John Napier (footballer)

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John Napier
Personal information
Full name Robert John Napier
Date of birth 23 September 1946 (1946-09-23) (age 61)
Place of birth    Lurgan, Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position Centre half
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1963–1967
1967–1972
1972–1975
1975
1975–1976
1976
1976–1978		 Bolton Wanderers
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bradford City
→ Baltimore Comets (loan)
Mossley
→ San Diego Jaws (loan)
Bradford City		 069 (2)
218 (5)
106 (3)
022 (1)
024 (1)
022 (1)
001 (0)   
National team

1966		 Northern Ireland U-23
Northern Ireland		 002 (0)
001 (0)
Teams managed
1978 Bradford City

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Robert John 'John' Napier (born 23 September 1946, Lurgan, Northern Ireland) was a English football centre half and manager, who currently teaches soccer in San Diego, California.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Napier was born in Lurgan. With a career as both player and coach, Napier has also been a player agent and a television and radio sports analyst.[1]

[edit] Career

[edit] Club playing career

Napier began his career in September 1963 playing for the Bolton Wanderers, where he played until 1967, when he was transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25,000. He played until 1972 playing more than 200 games including two seasons as ever-present. In 1972, he was transferred to Bradford City for a record-equalling £10,000. He spent six seasons at Valley Parade interspersed with spells in America at Baltimore Comets and the same team after they became San Diego Jaws, and also at Mossley. In all he played more than 100 games at City, and served as manager, and assistant coach.[2]

[edit] Club management career

Napier served as manager at City from February 1978 to October 1978. He was unpopular as manager of Bradford City, as the team was relegated to the now-defunct Division Four.[3] Napier returned to the United States in 1979 to take a coaching position at Pepperdine University, and continues to coach soccer.

[edit] International career

Napier was a Northern Ireland schoolboy international, won 11 youth caps, two under-23 caps. He won his only full international cap against West Germany in May 1966.[4]

[edit] Honours

  • Most Valuable Player, Bolton Wanderers: 1966
  • Most Valuable Player, Brighton: 1969
  • Football League Division Three Runner-Up, Brighton: 1971
  • Most Valuable Player, Bradford City: 1973

[edit] References

  1. ^ John Napier's website. Johnnapiersoccer.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  2. ^ John Napier's resume. johnnapiersoccer.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  3. ^ John Napier management profile. Geocities.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  4. ^ Frost, Terry (1988). Bradford City A Complete Record 1903-1988. Breedon Books Sport, p127. ISBN 0907969380. 

[edit] External links


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Bradford City A.F.C. – Managers

Campbell (1903–05) • O'Rourke (1905–21) • Menzies (1921–26) • Veitch (1926–28) • Foster (1928) • O'Rourke (1928–30) • Peart (1930–35) • Ray (1935–37) • Westgarth (1938–43) • Sharp (1943–46) • Barker (1946–47) • Milburn (1947–48) • Steele (1948–52) • A Harris (52) • Powell (1952–55) • Jackson (1955–61) • Brocklebank (1961–64) • B Harris (1965–66) • Watson (1966–67) • Hair (1967–68) • McAnearney & Hallett (1968) • Wheeler (1968–71) • Wilson (1971) • Edwards (1971–75) • Kennedy (1975–78) • Napier (1978) • Mulhall (1978–81) • McFarland (1981–82) • Cherry (1982–87) • Dolan (1987–89) • Yorath (1989–90) • Docherty (1990–91) • Stapleton (1991–94) • Lawrence (1994–95) • Kamara (1995–98) • Jewell (1998–2000) • Hutchings (2000) • McCall (2000) • Jefferies (2000–01) • Smith (2001) • Law (2002–03) • Four senior players (2003) • Robson (2003–04) • Todd (2004–07) • Wetherall (2007) • McCall (2007–)