Dean Windass
Encyclopedia
Dean Windass is an English footballer, who predominantly played as a striker, and is known for his spells at Bradford City and his hometown team Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

. He has retired as a professional but now plays for Scarborough Athletic
Scarborough Athletic F.C.
Scarborough Athletic Football Club are an English football club formed on 25 June 2007 following the winding up of Scarborough. Although they bear the name of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, they ground-share with Bridlington Town...

 on a game-by-game deal.

Windass started his footballing career as a trainee at his hometown club, Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

, and signed his first professional contract there. He scored 64 goals in 205 games for Hull, and, when he left, he brought the club a record transfer fee at the time, going on to play in the top divisions in both English and Scottish football. Later in his career, he returned to Hull City, and scored the only goal of the 2008 Football League Championship playoff final
2008 Football League Championship playoff final
The 2008 Football League Championship play-off Final was contested between Bristol City and Hull City. The match was won by Hull City through a 38th minute goal from Dean Windass. The victory meant that this was the first time in the history of Hull City that they would be competing in the top...

 to take them to the top flight for the first time in their history.

Windass also had two spells at Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

, where he became the club's third-highest scorer of all time. He has also played for Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

, Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

, 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...

, 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...

, Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

, and Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

. He is seen as a controversial player, once being sent off three times in a game for Aberdeen, as well as grabbing another opponent's testicles in a match at Bradford City.

Windass scored his last Premier League goal at the age of 39, becoming Hull City's oldest-ever scorer. He officially announced his retirement from the game on the 19th October 2009, but hopes to carry on with a career in coaching.
He briefly worked as player-coach, under former manager Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...

 at Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

, but the pair only lasted nine games in charge.

Windass now reports for Sky Sports News as part of the Jeff Stelling
Jeff Stelling
Robert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling is an English sports journalist and sport television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown...

 Gillette Soccer Saturday game reporters. He is also a regular pundit on BBC Yorkshire's new programme, Late Kick-Off.

Personal life

Windass was born on 1 April 1969 in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...

, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...

, and grew up in the Gipsyville area of the city. His parents, John and Doreen, divorced when he was thirteen years old. He regularly attended Hull City matches at Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park was a football stadium in Kingston upon Hull, and was home to the football club Hull City for over 50 years from 31 August 1946 until December 2002, when they moved to the Kingston Communications Stadium....

, and played football, cricket and hockey for his school. Windass credits his wife, Helen, a police officer, also from Hull, with devising his fitness and diet regimes. They met in 1992 and married on 31 July 1993. They have two sons, Josh and Jordan.

Hull City

Windass started his footballing career as a YTS
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...

 trainee at Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 before being released by manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...

 Brian Horton
Brian Horton
Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...

. He had unsuccessful trials at professional clubs 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...

, Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...

, and York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

 and instead started playing for non-league North Ferriby United
North Ferriby United A.F.C.
North Ferriby United Association Football Club is an English football club based in North Ferriby, near Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. They were formed in 1934. They reached the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the first time in 2005...

 while also having to work on building sites and packing frozen peas. He was brought back to Hull City by manager Terry Dolan in October 1991, entering professional league football at the relatively late age of 22. He initially played in midfield for the Tigers and later as a forward, playing 205 games and scoring 64 goals, becoming a firm fans' favourite - in a 2005 poll to name the top 100 Tigers, Windass was named the fourth best player in the club's 100-year history. In December 1995, with the club in financial difficulty, he was sold to Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

 for £700,000.

Aberdeen

During his time at Aberdeen, Windass was a popular player, though he gained a reputation as a player who often got into trouble with the authorities; on one occasion he was reprimanded by a police officer for not wearing his seatbelt while he was driving. On 9 November 1997, during a league game with Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...

, Windass was shown three red cards - once for foul play (having previously been booked); another for verbally abusing the referee; and a third for taking out his frustration on a corner flag as he left the field - for which he received a six-match ban. This game was the club's last match under the management of Roy Aitken
Roy Aitken
Robert Sime "Roy" Aitken is a former footballer who went on to become a coach with clubs including Leeds United and Aston Villa. His position as a player was defence.Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, he grew up in Ardrossan...

, and Windass himself was to move on at the end of the season. In the three years he spent at Aberdeen he scored 23 goals in 78 League appearances.

Oxford United

In July 1998, he moved to Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

 for a club record £475,000. He won a Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 Player of the Month award, and scored 15 goals in 33 league games in his nine months with the club, but was unable to prevent them from relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...

 to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

 at the end of the 1998-99 season
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...

.

Bradford City

He transferred to Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

 in March 1999 for an initial fee of £950,000 as manager Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...

 looked to build his squad for a promotion push to reach the Premiership. He helped Bradford City to runners-up position in Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 in 1998–99
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...

 and thus gain promotion to the top division for the first time in 77 years. Promotion meant his transfer fee rose to £1 million, and he became the club's third seven-figure signing of the season. During the summer, Windass opted not to go on holiday and instead continued to train in preparation for his own first season in the top flight. His dedication was rewarded as he was the club's top scorer in their first season in the Premiership with ten goals, including a hat-trick in a 4–4 draw with Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

. City avoided relegation on the final day of the 1999–2000 season
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...

, when they defeated 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...

 1–0 thanks to a header from David Wetherall
David Wetherall
David Wetherall is an English former footballer who played as a central defender, finishing his playing career with Bradford City at the end of the 2007–08 season. Born in Sheffield, he supported Sheffield Wednesday as a child, and started his playing career there...

.

Paul Jewell left City in the days following City's successful battle against relegation and his assistant manager Chris Hutchings
Chris Hutchings
Christopher "Chris" Hutchings is an English former footballer and former manager of Walsall. He played for a number of clubs including Chelsea and played more than 100 games for Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town...

 was appointed new manager. Hutchings was given money by chairman Geoffrey Richmond
Geoffrey Richmond
Geoffrey Richmond was a football chairman of Bradford City from 1994 to 2002, and previously chairman of Scarborough.-Biography:Richmond was born and raised in Leeds, where he attended Roundhay Grammar School...

 to spend on new players, which included new strikers Benito Carbone
Benito Carbone
Benito known as Benny Carbone is a retired Italian professional footballer and former manager of Serie B club Varese. He played as a forward, winger or midfielder...

 and Ashley Ward
Ashley Ward
Ashley Ward is an English retired footballer. He was a centre forward.-Biography:Ward was born in Middleton, Lancashire, the son of a coal mining engineer...

. Windass' appearances flipped between midfield and forward but with the club facing relegation he was sold to 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...

 in March 2001 for £600,000. He still finished the season as the club's top scorer—his eight goals included three in the Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...

 and one in a 2–0 victory over Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

, which proved to be Hutchings' only league victory before he was sacked in November.

Middlesbrough and Sheffield United

Windass said the move to Middlesbrough was the highlight of his career, but his debut was delayed due to a back injury he picked up lifting a bag out of the car, and his league appearances were restricted to just 38 as he failed to become a first-team regular at the Riverside
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...

, and instead spent periods on loan at 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...

 and rivals Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

, before a permanent move to Sheffield United in January 2003 after an approach from his former teammate Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...

 who was assistant at United. Windass helped the Blades to the play-offs
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...

 but he was dropped by manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....

 for the final, opting instead to watch his side's 3–0 defeat by Wolves in a pub. He decided not to stay at United and instead returned to Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

, now under the management of Nicky Law, in July 2003.

Return to Bradford City

Windass' second spell at Bradford City was equally as successful on a personal scale and he climbed to the club's third highest scorer in its history. City's fortunes on and off the pitch were poor, and with the club unable to pay money for players, relegation to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

 followed. In 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...

 Windass scored 28 goals to be the top scorer in the 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...

 although the club could only finish in mid-table. The following season Windass added another 20 goals as Bradford City matched the previous season's 13th place finish.

Windass remained a controversial character and in September 2006, on FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 Fair Play Day, he was accused of grabbing fellow professional John Finnigan
John Finnigan
John Francis Finnigan is an English footballer. He is currently with non-league side Shortwood United. He has previously featured in the Football League for Lincoln City and Cheltenham Town after starting his career with Nottingham Forest....

 by the testicles during Bradford City's 2–1 win over Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

. Finnigan was then sent off for violent conduct after hitting Windass. Earlier that year he had received a five game ban for abusing referee Darren Drysdale
Darren Drysdale
Darren Drysdale is an English football referee who officiates in the Football League, and is a sergeant in the RAF at Waddington.-Career:...

 in the Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...

 car park after a drawn game against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

.

Despite persistent speculation about a return to Hull City, and repeated bids of up to £500,000 from Premiership Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

 by former manager Paul Jewell, on 19 October 2006 he signed an extension to his Bradford City contract until 2009, stating an ambition to score the 40 goals he needs to become the club's all-time top scorer by the time his new contract ends.

However, on 17 January 2007, it was confirmed that Windass would return to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 on loan until the end of the season. The money Hull paid for the loan deal and the savings Bradford made on Windass' wages ensured Bradford City chairman Julian Rhodes
Julian Rhodes
Julian David Rhodes is the chairman of English League Two football side Bradford City. He has been chairman since December 2004, after taking the club out of administration. In 2007, he became joint-chairman with Mark Lawn....

 could pay urgent bills. He was not to return to Bradford City and he finished with 76 league goals and 87 goals in total. The tally puts him behind just Bobby Campbell
Bobby Campbell (Northern Irish footballer)
Robert McFaul "Bobby" Campbell is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for many clubs in England....

 and Frank O'Rourke
Frank O'Rourke (footballer)
Frank O'Rourke was a Scottish international footballer who played in Scotland and England, for Bradford City.-Career:...

 in the club's goal scoring charts.

Return to Hull City

On returning to Hull City, he regained the cult status he previously earned at the club, as his eight goals helped to keep the Tigers in the Championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...

. His most vital strike of this loan spell was on 28 April 2007, the penultimate Saturday of the season, the only goal in the away win at Cardiff City
Cardiff city
Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...

. This left Hull City three points ahead of Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 with a vastly superior goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....

, meaning virtually certain Championship survival. However, in his absence Bradford City were relegated from 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....

 to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

. Windass finished the season as both clubs' top scorer, with 12 goals for Bradford City and eight for Hull City.

At the end of the season, the two clubs entered protracted negotiations over the size of the transfer fee required to make the loan move a permanent one. On 19 June 2007, the transfer was completed, and Windass signed for Hull City on a two-year deal for an initial fee of £150,000, plus further add-ons based on appearances.

In October 2007, Windass' autobiography was published by Great Northern Books, entitled Deano - From Gipsyville to the Premiership, with a foreword from Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...

.

On 22 March 2008, in a match 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...

, Windass made his 700th career appearance. On 11 May, he scored his 200th goal in English football, in the Championship play-off
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...

 semi-final first leg against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

. His 201st was a volley from the edge of the area in the play-off final
2008 Football League Championship playoff final
The 2008 Football League Championship play-off Final was contested between Bristol City and Hull City. The match was won by Hull City through a 38th minute goal from Dean Windass. The victory meant that this was the first time in the history of Hull City that they would be competing in the top...

 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

 on 24 May 2008, giving Hull City a 1–0 win against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

, which meant that Hull City were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their 104-year history. His goal was estimated to be worth £60 million to the club because of Premier League television rights gained. He had predicted scoring the goal several weeks earlier: "When Phil Brown left me out against Sheffield United this year, I weren't [sic] happy about it. He said to me, 'You will play a major part.' And I said, 'I will score the winning goal to get you in the Premier League.'"

After the game, Windass offered his man-of-the-match award to Hull assistant manager Brian Horton, the manager who had released him from Hull City as a trainee, but Horton declined to take it. "Brian said he'd told me to prove him wrong, and he said, 'That goal's enough for me.'"

Hull City Council are considering creating a permanent tribute to Windass, who responded modestly when described as a legend: "Nah, I'm not a legend. I don't like that word. People fight for their country, there are soldiers in Iraq. I'm just a footballer who gets paid a lot of money to do what I enjoy."

Windass was not selected for Hull's first two games in the Premier League, but after he started and scored in Hull's 2–1 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...

 defeat to Swansea City, he was a second-half substitute in Hull's next league game, as they lost 5–0 to Wigan, for Windass' first Premier League game since leaving Middlesbrough. It was his only action during Hull's start to the season, which saw them take 14 points from their first seven games, leading to Windass being frustrated at his lack of first-team action. After he was left out of the squad to face Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 on 21 September 2008, he held talks with manager Phil Brown, following which he vowed to stay and fight for his place. Because he was out of the side, his former club Bradford City, now in League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

, and 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....

 club Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 both made bids to sign Windass.

In the early hours of 12 November, Windass and team-mate Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...

 fought in a casino in Scarborough, with King reported to have headbutted Windass. In the following days, the club said the argument had been settled internally and both players allowed to stay with Hull. Windass had to wait till 22 November 2008 to make another Premier League appearance for City, coming on as a substitute against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 with Hull trailing 2–1. Windass claimed the goal that earned Hull City a draw, with a header from a corner that deflected off defender Noé Pamarot
Noé Pamarot
Louis Noé Pamarot , more commonly known as Noé Pamarot, is a French footballer who plays as a central defender for Spanish side Granada. Before moving to Spain, Pamarot played for Portsmouth in the Premier League. He is a right-footed defender who is also known for his great strength and excellent...

 and into the net. This was officially recorded as an own goal at the time, but was later awarded to Windass after a review by the Dubious Goals Committee
Dubious Goals Committee
The Dubious Goals Committee is a committee within the Premier League, the top level of association football in England, which adjudicates in any instance where the identity of the scorer of a goal is disputed....

. In a radio interview after the game, Windass described the casino incident as a "storm in a teacup
Storm in a Teacup
Storm in a Teacup may refer to:*a variation of Tempest in a teapot, an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion*Storm in a Teacup , a 1937 British film....

".

In the following game, Windass was booked for unsportsmanlike conduct without even playing, after he warmed-up too near opposition player Rory Delap
Rory Delap
Rory John Delap is an English born Irish footballer who plays for Stoke City. He has played eleven times for the Republic of Ireland national football team....

 while Delap was taking a throw-in. He made his first Premier League start for Hull on 26 December 2008 against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...

. Hull lost 5–1, in a game in which they received their half-time team talk from manager Phil Brown on the pitch.

Disappointed by his lack of first team opportunities, Windass was allowed to leave Hull, and, on 9 January, he joined Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

 on loan for the rest of the season. He was expected to make his debut the following day, but had to wait after Oldham's game 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...

 was postponed and re-arranged for two days later. Windass hit the crossbar before he was substituted in the final minute of the game as his new team won 2–1. Following the sending off of regular goalkeeper Greg Fleming
Greg Fleming
Greg William Edward Fleming is a Scottish football player who currently plays for Chesterfield. He plays as a goalkeeper. He was previously with Oldham Athletic and financially troubled side Gretna. He also played on loan for Dunfermline Athletic.-Career:Fleming started his career with Livingston,...

 in Oldham's game at 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...

 on 7 February, and with no substitute keeper, Windass went in goal and kept a clean sheet for 40 minutes, with the game ending in a 0–0 draw. His performance in goal led him to being named as Football League One's goalkeeper of the week. On 14 February, Windass scored his first goal for Oldham in a 2–1 victory over Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

—his 200th career league goal, which he celebrated by revealing a T-shirt printed with "200", earning him a yellow card.

After playing just ten times for Oldham, Windass declared on his online blog that he wanted to leave, after a disagreement with manager John Sheridan about his lack of involvement in two consecutive games. However, he later denied that he was going to walk out on Oldham and was a second-half substitute in their 1–0 defeat to Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....

 the following weekend. He eventually returned to Hull on 16 March but was not entitled to play in the Premier League for the rest of the season because of loan rules.

On 26 May 2009, it was revealed in the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...

that Windass was interested in the vacant manager's position at Aberdeen.

Darlington

Windass was reported to be close to being named as player–assistant manager at Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

 to recently-appointed Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...

, whom he had previously played under during his second spell at Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

. He later declared his interest in signing for Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

. He completed his move to Darlington as a player–assistant manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...

 on 17 June. He made his Darlington debut in a 3–1 defeat to Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...

, and a day later he played his Hull City testimonial match
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....

 against Aberdeen at the KC Stadium. Windass and Todd only lasted nine league games in charge at Darlington, before they left the club by mutual consent, having failed to win a single league game. He announced his retirement on 19 October 2009.

Barton Town Old Boys

In August 2010, Windass came out of his retirement to sign for semi-professional side Barton Town, managed by his former teammate Dave Anderson, on a game-by-game deal. He scored a hat-trick on his debut against Yorkshire Amateur
Yorkshire Amateur F.C.
Yorkshire Amateur A.F.C. are a football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. They were formed in 1918, and two years later became founding members of the Yorkshire Football League...

 in a 3-1 win for Barton.

Scarborough Athletic

After leaving Barton Town, Windass signed for Scarborough Athletic
Scarborough Athletic F.C.
Scarborough Athletic Football Club are an English football club formed on 25 June 2007 following the winding up of Scarborough. Although they bear the name of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, they ground-share with Bridlington Town...

, a side where his brother-in-law Darren France is assistant manager, Initially SKY Sports commitments prevented him from playing for the "Seadogs" and he left, re-signing for the club in October 2011 and making his debut (as a substitute) on 15 October 2011.

Management

On 21 October 2009, the Grimsby Telegraph
Grimsby Telegraph
The Grimsby Telegraph is a daily British regional newspaper for the town of Grimsby and the surrounding area that makes up North East Lincolnshire. It is owned by Northcliffe Newspapers. The main area for the paper's distribution is in or around Grimsby and Cleethorpes...

reported that Windass had gone on record to state his interest in the vacant manager's post 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...

, following the dismissal of 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,...

. He is understood to have applied for the post, stating that his recent retirement as a player was purely coincidental. The local press reported that approximately 25 other applications have been received for the post, including from the club's all-time longest serving player, John McDermott.

In May 2010, he declared his interest in the vacant manager's job at 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...

. He was unsuccessful and followed this up by applying for the vacant position at 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 August.

Club

Update to 17 October 2011.
Club Season League Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

1991–92 32 6 0 0 0 0 32 6
1992–93 41 7 0 0 0 0 41 7
1993–94 44 23 0 0 0 0 44 23
1994–95 44 16 0 0 0 0 44 16
1995–96 16 4 1 0 4 3 21 7
Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

1995–96 20 6 0 0 4 3 24 7
1996–97 29 10 2 0 2 5 33 15
1997–98 24 5 1 0 3 1 28 6
Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

1998–99 33 15 3 3 2 0 38 18
Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

1998–99 12 3 0 0 0 0 12 3
1999–2000 38 10 1 0 3 0 42 10
2000–01 24 3 7 3 3 2 33 9
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...

2000–01 8 2 0 0 0 0 8 2
2001–02 27 1 6 0 1 0 34 1
2002–03 2 0 1 0 1 0 4 0
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...

 (loan)
2001–02 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

 (loan)
2002–03 4 3 0 0 0 0 4 3
Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

2002–03 16 3 0 0 2 0 18 3
Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

2003–04 36 6 1 0 1 0 38 6
2004–05 41 27 1 0 1 0 43 27
2005–06 40 16 3 1 2 3 45 20
2006–07 25 11 2 1 1 0 28 12
Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 (loan)
2006–07 18 8 0 0 0 0 18 8
Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

2007–08 38 13 1 2 1 0 40 15
2008–09 5 1 1 1 0 0 6 2
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

 (loan)
2008–09 11 1 0 0 0 0 11 1
Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

2009–10 6 0 0 0 1 2 7 0
Barton Town Old Boys
Barton Town Old Boys F.C.
Barton Town Old Boys Football Club is a football club based in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, England. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division....

2010-11 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 3
Scarborough Athletic
Scarborough Athletic F.C.
Scarborough Athletic Football Club are an English football club formed on 25 June 2007 following the winding up of Scarborough. Although they bear the name of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, they ground-share with Bridlington Town...

2011-12 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
Career totals 63920332113017700233

As a player

  • North Ferriby United
    • NCEL Presidents Cup winner: 1990–91
    • East Riding Senior Cup winner: 1990–91

  • Bradford City
    Bradford City A.F.C.
    Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

    • Football League First Division
      Football League First Division
      The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

       runner-up: 1998–99

  • Hull City
    Hull City A.F.C.
    Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

    • Football League 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...

       Play-Off Final winner: 2007–08

External links

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