Stuart Ian Nicholson (born 3 February 1987) is a former professional footballer, currently living in Melbourne, Australia and last played for Springvale City FC.
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stuart Ian Nicholson | ||
| Date of birth | 3 February 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2008 | West Bromwich Albion | 9 | (4) |
| 2006–2007 | →Bristol Rovers (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2007 | →Bristol Rovers (loan) | 12 | (8) |
| 2007 | →Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 2008 | →Wrexham (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Newcastle Blue Star | 5 | (5) |
| 2009 | Tamworth | 7 | (4) |
| 2009 | →AFC Telford United (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | West Allotment Celtic | 5 | (8) |
| 2010 | Sunshine George Cross | 9 | (6) |
| 2010 | Northcote City | 8 | (6) |
| 2010 | Birtley Town | 7 | (9) |
| 2010–2011 | Hebburn Town | 7 | (9) |
| 2011 | Bentleigh Greens | 11 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Moreland Zebras | 10 | (11) |
| 2013 | Jarrow Roofing B CA | 20 | (33) |
| 2014 | FC Clifton Hill | 12 | (17) |
| 2014 | St Albans Saints SC | 2 | (2) |
| 2014 | FC Clifton Hill | ||
| 2015 | Preston Lions FC | 9 | (0) |
| 2015 | Westgate FC | 5 | (5) |
| 2016– | Springvale City | 23 | (24) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006 | England U19 | 2 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:56, 2 January 2011 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:30, 12 December 2009 (UTC) | |||
Stuart was also a former England Under-19 international[1]
Career
editWest Bromwich Albion
editNicholson, made his debut for West Bromwich Albion on 17 January 2006, coming on as an extra-time substitute in a 3–2 FA Cup defeat away at Reading. He made his Premiership debut four days later in the 1–0 loss against Sunderland at The Hawthorns, when he replaced Nathan Ellington, whom he describes as his childhood hero.[2] He won the West Bromwich Albion Young Player of the Year award for 2005–06 and earned the nickname "The Knife" for his sharpness in front of goal. Albion turned down a six figure sum for Nicholson from rivals Aston Villa and offered him a new contract.[3] He was given a place in the first team squad for the 2006–07 season, and marked his first start with a goal against Leyton Orient on 24 August in the first round of the League Cup.
Bristol Rovers
editNicholson joined Bristol Rovers on loan in November 2006. Unusually for someone born in the north-east of England, he has been a fan of the club since being given a Bristol Rovers shirt as a present when he was 14.[2] The loan was due to last three months, but Nicholson was recalled four weeks early by West Brom as the striker scored in 3 successive games for the gas.[4] before returning to Bristol Rovers for a second loan spell during the same season.[5]
He scored a brace on 17 March 2007 against Notts County and followed it up with the winner against Stockport County on 20 March, both games at the Memorial Stadium. A stomach injury then kept him out of the team, and his loan spell was cut short in April when he returned to West Brom to have a hernia operation.[6]
Shrewsbury Town
editIn August 2007 Nicholson joined Shrewsbury Town on a scheduled season-long loan.[7] However, Nicholson did not see eye to eye with Gary Peters and by December he had found the net just once for the Shrews in 14 league appearances. On 18 December it was announced that he had returned to Albion due to an ongoing "personal problem", with his loan spell at Shrewsbury set to be officially ended in January [8]
Wrexham
editOn 18 January 2008 Nicholson joined Wrexham on a three-month loan deal. The striker's only goal came against Bradford City at the Racecourse Ground.[9] In April Albion confirmed that they would release the player in the summer when his existing contract expires.[1]
Newcastle Blue Star
editHe signed with Newcastle Blue Star in August 2008.[10]
On 7 November Nicholson joined AFC Bournemouth on a week's trial, Bournemouth could not meet the asking price having been made available for transfer by Newcastle Blue Star after making five substitute appearances scoring in all up to that point in the 2008–09 season.[11] After having been released by Blue Star midway through the 2008–09 season, Nicholson trained with Blyth Spartans[12]
Tamworth
editNicholson's next move was a return to the midlands to team up with Conference North side Tamworth in January, 2009. He made his debut for Tamworth on 27 January 2009 against King's Lynn in a home Conference North fixture in a year that Tamworth won promotion to the Conference National. Stuart was given the number 9 shirt and after 2 months he handed in a transfer request due to the fact Mills wanted to play him as a lone striker and at Nicholsons stature and to the dislike of Gary Mills he was put on gardening leave.
Preston Lions FC
editPreston Lions FC has signed former West Bromwich Albion striker Stuart Nicholson for the 2015 Victorian State League 1 NW season. Stuart comes across from Moreland Zebras where he spent two years and it is the first new summer signing for coach Andy O'Dell, who says the addition of the pacey striker as 'an excellent opportunity both for player and club'.
Honours
editBristol Rovers
- Football League Trophy runner-up: 2006–07[13]
References
edit- ^ a b "Nicholson to leave Baggies". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 9 April 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2008.
- ^ a b "How Stuart became hooked on Gas". bristolrovers.co.uk. 15 November 2006. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
- ^ "It's Nich the Knife!". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 25 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
- ^ "West Brom recall Pirates loanee". BBC Sport. 19 January 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
- ^ "Nicholson is high on Gas". bristolrovers.co.uk. 1 February 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
- ^ "Nicholson ends Rovers loan spell". BBC Sport. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
- ^ "Nicholson joins Shrewsbury on loan". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
- ^ "Nicholson sent back to West Brom". BBC Sport. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
- ^ "Quartet join Wrexham with one out". BBC Sport. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
- ^ "Starring role for ace Stuart Nicholson". Evening Chronicle (England). 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
- ^ "Blue Star primed to face Cup shock troops". Evening Chronicle. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2008. [dead link]
- ^ "Dunn gathers his troops for injury-hit Blyth". Chronicle Live. ncjMedia. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
- ^ Hughes, Ian (1 April 2007). "Bristol Rovers 2–3 Doncaster Rovers AET". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
External links
edit- Stuart Nicholson at Soccerbase
- West Bromwich Albion player profile
