Andy Poole (footballer)

Andy Poole
Personal information
Full name	Andrew John Poole
Date of birth	6 July 1960 (age 63)
Place of birth	Chesterfield, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Mansfield Town
Senior career*
Years	Team
1978–1982	Northampton Town
1982–1983	Wolverhampton Wanderers
1983	Port Vale
1983	Gillingham
	Nuneaton Borough
	Coventry Sporting
	Worcester City
	Buckingham Town
	Kettering Town
	Brackley Town
Managerial career
	Brackley Town
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Andrew John Poole (born 6 July 1960) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He spent four years at Northampton Town between 1978 and 1982 before entering the non-League scene after unsuccessful spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Port Vale.

Career[edit]

Poole played for Mansfield Town, before signing with Northampton Town in 1978. Under Mike Keen's stewardship, the "Cobblers" finished 19th in the Fourth Division in 1978–79, two places and two points above the re-election zone. They rose to 13th in 1979–80 under new boss Clive Walker, and Poole was voted as the club's Player of the Year. However, after Bill Dodgin took over at the County Ground, Northampton finished 10th in 1980–81, before dropping to third-from-bottom of the English Football League in 1981–82, and having to seek re-election. Poole started the 1982–83 season with Wolverhampton Wanderers, before he joined Port Vale in March 1983.^[1] His debut came in a 1–1 draw with local rivals Crewe Alexandra at Vale Park on 5 March, but after just one more match he had his contract cancelled that same month.^[1] Both Wolves and the "Valiants" went on to win promotion out of the Second Division and Fourth Division respectively in 1982–83.^[1] He moved on to Gillingham, Nuneaton Borough, Coventry Sporting, Worcester City, Buckingham Town, Kettering Town and finally Brackley Town; where he served as player-manager.^[1]

Source:^[3]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Northampton Town	1978–79	Fourth Division	17	0	0	0	1	0	18	0
	1979–80	Fourth Division	32	0	1	0	3	0	36	0
	1980–81	Fourth Division	46	0	1	0	2	0	49	0
	1981–82	Fourth Division	46	0	3	0	5	0	54	0
	Total		141	0	5	0	11	0	157	0
Wolverhampton Wanderers	1982–83	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Port Vale	1982–83	Fourth Division	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Gillingham	1983–84	Third Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 234. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
^ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 258. ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
^ Andy Poole at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)