be second choice following a poor first season.
Carlisle United
Instead he joined Carlisle UnitedCarlisle 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....
. At the start of the 2005–06 season he was the first choice goalkeeper but lost his place to Kieren Westwood
Kieren Westwood
Keiren Westwood is an English-born Irish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland national football team...
and joined 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...
on a short loan spell in January 2006 before joining Wrexham on loan in March 2007 until the end of the 2006–07 season.
Wrexham
Williams joined Wrexham on a permanent basis in May 2007, signing a two year contract, after impressing during his loan spell at the club when he kept five clean sheets in nine games. Following Wrexham's relegation to the 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...
in May 2008, he was transfer listed by the club, but stayed with the side until the end of the season before being released.