Kingsley Black
Encyclopedia
Kingsley Black is an English-born Northern Ireland
former professional footballer. He notably played for Luton Town
, Nottingham Forest
and Grimsby Town
. He was active from between 1987 and 2002, and also played as a professional for Sheffield United
, Millwall
and Lincoln City
where he notched up just under 150 appearances for the club in all competitions between 1987 and 1991. He won the League Cup with Luton Town
in 1988.
for Nottingham Forest
. While with Forest, he was loaned out twice, making appearances for Sheffield United
and Millwall
, he also played International football for Northern Ireland
making 30 appearances and scoring one goal. Black managed over 100 appearances before his departure to Grimsby Town
for £25,000.
and Northampton Town
. The Mariners also saw success in the Auto Windscreen Shield in which they defeated Bournemouth
at Wembley Stadium
. Bournemouth led in the game before Black made the tie all square to send the game into extra time. Wayne Burnett
scored the golden goal to send Grimsby home with the trophy. Kingsley went on to feature for Grimsby in the first division for the next three seasons. When manager Alan Buckley
was sacked in September 2000, he was replaced by Lennie Lawrence
who in turn brought in midfielders Menno Willems
, Knut Anders Fostervold
, Neil Murray
and most notably Leicester City
youngster Stuart Campbell
. With this Kingsley found it hard to get a look in with the club, but avoided the chop unlike unfavoured utility man Adam Buckley
. Black was instead put up for loan, and joined Lincoln City
. The Imps would later appoint former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley
as their new manager. Black returned to Blundell Park
towards the end of the season and was deemed surplus to requirements by Lennie Lawrence
. Despite being held in high regard by the clubs supporters, Black was released from the club.
, Ian Hamilton and Andy Smith by joining Lincoln City
. Black's spell at Lincoln was marred by the clubs overall poor performance,and the financial turmoil it was in, which would later see the club enter into administration towards the end of the season. Alan Buckley
left the club by mutual consent, and in came another former Grimsby Town
player Keith Alexander
as the new manager. Financially, Lincoln were saved, and they escaped relegation to the Football Conference
. Lincoln decided not to renew his contract at the end of the season, as Alexander cleared out the majority of Buckley's squad, including all of his former Grimsby signings. Kingsley decided to retire from the game at the age 34 despite being offered several contracts from other clubs.
in 2005 in which he was joined by the majority of his former team mates from the 1997/1998 season. In 2008 he played in an exhibition match with the players from the Luton League cup win in honour of the late David Preece.
After retiring from the game, Black moved away from England and now lives in Bellresguard in Puerto Pollensa, Majorca, where he operates a small charcuterie selling cured meats and his famous sausages.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
former professional footballer. He notably played for 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...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and 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...
. He was active from between 1987 and 2002, and also played as a professional for 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...
, 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...
and Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
Luton Town
Black started his career with his home town club of Luton TownLuton 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...
where he notched up just under 150 appearances for the club in all competitions between 1987 and 1991. He won the League Cup with 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 1988.
Nottingham Forest
Black was then signed for £1.5 million by Brian CloughBrian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. While with Forest, he was loaned out twice, making appearances for 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 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...
, he also played International football for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
making 30 appearances and scoring one goal. Black managed over 100 appearances before his departure to 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...
for £25,000.
Grimsby Town
Kingsley slotted into the Mariners midfield but was unable to stop the club losing their First Division status. Despite the relegation Black committed himself to the Mariners, even though the club strugged early in the 1997/1998 season, Town went on to finish 3rd in the league. Promotion was achieved via the play offs after the club beat FulhamFulham 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...
and 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...
. The Mariners also saw success in the Auto Windscreen Shield in which they defeated Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
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...
. Bournemouth led in the game before Black made the tie all square to send the game into extra time. Wayne Burnett
Wayne Burnett
Wayne Burnett is an English former footballer who is most notable for playing at Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town and Grimsby Town. Having also had spells with Leyton Orient, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Woking, Grays Athletic, Fisher Athletic and Peterborough United...
scored the golden goal to send Grimsby home with the trophy. Kingsley went on to feature for Grimsby in the first division for the next three seasons. When manager Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
was sacked in September 2000, he was replaced by Lennie Lawrence
Lennie Lawrence
Robin Michael Lawrence, commonly known as Lennie Lawrence, is a British football manager who is assistant manager of Crystal Palace. He has managed a number of English clubs and one Welsh club in a coaching career spanning over 30 years...
who in turn brought in midfielders Menno Willems
Menno Willems
Menno Willems is a former Dutch professional footballer who played as a midfielder and a defender between 1996 and 2006 notably for Vitesse Arnhem, Ajax and Grimsby Town...
, Knut Anders Fostervold
Knut Anders Fostervold
Knut Anders Fostervold is a former Norwegian footballer who now competes as a cyclist. As a footballer he played as a midfielder and defender from 1991 until 2002, notably played for Molde FK and Grimsby Town....
, Neil Murray
Neil Murray (footballer)
Neil Murray is a Scottish former footballer, who now works as an agent.-Career:Murray began his career with Rangers, where he won the domestic treble in 1992/93. Murray left Ibrox in 1996, moving to Swiss side Sion, before moving to French club Lorient a year later...
and most notably 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...
youngster Stuart Campbell
Stuart Campbell (footballer)
Stuart Pearson Campbell is an English-born Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Football League Two side Bristol Rovers. He has previously played for Leicester City, Birmingham City and Grimsby Town. At international level, he won 15 caps for the Scotland under-21...
. With this Kingsley found it hard to get a look in with the club, but avoided the chop unlike unfavoured utility man Adam Buckley
Adam Buckley
Adam Christian Buckley is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder at a semi-professional level for Sleaford Town....
. Black was instead put up for loan, and joined Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. The Imps would later appoint former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
as their new manager. Black returned to Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
towards the end of the season and was deemed surplus to requirements by Lennie Lawrence
Lennie Lawrence
Robin Michael Lawrence, commonly known as Lennie Lawrence, is a British football manager who is assistant manager of Crystal Palace. He has managed a number of English clubs and one Welsh club in a coaching career spanning over 30 years...
. Despite being held in high regard by the clubs supporters, Black was released from the club.
Lincoln City
After his release from Grimsby, he joined other former Grimsby players Adam BuckleyAdam Buckley
Adam Christian Buckley is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder at a semi-professional level for Sleaford Town....
, Ian Hamilton and Andy Smith by joining Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. Black's spell at Lincoln was marred by the clubs overall poor performance,and the financial turmoil it was in, which would later see the club enter into administration towards the end of the season. Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
left the club by mutual consent, and in came another former 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...
player Keith Alexander
Keith Alexander (footballer)
Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...
as the new manager. Financially, Lincoln were saved, and they escaped relegation to the Football 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...
. Lincoln decided not to renew his contract at the end of the season, as Alexander cleared out the majority of Buckley's squad, including all of his former Grimsby signings. Kingsley decided to retire from the game at the age 34 despite being offered several contracts from other clubs.
Retirement
He returned to Grimsby to play in John McDermott's testimonial against Hull CityHull 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...
in 2005 in which he was joined by the majority of his former team mates from the 1997/1998 season. In 2008 he played in an exhibition match with the players from the Luton League cup win in honour of the late David Preece.
After retiring from the game, Black moved away from England and now lives in Bellresguard in Puerto Pollensa, Majorca, where he operates a small charcuterie selling cured meats and his famous sausages.
Nottingham Forest
- League Cup Runner Up: 1992
- Full Members CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
winner: 1992
Grimsby Town
- Auto Windscreens ShieldFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
winner: 1998 - Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
playoff winner: 1998
External links
- Kingsley Black at www.grimsbytown-mad.co.uk
- Kingsley Black at electronicfishcake.com
- Northern Ireland at rsssf.com