Jimmy Aggrey
Encyclopedia
James Emmanuel Aggrey is an English professional footballer. He was born in Hammersmith
, London
.
Aggrey began his football career as a trainee at Chelsea
, famously appearing in a documentary where the tormented soul of Graham Rix
gave him dressings downs rather than helping a talented young man.
On July 2, 1997, he left Chelsea to join Fulham
on a free transfer as one of Micky Adams
' final signings before the arrival of Kevin Keegan
and Ray Wilkins
. He was released in the summer of 1998 still to make his league debut. On June 30, 1998, he briefly joined Airdrie
, followed by a trial at Shrewsbury Town
.
On October 29, 1998, he joined Torquay United
, initially on a one month contract to cover for a central defensive injury crisis. He made his debut for Torquay in the 1-1 draw with Scarborough
two days later and within that initial month played well enough to earn a permanent contract, though struggled to fully establish himself with Wayne Thomas, Lee Russell and Alex Watson all ahead of him.
In 2000-01
, after the sale of Thomas to Stoke City
, he was a first-team regular, albeit suspended every so often. After being sent off for violent conduct against Mickey Adams' flying Brighton & Hove Albion
side, Aggrey returned that season with some outstanding and commanding performances. He gained 15 man of matches in seaon 2000/01 and ended the season with the supporters player of year award. Though briefly on the transfer list at his own request in early 2001, he withdrew this request in March 2001, coinciding with the departure of Wes Saunders
from the managers' office.
On August 28, 2001, he was placed on the transfer list after new manager Roy McFarland
had decided that after the first three games of the season there was no place for Aggrey in his future plans. On October 1, 2001, he joined Rushden & Diamonds
on trial, but returned at the end of the trial to resume training at Plainmoor
. He finally left Plainmoor on December 10, 2001, after agreeing a settlement on the remaining six months of his contract with Gulls' chairman Mike Bateson
.
Later that month he became one of Neville Southall
's first signings at Conference
strugglers Dover Athletic
, scoring the winner on his debut away to local rivals Margate
on December 26. He remained at Dover on non-contract terms, whilst continuing to search for a new league club. In January 2002 he joined Blackpool
on trial, but failed to secure a contract and returned to Dover.
In September 2002 he joined Taunton Town
, soon moving to Harrow Borough
. Aggrey was then signed by Gary Johnson
for Yeovil Town
in December 2002, where he was part of the Conference winning side. After not being able to settle at Yeovil and yearning for regular first team football, Aggrey moved to Welsh
side TNS in August 2003 where he tasted European football in the form of the UEFA Cup
against Kevin Keegan
's Manchester City
side.
The following summer he joined Irish side Bohemians
where scored on his debut after 22 mins, live on Irish television, against Shamrock Rovers
in an explosive Dublin Derby. He joined Woking
in June 2005 but was injured early the following season. He was made available for loan in January 2006.
He subsequently left and retired from professional football to pursue an acting career. He played Willam Laurent Dioup in Sky One
's Dream Team
.
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Aggrey began his football career as a trainee at 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...
, famously appearing in a documentary where the tormented soul of Graham Rix
Graham Rix
Graham Cyril Rix is an English former football player and coach. He was fired by Heart of Midlothian in March 2006, which was his most recent role in professional football...
gave him dressings downs rather than helping a talented young man.
On July 2, 1997, he left Chelsea to join Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on a free transfer as one of Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
' final signings before the arrival of Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
and Ray Wilkins
Ray Wilkins
Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE , often known as "Butch" Wilkins, is an English former footballer and at present a television pundit...
. He was released in the summer of 1998 still to make his league debut. On June 30, 1998, he briefly joined Airdrie
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, followed by a trial 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...
.
On October 29, 1998, he joined Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
, initially on a one month contract to cover for a central defensive injury crisis. He made his debut for Torquay in the 1-1 draw with Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
two days later and within that initial month played well enough to earn a permanent contract, though struggled to fully establish himself with Wayne Thomas, Lee Russell and Alex Watson all ahead of him.
In 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...
, after the sale of Thomas to Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, he was a first-team regular, albeit suspended every so often. After being sent off for violent conduct against Mickey Adams' flying Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
side, Aggrey returned that season with some outstanding and commanding performances. He gained 15 man of matches in seaon 2000/01 and ended the season with the supporters player of year award. Though briefly on the transfer list at his own request in early 2001, he withdrew this request in March 2001, coinciding with the departure of Wes Saunders
Wes Saunders
Wes Saunders is an English former professional footballer and football club manager.Saunders was born in Sunderland and brought up in Boldon Colliery, attending Boldon Comprehensive school...
from the managers' office.
On August 28, 2001, he was placed on the transfer list after new manager Roy McFarland
Roy McFarland
Roy Leslie McFarland is an English football manager who was also a player, notably at Derby County where he played 434 league games helping him to earn 28 caps for England.-Playing career:...
had decided that after the first three games of the season there was no place for Aggrey in his future plans. On October 1, 2001, he joined Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
on trial, but returned at the end of the trial to resume training at Plainmoor
Plainmoor
Plainmoor is a suburb of Torquay, Devon, but is best known as the name of the stadium in which Torquay United Football Club currently play.-History:...
. He finally left Plainmoor on December 10, 2001, after agreeing a settlement on the remaining six months of his contract with Gulls' chairman Mike Bateson
Mike Bateson
Mike Bateson is an English businessman and former chairman of Torquay United Football Club.Bateson was brought up in Blackpool and after a spell in the Scots Guards made his fortune selling double glazing in the South-West of England...
.
Later that month he became one of Neville Southall
Neville Southall
Neville Southall MBE is a former Wales international footballer, best known for his time with Everton. He has been described as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985...
's first signings at Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
strugglers Dover Athletic
Dover Athletic F.C.
Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
, scoring the winner on his debut away to local rivals Margate
Margate F.C.
Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United....
on December 26. He remained at Dover on non-contract terms, whilst continuing to search for a new league club. In January 2002 he joined Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on trial, but failed to secure a contract and returned to Dover.
In September 2002 he joined Taunton Town
Taunton Town F.C.
Taunton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Taunton, Somerset, England. They compete in the Southern Football League Division One South & West, and play their home matches at their Wordsworth Drive ground which they moved into during the 1953 season...
, soon moving to Harrow Borough
Harrow Borough F.C.
Harrow Borough Football Club is a semi-professional English association football club based in Harrow, in Greater London. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Earlsmead Stadium....
. Aggrey was then signed by Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson (footballer)
Gary Johnson is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Npower League Two's Northampton Town....
for 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...
in December 2002, where he was part of the Conference winning side. After not being able to settle at Yeovil and yearning for regular first team football, Aggrey moved to Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
side TNS in August 2003 where he tasted European football in the form of the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
against Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
's 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...
side.
The following summer he joined Irish side Bohemians
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
where scored on his debut after 22 mins, live on Irish television, against Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
in an explosive Dublin Derby. He joined Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
in June 2005 but was injured early the following season. He was made available for loan in January 2006.
He subsequently left and retired from professional football to pursue an acting career. He played Willam Laurent Dioup in Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
's Dream Team
Dream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
.