Andy Higgins (footballer, born 1960)
Andrew Martin Higgins (12 February 1960 – July 2021) was an English footballer who played as a defender. He played 71 league games in the Football League, mostly for teams struggling near the bottom of the Fourth Division.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Martin Higgins[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 12 February 1960[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Bolsover, England[2] | ||
| Date of death | July 2021 (aged 61) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1976–1978 | Chesterfield | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1981 | Chesterfield | 1 | (0) |
| 1981–1982 | Port Vale | 14 | (0) |
| 1982–1983 | Hartlepool United | 4 | (1) |
| 1983 | King's Lynn | ||
| 1983–1984 | Rochdale | 33 | (6) |
| 1984–1985 | Chester City | 19 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career edit
Higgins turned professional with Chesterfield in February 1978.[4] He played one Third Division game for the "Spireites" in 1978–79, under Arthur Cox.[5] He signed with Port Vale in February 1981, with manager John McGrath looking to add some strength to a poor defence.[1] Higgins played ten games in 1980–81, helping the "Valiants" to rise off the foot of the Football League.[1] However, he failed to nail down a regular place and played just four Fourth Division games in 1981–82.[1] He was given a free transfer away from Vale Park in May 1982, and moved on to Billy Horner's Hartlepool United.[1] He played four league games in 1982–83, scoring one goal for a team struggling near the foot of the Fourth Division.[6] He later played for King's Lynn, before joining his former teammate Jimmy Greenhoff at Rochdale, who were forced to apply for re-election to the Football League in 1983–84. He then played 19 league games for Chester City in 1984–85, before leaving for South Africa.[7] He had been signed by John McGrath at Chester, before Mick Speight took over at Sealand Road.
Career statistics edit
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Chesterfield | 1978–79 | Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Port Vale | 1980–81 | Fourth Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 1981–82 | Fourth Division | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Hartlepool United | 1982–83 | Fourth Division | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Rochdale | 1982–83 | Fourth Division | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| 1983–84 | Fourth Division | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 4 | |
| Total | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 6 | ||
| Chester City | 1984–85 | Fourth Division | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 136. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ "RIP, Andy Higgins (1960–2021)". www.port-vale.co.uk. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 134. ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ "Apprentices 2020.xlsx". Google Docs. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ "stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "stats". .neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ Andy Higgins at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)