Giuliano Maiorana
Encyclopedia
Giuliano "Jules" Maiorana (born 18 April 1969) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League
as a left winger for Manchester United
.
to Italian parents. In 1987, he was working in a bakery and playing Sunday League
football when he signed for Eastern Counties League
club Histon
. After around 30 games for Histon's first team, he was invited for a trial for Manchester United
, played the first half of a testimonial match
for Ian Handysides
, producing a performance described by Alex Ferguson
as "one of the best displays I have ever seen from a trialist", and signed a four-year contract with United for a fee of £30,000. The fee saved Histon, £23,000 in debt and under pressure from their bank, from going out of business.
He made his debut on 14 January 1989 as a substitute against Millwall
in the First Division
, and came to prominence with an exciting display on his first start, in a live televised 1–1 draw with Arsenal
that April. Maiorana only started one more game, and made his last two substitute appearances in October 1989. He then suffered a serious knee injury and never played for the club again, finally being given a free transfer at the end of the 1993–94 season.
After leaving United, Maiorana had a brief spell with Ljungskile SK
, where he made five appearances, of which four were as a substitute, in the Swedish second-tier Division 1. He then returned home to work in his family's upholstery business, and played for Newmarket Town
in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.
In 2008 and 2009, Maiorana played for Manchester United's Masters Football
team in the North West Masters Cup.
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...
as a left winger for 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...
.
Career
Maiorana was born in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
to Italian parents. In 1987, he was working in a bakery and playing Sunday League
Sunday League
Sunday League may refer to:*Sunday league football, amateur football played on Sundays in the United Kingdom.*The Sunday League, the precursor tournament to the National League in English cricket....
football when he signed for Eastern Counties League
Eastern Counties Football League
The Eastern Counties Football League is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, northern Essex and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is a feeder to the regional divisions of the Isthmian League and Southern...
club Histon
Histon F.C.
Histon Football Club is an English football club based in the twin villages of Histon and Impington, approximately north of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. From the 2007–08 season they competed in the Conference National, the highest level that the club has ever reached in the English football league...
. After around 30 games for Histon's first team, he was invited for a trial for 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...
, played the first half of a 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....
for Ian Handysides
Ian Handysides
Ian Robert Handysides was an English footballer.Handysides was born in Jarrow. He began his footballing career when he joined Birmingham City on leaving school in 1979. A year later he made his first-team debut as a midfielder and by 1982 was a regular player in Birmingham's First Division side...
, producing a performance described by Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
as "one of the best displays I have ever seen from a trialist", and signed a four-year contract with United for a fee of £30,000. The fee saved Histon, £23,000 in debt and under pressure from their bank, from going out of business.
He made his debut on 14 January 1989 as a substitute against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in the 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....
, and came to prominence with an exciting display on his first start, in a live televised 1–1 draw with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
that April. Maiorana only started one more game, and made his last two substitute appearances in October 1989. He then suffered a serious knee injury and never played for the club again, finally being given a free transfer at the end of the 1993–94 season.
After leaving United, Maiorana had a brief spell with Ljungskile SK
Ljungskile SK
Ljungskile SK is a Swedish football club located in Ljungskile, a town within Uddevalla Municipality. The club, formed 1926 currently play in Superettan. Ljungskile SK is famous for their promotions between 1990 to 1997...
, where he made five appearances, of which four were as a substitute, in the Swedish second-tier Division 1. He then returned home to work in his family's upholstery business, and played for Newmarket Town
Newmarket Town F.C.
Newmarket Town F.C. is an English football club based in Newmarket, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Cricket Field Road.The club is affiliated to the Suffolk County FA.-History:...
in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.
In 2008 and 2009, Maiorana played for Manchester United's Masters Football
Masters Football
Masters football is a 6 a-side indoor football competition in the United Kingdom, where players over the age of 35 are chosen by the Masters Football Selection Committee to represent a senior club which they played for. Regional heats are held, and the winners of each go forward to a national...
team in the North West Masters Cup.