Nathan Abbey
Encyclopedia
Nathanael "Nathan" Abbey (born 11 July 1978) is a journeyman English professional football goalkeeper currently without a team.
, London and began his football career as a trainee with Luton Town
, turning professional in August 1995. His first team debut came on 26 August 1997 in the League Cup
first round second leg tie at home to Colchester United
, a 1–1 draw taking the Hatters into the second round. Later that season he had a spell on loan to Football Conference
side Woking
. He had to wait until January 1999 for this next first team appearance for Luton, playing in the 3–0 defeat at home to Walsall
in the Auto Windscreens Shield
. His league debut came the following month, on 6 February, playing in the 2–1 win away to Burnley
.
He began the 1999–2000 season as Luton's first choice goalkeeper, previous first choice Kelvin Davis
having been sold to Wimbledon
to aid Luton's financial problems, and remained a regular throughout the season. In the summer of 2000, Luton manager Ricky Hill
signed Mark Ovendale and chose him to start the season in place of Abbey. However, Abbey soon regained his place in the side, though spent most of the season in and out of the side as first Lil Fuccillo
and then Joe Kinnear
took over as Luton manager.
With Luton relegated to the bottom flight of the Football League
, Abbey was released by Luton and joined Chesterfield
in August 2001. He was an ever-present the following season and won the Chesterfield Player of the Year Award, but left after failing to agree a new contract.
He joined Northampton Town
in August 2002 and signed a contract extension until the end of the season, but struggled to establish himself and was released at the end of the season having played only eight games. He returned to Luton on trial, but signed for Conference side Stevenage Borough
in July 2003. He played six Conference games before returning to Luton Town in October 2003. He was released by Luton manager Mike Newell
the following month, joining Macclesfield Town
, where he again failed to make the first team and was released, joining non-league Hayes
in December 2003. Abbey had similar experiences on moving to Ipswich Town
later the same month and Burnley
in January 2004.
In July 2004, Abbey signed for Boston United
, playing 61 league games over the next season and a half. He had a spell on loan with Leyton Orient
in December 2005 and moved to Bristol City
on a free transfer in February 2006 after being released by Boston at the end of January. He made just one appearance for City, as a substitute for Adriano Basso
in the 1-0 defeat away to Southend United
on 6 May 2005, before being released at the end of the season.
He signed for Torquay United
in July 2006 and was soon installed as first choice goalkeeper by Torquay manager Ian Atkins
.
Despite being ever-present in the Torquay goal from the start of the 2006–07 season, Abbey was only offered a one-month extension to his existing six month contract and left the club at the end of his contract on 28 December 2006. His last game for Torquay came on 26 December 2006 at home to Milton Keynes Dons
, where Torquay manager Lubos Kubik
decided to substitute him for debutant keeper Martin Horsell
with seven minutes of the game remaining and Torquay 2–0 down.
Abbey signed for Brentford
on 29 December 2006 on an emergency loan as regular goalkeepers Stuart Nelson
and Clark Masters
were injured. He signed a permanent contract on 26 January 2007. He made sixteen appearances for the Bees before being released on 16 May 2007. He signed for Milton Keynes shortly before the start of the 2007-08 season. He made his debut for MK Dons coming on as a sub against Cheltenham
when regular keeper Willy Gueret
was sent off. After two seasons he was released by MK Dons.
He joined Rushden & Diamonds
making eleven appearances for the club. In January 2010 he joined Kettering Town
on a non-contract basis.
It was announced on 16 November 2010 that Abbey had been sacked from Kettering Town due to gross misconduct, having made 29 appearances for the club.
Career
Abbey was born in IslingtonIslington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London and began his football career as a trainee 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...
, turning professional in August 1995. His first team debut came on 26 August 1997 in the 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...
first round second leg tie at home 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....
, a 1–1 draw taking the Hatters into the second round. Later that season he had a spell on loan to 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...
side 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...
. He had to wait until January 1999 for this next first team appearance for Luton, playing in the 3–0 defeat at home to Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
in the Auto Windscreens Shield
Football League Trophy
The 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...
. His league debut came the following month, on 6 February, playing in the 2–1 win away to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
He began the 1999–2000 season as Luton's first choice goalkeeper, previous first choice Kelvin Davis
Kelvin Davis
Kelvin Geoffrey Davis is an English footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for newly-promoted Championship club Southampton. Born in Bedford, Davis began his career with Luton Town as a youth player in 1991 and remained there until 1999. Davis later played for Wimbledon, Ipswich Town and...
having been sold to Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
to aid Luton's financial problems, and remained a regular throughout the season. In the summer of 2000, Luton manager Ricky Hill
Ricky Hill
Ricky Hill is a former English footballer and the current head coach for Tampa Bay in the second division North American Soccer League.He was born in Paddington.-Playing career:...
signed Mark Ovendale and chose him to start the season in place of Abbey. However, Abbey soon regained his place in the side, though spent most of the season in and out of the side as first Lil Fuccillo
Lil Fuccillo
Pasquale "Lil" Fuccillo is a former footballer and is currently chief scout for Swansea City .-Playing career:Fuccillo was born in Bedford to Italian parents and joined Luton Town from school. He established himself in the their starting line-up, and there was even talk of a call-up to the Italian...
and then Joe Kinnear
Joe Kinnear
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....
took over as Luton manager.
With Luton relegated to the bottom flight of 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...
, Abbey was released by Luton and joined Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
in August 2001. He was an ever-present the following season and won the Chesterfield Player of the Year Award, but left after failing to agree a new contract.
He joined 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...
in August 2002 and signed a contract extension until the end of the season, but struggled to establish himself and was released at the end of the season having played only eight games. He returned to Luton on trial, but signed for Conference side Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
in July 2003. He played six Conference games before returning to Luton Town in October 2003. He was released by Luton manager 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,...
the following month, joining Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
, where he again failed to make the first team and was released, joining non-league Hayes
Hayes F.C.
Hayes F.C. was an English football club based in Hayes, in Greater London. The club started out as Botwell Mission in 1909 taking its present name in 1929. The team nickname, The Missioners was a salute to the history of the team. The club played in the Conference South for their last few seasons...
in December 2003. Abbey had similar experiences on moving to Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
later the same month and Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in January 2004.
In July 2004, Abbey signed for Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
, playing 61 league games over the next season and a half. He had a spell on loan with Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
in December 2005 and moved to 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...
on a free transfer in February 2006 after being released by Boston at the end of January. He made just one appearance for City, as a substitute for Adriano Basso
Adriano Basso
Adriano Basso is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Hull City as a goalkeeper.Basso began his playing career in his native Brazil before entering English league football with Bristol City for whom he remained for five years...
in the 1-0 defeat away to Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
on 6 May 2005, before being released at the end of the season.
He signed for 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...
in July 2006 and was soon installed as first choice goalkeeper by Torquay manager Ian Atkins
Ian Atkins
Ian Leslie Atkins is a former English professional footballer who became a manager later in his career, and now works as a coach with Sunderland. During a 20-year playing career he had eight clubs, including two spells with Sunderland and Birmingham City and playing more than 200 games with his...
.
Despite being ever-present in the Torquay goal from the start of the 2006–07 season, Abbey was only offered a one-month extension to his existing six month contract and left the club at the end of his contract on 28 December 2006. His last game for Torquay came on 26 December 2006 at home to Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
, where Torquay manager Lubos Kubik
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...
decided to substitute him for debutant keeper Martin Horsell
Martin Horsell
Martin Horsell is an English professional football goalkeeper, currently playing for Weymouth having previously played in the football league for Torquay United....
with seven minutes of the game remaining and Torquay 2–0 down.
Abbey signed for 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....
on 29 December 2006 on an emergency loan as regular goalkeepers Stuart Nelson
Stuart Nelson
Stuart James Nelson is an English footballer who plays for Notts County as a goalkeeper.-Career:Born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Nelson started his career at Cheltenham youth club FC Battledown. County Cup success led to him being spotted by Northern Premier League side Hucknall Town after a spell...
and Clark Masters
Clark Masters
Clark John Masters is an English football goalkeeper. He is currently playing for Eastbourne Borough.Starting his career with Brentford in 2004, he moved on to Southend United four years later, and Aldershot Town in 2009...
were injured. He signed a permanent contract on 26 January 2007. He made sixteen appearances for the Bees before being released on 16 May 2007. He signed for Milton Keynes shortly before the start of the 2007-08 season. He made his debut for MK Dons coming on as a sub against Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
when regular keeper Willy Gueret
Willy Guéret
Willy July Guéret is a French professional footballer with Kettering Town. He is a goalkeeper.-Playing career:...
was sent off. After two seasons he was released by MK Dons.
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...
making eleven appearances for the club. In January 2010 he joined Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
on a non-contract basis.
It was announced on 16 November 2010 that Abbey had been sacked from Kettering Town due to gross misconduct, having made 29 appearances for the club.