Derek Townsley
Encyclopedia
Derek Johnstone Townsley (born 21 March 1973 in Carlisle) is an English
former professional footballer
. His clubs included Gretna
, Queen of the South
, Motherwell
, Hibernian
and Oxford United. Townsley was normally a midfielder
, although he was a versatile player and also played in attack
and defence
.
club at the time, he played in the FA Cup
1st round match against the First Division
side Bolton. Townsley scored in the match but Gretna lost 3–2.
He began his senior career in 1996 when he joined Dumfries
side Queen of the South
, with chairman Norman Blount
getting the wheels moving on the club's revival. Townsley's creative talents made him a mainstay of the team as the club were rebuilding in the late 1990s. Including an early career appearance for Jamie McAllister
, the club reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time in 1997. Second Division
Queens lost 1–0 to First Division
side Falkirk
at Fir Park
. Townsley had a late chance to score an equaliser teed up by man of the match Tommy Bryce
. Townsley's shot went over the bar.
on May 31, 1999. He was then signed by Hibernian
manager Alex McLeish
in July 2001 after his contract with Motherwell expired. Townsley struggled to hold down a place under the management of McLeish, but he got into the team more regularly after Bobby Williamson
was appointed manager
in February 2002. Townsley also popped up with a few goals, including one in a remarkable Edinburgh derby
that finished 4–4. Townsley left Hibs at the end of his contract to sign for Oxford United.
, Townsley re-joined a vastly different club to the non-league outfit that he left early in his career. He played an important part in Gretna's successive promotions
and played in the 2006 Scottish Cup Final
. The team was then largely 'ripped apart' by Director of Football
, Mick Wadsworth
, in preparation for their only season in the Scottish Premier League
.
He moved to Workington Reds in February 2007, before moving onto Newcastle Blue Star and Penrith Town. In July 2008, Townsley signed for Scottish Football League
newcomers Annan Athletic
as a player and assistant manager. He announced his retirement from playing at the end of the 2009-10 season, also choosing to step down from his assistant position at the same time.
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. His clubs included Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
, Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
, Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
, Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
and Oxford United. Townsley was normally a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, although he was a versatile player and also played in attack
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 defence
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
Gretna (1st spell) and Queen of the South
Prior to being a fully professional footballer, Townsley worked as a postman. While in his first spell with Gretna, who were a Northern Premier LeagueNorthern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
club at the time, he played in the 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...
1st round match against the First Division
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...
side Bolton. Townsley scored in the match but Gretna lost 3–2.
He began his senior career in 1996 when he joined Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
side Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
, with chairman Norman Blount
Norman Blount
Norman Blount is the Scottish former chairman of Queen of the South football club. Blount was instrumental as the new broom that swept through the Dumfries club in the mid and late 90s replacing the previous regime under which the club had gone into stagnation and decline from the late 1960s...
getting the wheels moving on the club's revival. Townsley's creative talents made him a mainstay of the team as the club were rebuilding in the late 1990s. Including an early career appearance for Jamie McAllister
Jamie McAllister
James Reynolds "Jamie" McAllister is a Scottish international professional Association footballer currently playing for Bristol City. He plays usually as a left back.-Early career:...
, the club reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time in 1997. Second Division
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
Queens lost 1–0 to First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
side Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
at Fir Park
Fir Park
Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premier League club Motherwell.- History :...
. Townsley had a late chance to score an equaliser teed up by man of the match Tommy Bryce
Tommy Bryce
Tommy Bryce is a Scottish former association football player. Bryce had a playing career spanning 21 seasons from 1980-81 with Scottish Football League clubs Kilmarnock, Stranraer, Queen of the South of Dumfries, Clydebank, Ayr United and Arbroath. Bryce also served as player-manager of Partick...
. Townsley's shot went over the bar.
Motherwell and Hibernian
Townsley moved into full-time football for the first time at the age of 26 when he joined MotherwellMotherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on May 31, 1999. He was then signed by Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
in July 2001 after his contract with Motherwell expired. Townsley struggled to hold down a place under the management of McLeish, but he got into the team more regularly after Bobby Williamson
Bobby Williamson
Robert "Bobby" Williamson is a former association footballer who is currently manager of the Uganda national football team. He previously managed Kilmarnock and Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League and Plymouth Argyle in the Football League Championship.-Playing career:As a player, Williamson...
was appointed manager
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
in February 2002. Townsley also popped up with a few goals, including one in a remarkable Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
that finished 4–4. Townsley left Hibs at the end of his contract to sign for Oxford United.
Oxford United, Gretna (2nd spell) and later career
Townsley only stayed with Oxford for six months before returning to Gretna. Now bankrolled by Brooks MilesonBrooks Mileson
Brooks John Joseph Mileson was an English businessman and the former owner of Scottish football club Gretna as well as being a philanthropist to 70 non-league clubs.-Early life:...
, Townsley re-joined a vastly different club to the non-league outfit that he left early in his career. He played an important part in Gretna's successive promotions
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...
and played in the 2006 Scottish Cup Final
2006 Scottish Cup Final
The 2006 Scottish Cup Final was played on 13 May 2006 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 120th Scottish Cup. The final was contested by Heart of Midlothian , who beat Hibernian 4–0 in the semi-final, and Gretna, who beat Dundee 3–0....
. The team was then largely 'ripped apart' by Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
, Mick Wadsworth
Mick Wadsworth
Michael "Mick" Wadsworth is an English football coach and former player, who is currently the Manager at Football League One club Hartlepool United.-Playing career:...
, in preparation for their only season in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
.
He moved to Workington Reds in February 2007, before moving onto Newcastle Blue Star and Penrith Town. In July 2008, Townsley signed for Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
newcomers Annan Athletic
Annan Athletic F.C.
Annan Athletic Football Club are an association football club who compete in the Scottish Third Division. They are based in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway...
as a player and assistant manager. He announced his retirement from playing at the end of the 2009-10 season, also choosing to step down from his assistant position at the same time.
Personal life
He is married to his wife Julie and has, with her, a son named Kyle, who is currently attending Carlisle CollegeCarlisle College
Carlisle College is a further education college based in Carlisle, Cumbria. It takes on students in the September and also the February of each year....
.