Adam Boyd
Encyclopedia
Adam Mark Boyd is an English
footballer, who plays for Hartlepool United
in the English Football League One
. Boyd plays
as a striker
and started off playing in school while attending Grange Primary School, in his hometown of Hartlepool
.
During his studies at Hartlepool Manor School of Technology he played for Hartlepool United
(1999). He moved to Luton Town
in 2006 for a fee of £
500,000 and then joined Leyton Orient
a year later in 2007 on a free transfer. He also had a short loan
spell at Boston United
in 2004.
in the North East of England
, Boyd attended Grange Primary School, Hartlepool. There his football abilities were first spotted by the school’s headmaster and PE coach, Brian Cross, who selected him to play for the under-11 team, despite only being seven years old. While at Grange Primary School, Boyd rarely missed a game for his school.
He then progressed through to Manor College of Technology
and he was once again recognized as a football player by the school’s headmaster, Alan White, a teacher who had previously taught Steve Harper
and Paul Kitson
. Boyd also played for five years with a Sunday League
team called Hartlepool St. Francis, where he started off by playing in central defence and helped the team win several trophies in the Teesside Junior Alliance league. Boyd caught the eye of Middlesbrough
who sent scouts
to watch him and gave him a trial
. However, they decided against signing him for he joined Hartlepool United
instead, which was his favourite team alongside Manchester United
. He had regularly watched Hartlepool United as a young lad with his father.
only for a short amount of time, he was given a surprising last minute call up to the first team at only 16 years of age. Boyd eventually made his debut against Shrewsbury Town
and was an immediate success after coming on a substitute
and scoring a dramatic last minute goal
from a tight angle in his debut game. However, Boyd’s early promise quickly faded as the team relinquished him to the reserves
and he struggled to make an impact. From the 1999 season to 2003, Boyd had started a total of 25 first team matches and made 38 substitution appearances. Despite being on the field often, Boyd only managed to score 15 goals.
him to Boston United
in order to gain match practice. During his time at Boston, Boyd won critical acclaim from Boston manager Neil Thompson
and played a total of 14 matches scoring four goals before returning to Hartlepool. Boyd returned nine pounds
overweight and looked set to leave Hartlepool United after angering Cooper. When asked about his weight gain, Boyd claimed that he had been eating more to build up his strength but when asked about gym work he said he had not started it yet. Boston looked set to make permanent deal for Boyd and made an offer for the striker. However, both teams failed to reach an agreement with Boston claiming that Hartlepool was asking far too much. It was rumoured that Hartlepool chairman, Ken Hodcroft
, wanted a five figure sum and Boston was only prepared to pay a four figure amount of about £5,000.
Boyd was a surprise inclusion in the team to face Stockport and came on as a substitute after 45 minutes. The next game away at Grimsby Town
saw Boyd get his first start of the season for Pools and score two goals. Boyd kept his place in the team and continued to score for the remainder of the season and notched an impressive 12 goals in 10 starts. Neale Cooper noticed a change in Boyd's attitude and commitment to the club and made Boyd Hartlepool's first choice striker. Boyd was also rewarded for his end of season form by being named the Powerade
League One
Player of the Month and also received the Goalscorer of the Month award. A football league
spokesman described Boyd as “finally delivering on his undoubted promise”.
ile:Boydscores.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Adam Boyd scoring what was to be the Hartlepool United Goal of the Season 2005 against Sheffield Wednesday
]
The following season Boyd became one of League One's top goalscorers and formed a strong partnership with fellow striker Joel Porter
to help Hartlepool make the play-offs. He scored 29 goals in league and cup matches and became the club’s highest goalscorer since Joe Allon in 1991. The peak of Boyd’s goals came against Sheffield Wednesday
where Boyd received the ball outside the box and faked his way past two players before curving it over Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper
David Lucas
. This goal earned him two awards, Hartlepool United's Goal of the Season 2005 and the North East Goal of the Season 2005. Boyd was also named Hartlepool United’s Players’ Player of the Year. Boyd ended the season strongly and scored a brace in the first leg of the play-off semi final match against Tranmere Rovers
. This helped to secure Hartlepool’s place in the play-off finals for the first time to forge a reputation for his goalscoring exploits, which has won him admirers such as Alan Shearer
. His team mates likened him to his childhood idol Dennis Bergkamp
. As Boyd was acclaimed, his value went up to £1 million and he attracted the attention of FA Premier League
clubs such as Newcastle United
, Liverpool
, Middlesbrough
and Sunderland
. However, Boyd remained in Hartlepool's club for the start of the 2005–06 campaign
. Boyd started the season by scoring two goals in four starts, but later picked up a long-term injury against Yeovil Town
after bruising his bone. To make matters worse, Boyd’s injury treatment went badly as he contracted a blood infection, which resulted him being out for five months. Former manager Mike Newell
, then of Luton Town
, sought to take advantage of the effect that his injury had had on his value and made Hartlepool two offers thought to be of approximately £500,000 that the club quickly rejected. After finally returning to full training, Boyd struggled to overcome the effects of his injury and spent the majority of the time on the sidelines as the season drew to a close.
with Luton Town after Hartlepool accepted a bid in the range of £500,000. Before leaving, Boyd thanked Hartlepool’s coaches, managers and fans for helping him to develop and supporting him. He also thanked Chris Turner, Ken Hodcroft
and Danny Wilson for allowing the transfer to happen so he could fulfil his ambitions. On his debut for Luton Town, he played a part in setting up Carlos Edwards' goal against Leicester City
to make the game 2–0. Boyd's first goal for Luton Town came in a League Cup
match against Bristol Rovers
– the game finished 1–1 with Luton winning 5–3 on penalties
. It appeared that Boyd was way behind the rest of the team in terms of fitness and match sharpness. However, Newell believed this was because Boyd has "had the best part of a year out of the game". Boyd scored his first League
goal for Luton against Queens Park Rangers
in a match likely to be remembered for Mike Newell's post match comments about female assistant referee
Amy Rayner
.
However, Boyd showed few signs of adapting to Championship
football, leaving many Luton fans frustrated with Boyd's lack of form after such a big money move for a club of Luton's financial situation. Boyd ended an unhappy spell with The Hatters by being released from his contract, after Town were relegated to League One
. Boyd spent one year at Luton Town, scoring only two goals in twenty-three first team games.
on 24 July 2007 on a two-year deal, following his release from Luton. Boyd scored on his debut, a pre-season friendly against West Ham United
with a 25 yards (22.9 m) volleyed lob over Robert Green
. The match was testimonial
to Orient manager Martin Ling
, who signed Boyd on the same day as the match. He scored the opening goal on his league debut for Orient, along with Sean Thornton
, against Southend United
in a 2–1 win at Roots Hall
.
Boyd had talks with Huddersfield Town at the beginning of the January 2009 transfer window, however he failed to agree personal terms. He signed for Hartlepool United for his second spell with the club on 1 May 2009.
of a woman he was in bed with caught them and assaulted him. Boyd was then forced to flee semi-naked across a "posh estate" and suffered bruises and injuries to his feet. Boyd refused to take any legal action against his attacker, claiming that he just wants to "forget about it". Ironically, months before during Hartlepool’s pre-season tour in Holland, a streaker ran onto the pitch and danced in front of him.
With Hartlepool United
Category:1982 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Hartlepool
Category:English footballers
Category:Association football forwards
Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players
Category:Boston United F.C. players
Category:Luton Town F.C. players
Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players
Category:The Football League players
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer, who plays for Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
in the English Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Boyd plays
Football (soccer) positions
In the sport of association football, each of the eleven players on a team is assigned to a particular position on the field of play. A team is made up of one goalkeeper and ten outfield players who fill various defensive, midfield and attacking positions depending on the formation deployed. These...
as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and started off playing in school while attending Grange Primary School, in his hometown of Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
.
During his studies at Hartlepool Manor School of Technology he played for Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
(1999). He moved to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
in 2006 for a fee of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
500,000 and then joined Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
a year later in 2007 on a free transfer. He also had a short loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
spell at Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
in 2004.
Childhood and early career
Born in HartlepoolHartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
in the North East of England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, Boyd attended Grange Primary School, Hartlepool. There his football abilities were first spotted by the school’s headmaster and PE coach, Brian Cross, who selected him to play for the under-11 team, despite only being seven years old. While at Grange Primary School, Boyd rarely missed a game for his school.
He then progressed through to Manor College of Technology
Manor College of Technology
Manor College of Technology is a secondary school in the Owton Manor area of Hartlepool, County Durham. It is a 'coeducational comprehensive' school, and caters for students aged 11–16.- Students :...
and he was once again recognized as a football player by the school’s headmaster, Alan White, a teacher who had previously taught Steve Harper
Steve Harper (footballer)
Stephen Alan "Steve" Harper is an English footballer. He plays for Premier League club Newcastle United as a goalkeeper....
and Paul Kitson
Paul Kitson
For the English footballer who spent most of his career in the United States, see Paul Kitson .Paul Kitson is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker...
. Boyd also played for five years with a Sunday League
Sunday league football
Sunday league football is a term used in the United Kingdom to describe those association football leagues which play on Sunday, as opposed to the more usual Saturday. These leagues tend to be lower standard amateur competitions, whose players may have less ability, or less time to devote to...
team called Hartlepool St. Francis, where he started off by playing in central defence and helped the team win several trophies in the Teesside Junior Alliance league. Boyd caught the eye of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
who sent scouts
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
to watch him and gave him a trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
. However, they decided against signing him for he joined Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
instead, which was his favourite team alongside Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He had regularly watched Hartlepool United as a young lad with his father.
Hartlepool breakthrough
While at Hartlepool’s youth team he quickly impressed the coaching staff of Mick Smith and Billy Horner. Despite having been in the youth teamYouth system
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...
only for a short amount of time, he was given a surprising last minute call up to the first team at only 16 years of age. Boyd eventually made his debut against Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
and was an immediate success after coming on a substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
and scoring a dramatic last minute goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
from a tight angle in his debut game. However, Boyd’s early promise quickly faded as the team relinquished him to the reserves
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
and he struggled to make an impact. From the 1999 season to 2003, Boyd had started a total of 25 first team matches and made 38 substitution appearances. Despite being on the field often, Boyd only managed to score 15 goals.
Under Neale Cooper and onwards
Boyd’s lack of first team appearances prompted the newly appointed Hartlepool manager Neale Cooper to loanLoan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
him to Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
in order to gain match practice. During his time at Boston, Boyd won critical acclaim from Boston manager Neil Thompson
Neil Thompson
Neil Thompson is an English former footballer who played in defence, chiefly on the left side of the pitch, for Scarborough, Ipswich Town and Barnsley amongst others. Thompson subsequently became a football coach and had spells at York City, Scarborough and Boston United as player-manager...
and played a total of 14 matches scoring four goals before returning to Hartlepool. Boyd returned nine pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
overweight and looked set to leave Hartlepool United after angering Cooper. When asked about his weight gain, Boyd claimed that he had been eating more to build up his strength but when asked about gym work he said he had not started it yet. Boston looked set to make permanent deal for Boyd and made an offer for the striker. However, both teams failed to reach an agreement with Boston claiming that Hartlepool was asking far too much. It was rumoured that Hartlepool chairman, Ken Hodcroft
Ken Hodcroft
Ken Hodcroft is the managing director of Increased Oil Recovery and the chairman of Hartlepool United F.C. .-Early life:Ken Hodcroft was born in Newcastle but moved to Leeds when he was five with his family. There he was educated at Leeds Grammar School and took his A-Levels. It was at Leeds...
, wanted a five figure sum and Boston was only prepared to pay a four figure amount of about £5,000.
Boyd was a surprise inclusion in the team to face Stockport and came on as a substitute after 45 minutes. The next game away at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
saw Boyd get his first start of the season for Pools and score two goals. Boyd kept his place in the team and continued to score for the remainder of the season and notched an impressive 12 goals in 10 starts. Neale Cooper noticed a change in Boyd's attitude and commitment to the club and made Boyd Hartlepool's first choice striker. Boyd was also rewarded for his end of season form by being named the Powerade
Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in 1988, its primary competitor is PepsiCo's Gatorade...
League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Player of the Month and also received the Goalscorer of the Month award. A football league
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
spokesman described Boyd as “finally delivering on his undoubted promise”.
ile:Boydscores.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Adam Boyd scoring what was to be the Hartlepool United Goal of the Season 2005 against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
]
The following season Boyd became one of League One's top goalscorers and formed a strong partnership with fellow striker Joel Porter
Joel Porter
Joel William Porter is an Australian football player who plays as a striker for the Hyundai A-League team Gold Coast United...
to help Hartlepool make the play-offs. He scored 29 goals in league and cup matches and became the club’s highest goalscorer since Joe Allon in 1991. The peak of Boyd’s goals came against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
where Boyd received the ball outside the box and faked his way past two players before curving it over Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
David Lucas
David Lucas (footballer)
David Anthony Lucas is an English footballer who plays for Rochdale as a player/coach.-Preston North End:As a young goalkeeper, Lucas started his career at Preston North End. He went on to spend nearly ten years as a professional at the Lancashire club, punctuated by loan appearances for...
. This goal earned him two awards, Hartlepool United's Goal of the Season 2005 and the North East Goal of the Season 2005. Boyd was also named Hartlepool United’s Players’ Player of the Year. Boyd ended the season strongly and scored a brace in the first leg of the play-off semi final match against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. This helped to secure Hartlepool’s place in the play-off finals for the first time to forge a reputation for his goalscoring exploits, which has won him admirers such as Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
. His team mates likened him to his childhood idol Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
. As Boyd was acclaimed, his value went up to £1 million and he attracted the attention of FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
clubs such as Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. However, Boyd remained in Hartlepool's club for the start of the 2005–06 campaign
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
. Boyd started the season by scoring two goals in four starts, but later picked up a long-term injury against Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
after bruising his bone. To make matters worse, Boyd’s injury treatment went badly as he contracted a blood infection, which resulted him being out for five months. Former manager Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
, then of Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, sought to take advantage of the effect that his injury had had on his value and made Hartlepool two offers thought to be of approximately £500,000 that the club quickly rejected. After finally returning to full training, Boyd struggled to overcome the effects of his injury and spent the majority of the time on the sidelines as the season drew to a close.
Luton Town
On 28 July 2006, Boyd signed a three-year contractContract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
with Luton Town after Hartlepool accepted a bid in the range of £500,000. Before leaving, Boyd thanked Hartlepool’s coaches, managers and fans for helping him to develop and supporting him. He also thanked Chris Turner, Ken Hodcroft
Ken Hodcroft
Ken Hodcroft is the managing director of Increased Oil Recovery and the chairman of Hartlepool United F.C. .-Early life:Ken Hodcroft was born in Newcastle but moved to Leeds when he was five with his family. There he was educated at Leeds Grammar School and took his A-Levels. It was at Leeds...
and Danny Wilson for allowing the transfer to happen so he could fulfil his ambitions. On his debut for Luton Town, he played a part in setting up Carlos Edwards' goal against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
to make the game 2–0. Boyd's first goal for Luton Town came in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
– the game finished 1–1 with Luton winning 5–3 on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
. It appeared that Boyd was way behind the rest of the team in terms of fitness and match sharpness. However, Newell believed this was because Boyd has "had the best part of a year out of the game". Boyd scored his first League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
goal for Luton against Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in a match likely to be remembered for Mike Newell's post match comments about female assistant referee
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
Amy Rayner
Amy Rayner
Amy Fearn is an English football referee from Loughborough, Leicestershire, who in 2010 became the first woman to referee in The Football League...
.
However, Boyd showed few signs of adapting to Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
football, leaving many Luton fans frustrated with Boyd's lack of form after such a big money move for a club of Luton's financial situation. Boyd ended an unhappy spell with The Hatters by being released from his contract, after Town were relegated to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Boyd spent one year at Luton Town, scoring only two goals in twenty-three first team games.
Leyton Orient
Boyd was signed by Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
on 24 July 2007 on a two-year deal, following his release from Luton. Boyd scored on his debut, a pre-season friendly against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
with a 25 yards (22.9 m) volleyed lob over Robert Green
Robert Green
Robert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
. The match was testimonial
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
to Orient manager Martin Ling
Martin Ling
Martin Ling is an English football manager and former player, who is currently manager of Torquay United in League Two. He played in over 100 Football League matches for Exeter City, Southend United, Swindon Town and Leyton Orient, before moving into management where he led Orient for over five...
, who signed Boyd on the same day as the match. He scored the opening goal on his league debut for Orient, along with Sean Thornton
Sean Thornton
Sean Thornton is a professional footballer currently playing for Welsh Premier League side Aberystwyth Town, after a year out of the game following his release by Leyton Orient...
, against Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
in a 2–1 win at Roots Hall
Roots Hall
Roots Hall is a multi-use sports stadium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, primarily used for football games and is the home of the Football League Two club Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392 Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex, and is the current venue for the final of...
.
Boyd had talks with Huddersfield Town at the beginning of the January 2009 transfer window, however he failed to agree personal terms. He signed for Hartlepool United for his second spell with the club on 1 May 2009.
Return to Hartlepool United
He notched his first goal back at Hartlepool in extra time of a first round Carling Cup win over Coventry on 12 August 2009. It was the only goal of the tie.Statistics
| Club | Season | League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Europe | Others | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Hartlepool United Hartlepool United F.C. Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season... |
1999–2000 1999-2000 in English football -Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 2000–01 2000-01 in English football The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 2001-02 in English football The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the... |
29 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 9 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in English football The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable... |
22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 5 | |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
18 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 12 | |
| Boston United Boston United F.C. Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's... (loan) |
2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| Hartlepool United Hartlepool United F.C. Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season... |
2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
45 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 59 | 29 |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 | |
| Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... |
2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
44 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 17 |
| 2008–09 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 39 | 12 | |
| Hartlepool United Hartlepool United F.C. Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season... |
2009–10 | 40 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 9 |
| 2010–11 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 | |
| 2011–12 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | |
| Total | 312 | 91 | 17 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 368 | 112 | |
Personal life
Boyd has also become famous for his behaviour off the pitch after the ex-boyfriendEx (relationship)
In social relationships, an ex is someone with whom a person was once associated. As a prefix, ex- can refer to a variety of different relationships; for example, one might refer to a music group's ex-guitarist, or someone's ex-friend...
of a woman he was in bed with caught them and assaulted him. Boyd was then forced to flee semi-naked across a "posh estate" and suffered bruises and injuries to his feet. Boyd refused to take any legal action against his attacker, claiming that he just wants to "forget about it". Ironically, months before during Hartlepool’s pre-season tour in Holland, a streaker ran onto the pitch and danced in front of him.
Honours
- Hartlepool United Player’s Player of the Year: 2005
- Hartlepool United Goal of the Season: 2005
- North East Goal of the Season: 2005
With Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
- Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
runners up: 2002–03 - North East Team of the Year: 2002–03.
- League One Play-Off Finalists: 2004–05
External links
Category:1982 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Hartlepool
Category:English footballers
Category:Association football forwards
Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players
Category:Boston United F.C. players
Category:Luton Town F.C. players
Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players
Category:The Football League players