Ross Daniel Flitney (born 1 June 1984) is an English footballer who plays for Wimborne Town as a goalkeeper.

Ross Flitney
Personal information
Full name Ross Daniel Flitney[1]
Date of birth (1984-06-01) 1 June 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Hitchin, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Wimborne Town (player and goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
1996–2000 Arsenal
2000–2003 Fulham
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Fulham 0 (0)
2003Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 1 (0)
2003–2004Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 2 (0)
2005Doncaster Rovers (loan) 0 (0)
2005Yeading (loan) 7 (0)
2005–2007 Barnet 50 (0)
2007–2009 Grays Athletic 36 (0)
2008–2009Croydon Athletic (loan) 5 (0)
2009–2010 Croydon Athletic ? (0)
2010–2011 Dover Athletic 55 (0)
2011–2013 Gillingham 27 (0)
2012Eastleigh (loan) 7 (0)
2013–2016 Eastleigh 144 (0)
2016–2017 Whitehawk 7 (0)
2017 Bromley 14 (0)
2017–2023 Eastleigh 25 (0)
2023– Wimborne Town 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:26, 21 June 2023 (UTC)

Career

edit

Born in Hitchin,[1] Flitney started as a youth player at Arsenal before moving to Fulham in 2003 where he was cover for senior keepers such as Edwin van der Sar and Mark Crossley, but never made a first-team appearance despite making the bench on several occasions in the 2004–05 season. He did however have two loan spells with Brighton & Hove Albion[3] and a further loan spell with Doncaster Rovers. In March 2005 he joined Isthmian League side Yeading on loan.[4] He was released by Fulham in May 2005,[5] joining Barnet the following month.[6]

On 26 October 2005, he became the recipient of the quickest red card in the history of Old Trafford. In a League Cup match for Barnet against Manchester United, he was sent off for handling the ball outside his penalty area, only 80 seconds into the game. It was his first touch in the match, and Barnet went on to lose 4–1.[7] The red card was later rescinded on appeal.[8] During the 2005–06 season, he lost his place to Lee Harrison who had rejoined Barnet as a player-coach in the summer. He was told he could leave Barnet in November 2006,[9] but was finally released at the end of the season,[10] joining Grays Athletic in June 2007.[11]

Flitney signed for Croydon Athletic on loan in December 2008,[12] and just one month later he was transfer listed by Grays, with financial pressures and manager Wayne Burnett's plans being cited as the reason.[13] A fortnight later, Flitney had his contract with the Essex side terminated by mutual consent,[14] and signed a contract to stay with Croydon Athletic until the end of the season.[15]

In January 2010, Flitney signed for Conference South club Dover Athletic. Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler said; "He's a keeper I've had my eye on. He brings something different to the table in that he is 6ft 3in and kicks the ball a mile!".[16] Flitney made his debut for Dover in the 2–0 defeat to Woking on 23 January.

He was signed by Hessenthaler again, when he joined Gillingham in July 2011,[17] and made his debut for Gillingham in the 1–0 win over Cheltenham Town on 6 August 2011.

In October 2012 he joined Eastleigh on an initial loan period of one month.[18] After his loan at Eastleigh finished in January 2013, and his subsequent release by Gillingham, he rejoined Eastleigh on a permanent basis in February 2013.[19] Flitney played the first nine games of the 2016–17 season for Eastleigh but then signed for Brighton-based National League South side Whitehawk, rejoining his former manager Richard Hill[20] and making his debut in a 3–0 away win at Bishop's Stortford on 8 October. Flitney was sent off after the final whistle in the FA Cup first round against Stourbridge on 14 November for protesting to referee Robert Whitton, who had just blown for full-time with the ball in play, seconds before Javier Favarel scored a 30-yard volley which would have been the winning goal.[21] On 14 January against Dulwich Hamlet in the FA Trophy second round, with his side leading 1–0, Flitney came off the bench to replace Hawks' injured keeper Tom Stewart in the 65th minute and went on to concede four times as well as give away and then save a penalty in the time remaining.[22] Flitney left the Hawks at the end of January 2017, his last game being a 1–3 defeat at Hungerford Town on 23 January, a game in which he conceded a penalty after just four minutes.[23] On 16 February 2017, Flitney joined Bromley on a short-term deal for the remainder of the campaign.[24] Following 14 league appearances, in which he helped the club to a 10th-place finish, Flitney departed Bromley at the end of the season to eventually rejoin Eastleigh.[25] On 20 June 2023, Flitney joined Wimborne Town.[26]

Career statistics

edit
As of end of 2022–23 season
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion (loans) 2003–04[27] Second Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Doncaster Rovers 2004–05 League One 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Barnet 2005–06[28] League Two 35 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 38 0
2006–07[29] 15 0 1 0 2 0 2[a] 0 20 0
Total 50 0 2 0 4 0 2 0 58 0
Grays Athletic 2007–08[30] Conference Premier 30 0 0 0 0 0 30 0
2008–09[31] 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Total 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 0
Croydon Athletic (loan) 2008–09 Isthmian Division One South
Croydon Athletic 2009–10 Isthmian Division One South
Dover Athletic 2009–10[32] Conference South 16 0 0 0 2[b] 0 18 0
2010–11[32] 40 0 7 0 1[c] 0 48 0
Total 56 0 7 0 0 0 3 0 66 0
Gillingham 2011–12[33] League Two 27 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 31 0
Eastleigh (loan) 2012–13[32] Conference South 7 0 0 0 1[c] 0 8 0
Eastleigh Conference South 19 0 0 0 2[d] 0 21 0
2013–14[32] 40 0 2 0 4[c] 0 46 0
2014–15[32] Conference Premier 46 0 3 0 4[e] 0 53 0
2015–16[32] National League 30 0 5 0 2[c] 0 37 0
2016–17[32] 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
Total 144 0 10 0 0 0 12 0 166 0
Whitehawk 2016–17[2] National League South 7 0 2 0 2[c] 0 11 0
Bromley 2016–17[32] National League 14 0 0 0 1[f] 0 15 0
Eastleigh 2017–18[2][32] National League 20 0 1 0 2[g] 0 23 0
2018–19[2][32] 3 0 1 0 1[h] 0 5 0
2019–20[2][32] 0 0 0 0 6[i] 0 6 0
2020–21[2][32] 0 0 0 0 1[c] 0 1 0
2021–22[2][34] 2 0 0 0 3[h] 0 5 0
2022–23[2] 0 0 0 0 3[h] 0 3 0
Total 25 0 2 0 0 0 16 0 43 0
Career total 369 0 26 0 5 0 37 0 437 0
  1. ^ Appearances in the Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in the Conference South play-offs
  3. ^ a b c d e f Appearances in the FA Trophy
  4. ^ Appearances in the Conference South play-offs
  5. ^ One appearance in the Hampshire Senior Cup, one in the FA Trophy and two in the Conference Premier play-offs
  6. ^ Appearance in the Kent Senior Cup
  7. ^ One appearance in the Hampshire Senior Cup, one in the FA Trophy
  8. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in the Hampshire Senior Cup
  9. ^ Three appearances in the Hampshire Senior Cup, three in the FA Trophy

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Ross Flitney". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "R. Flitney". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  3. ^ Roberts out over Christmas, BBC Sport
  4. ^ Cottagers loan Flitney to Yeading, BBC Sport
  5. ^ "Player Released". Fulham Official Website. 23 May 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  6. ^ Barnet set to sign keeper Flitney, BBC Sport
  7. ^ Man Utd 4–1 Barnet, BBC Sport
  8. ^ Flitney wins red card appeal, BBC Sport
  9. ^ Keeper Flitney can leave Barnet, BBC Sport
  10. ^ Barnet boss releases five players, BBC Sport
  11. ^ Grays snap up ex-Bees goalkeeper, BBC Sport
  12. ^ Player News, graysathletic.co.uk
  13. ^ "Grays place four on transfer list". BBC Sport. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  14. ^ Goalkeeper News, Grays Athletic
  15. ^ Player News, Croydon Athletic
  16. ^ White, Andy (18 January 2010). "Whites bag Flitney". The Non-League Paper. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  17. ^ Six of the best for Gills Archived 5 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Gillingham F.C.
  18. ^ "Spitfires borrow Flitney". NonLeagueDaily.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ^ "Ross Flitney signs for Eastleigh". Eastleigh F.C. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  20. ^ Brian Owen (8 October 2016). "National League – Whitehawk FC boss on his move to sign Ross Flitney". The Argus. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Whitehawk 1-1 Stourbridge". BBC Sport.
  22. ^ "Whitehawk 1-4 Dulwich Hamlet".
  23. ^ Tom Harris (30 January 2017). "Flitney and Connolly Leave The Hawks". Whitehawk F.C. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  24. ^ "Bromley sign Flitney as Julian departs". BBC Sport.
  25. ^ Bromley Football Club (24 May 2017). "Squad Update: Tyrone Sterling joins Bromley". Bromley F.C. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  26. ^ Wimborne Town FC (20 June 2023). "Ross Flitney joins Wimborne Town". Wimborne Town F.C. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  27. ^ "Games played by Ross Flitney in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  28. ^ "Games played by Ross Flitney in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Games played by Ross Flitney in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Games played by Ross Flitney in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  31. ^ "Games played by Ross Flitney in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Ross Flitney". aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  33. ^ "Games played by Ross Flitney in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  34. ^ "REPORT | SPITFIRES 2-0 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE | Eastleigh FC".
edit