Brian Anthony Abrey (born 25 April 1939) is an English former footballer who played as a wing half in the Football League for Colchester United. Having begun his career at Chelsea, Abrey spent one full season at Colchester before having to retire through injury.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Brian Anthony Abrey[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 April 1939[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Hendon, London, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1955–1961 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1963 | Colchester United | 38 | (1) |
| Total | 38 | (1) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editBorn in Hendon, London, Abrey was invited to join Chelsea in 1955 by manager Ted Drake, but never managed to break into the first-team during his five-year stay. After representing a New York team in the inaugural International Soccer League in the summer of 1960, Abrey joined Colchester United,[2] where he would make his Football League debut on 19 August 1961 in a 3–0 win over Stockport County.[3] He scored his first professional goal in a 2–2 draw with Millwall on 28 October 1961,[4] and scored his second and final goal for the U's in the following match on 4 November 1961 in a 3–3 FA Cup draw with Peterborough United at London Road.[5] He helped Colchester gain promotion to the Third Division as the U's finished the season as Fourth Division runners-up.[6]
Abrey could only manage one appearance in the 1962–63 season, a 2–0 defeat to Northampton Town in the second round of the League Cup on 26 September 1962[7] as he was forced to retire from playing following a recurring knee injury in April 1963,[2] having made 38 league appearances and scoring one goal.[8]
Later life
editFollowing his retirement from playing, Abrey returned to his native Hendon where he worked at a school, before becoming a drayman and later a postman in the area.[2]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Colchester United | 1961–62[2] | Fourth Division | 38 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| 1962–63[2] | Third Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 38 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 2 | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c "Colchester United – Player profile". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
- ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 3–0 Stockport County". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 2–2 Millwall". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Peterborough United 3–3 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "League Two (Tier Four) Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Northampton Town 2–0 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "COLCHESTER UNITED:1950/51–1989/90 & 1992/93–2011/12". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 10 July 2013.