Alan Knight (footballer, born 1961)
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alan Edward Knight | ||
Date of birth | 3 July 1961 | ||
Place of birth |
Balham, London , England | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Portsmouth (club ambassador) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1978–2000 | Portsmouth | 683 | (0) |
2001 | Havant & Waterlooville | 3 | (0) |
2003–2004 | Portsmouth | 0 | (0) |
2006–2007 | Dorchester Town | 0 | (0) |
2009 | Horndean | 0 | (0) |
Total | 686 | (0) | |
International career | |||
1983 | England U21 | 2 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2009 | Horndean | ||
2011–2012 | Dorchester Town | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Alan Edward Knight
In addition to his goalkeeping record, he is the second-longest serving Portsmouth player of all time behind Jimmy Dickinson. He was capped at under-21 international level, but was never selected for the full England squad.
Early life
Knight was born in
Playing career
Knight joined Portsmouth F.C. as an apprentice at the age of 14[4] and signed a professional contract with the club in 1977. He went on to make his debut for the club a year later, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 Football League Third Division win against Rotherham United with Portsmouth's relegation to the fourth tier of English football already confirmed.[5][6] Knight served as reserve goalkeeper to Peter Mellor for the next three seasons, making eight appearances during Pompey's 1979–80 promotion season, before establishing himself as the team's first choice goalkeeper during the 1981–82 season where he was named the fans' player of the season for the first time.[6] Knight was a member of the team that won the Third Division championship in 1982–83 and was given a debut for the England U21 team in a 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Greece at Portsmouth's ground Fratton Park. He made one further appearance for the England U21s against Hungary,[7] before first choice goalkeeper Gary Bailey returned from injury.[8] England went on to win the final tournament.
Following two near misses, Portsmouth achieved promotion to the
During the 1991–92 season, Knight was a part of the Portsmouth team that reached the FA Cup semi–final, losing to eventual winners Liverpool in a penalty shootout, with both teams unable to be separated after 240 minutes of football.[5] The next year, Portsmouth missed out on promotion to the Premier League on goals scored (80 goals to West Ham United's 81).[9]
Knight's testimonial match took place in 1995 with a South Coast Derby against Southampton played in front of 18,000 fans at Fratton Park. Southampton won the match 5–1, with Knight scoring the only goal for the home side from the penalty spot.[4]
After resisting competition from
Knight made his final appearance at Fratton Park as a late substitute for Flahavan in a
In 2001, he was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List.[14] He also has an honorary Master of Science degree, which he was awarded by the University of Portsmouth in 1996.[6]
Knight played briefly for Havant & Waterlooville in 2001, making three appearances. In 2003–04, after injuries to Shaka Hislop and Harald Wapenaar, Knight was called on to the substitutes' bench for Portsmouth and was listed as a squad member, but was never actually called into action.Knights last competitive game was at horndean when he came on to replace the injured Matt Cole [15][16]
Known by the Fratton Park faithful as The Legend, Knight spent almost all of his 25-year playing career at Portsmouth, sometimes demonstrating world-class saving and acrobatics. Knight's autobiography entitled 'Legend' was published in September 2003 by Legendary Publishing.
Coaching career
Knight worked as the goalkeeping coach at Portsmouth prior to his resignation in summer 2005.
Following this, Knight was named goalkeepers' coach for the American
Staying in the United States, he then ran football coaching clinics for B.E.S.T (British European Soccer Tuition) in the USA. The B.E.S.T patron of honour was Knight's former Portsmouth manager and World Cup winner, the late Alan Ball.
On 12 December 2006, it was announced that Knight was named as the goalkeeping coach at AFC Bournemouth.
Knight also served as goalkeeping coach at Conference South Side Dorchester Town, where he was also a registered player, for the 2006/07 season; he appeared on the bench as a substitute, but did not make an appearance on the pitch.
On 8 October 2007, Knight was appointed goalkeeping coach at Havant & Waterlooville by the team's newly appointed manager Shaun Gale, a former teammate of Knight at Portsmouth.
In May 2009 Knight was named joint manager of
Knight joined
On 25 January 2013, he was appointed Portsmouth's Goalkeeping Coach until the end of the season.[19]
References
- ^ "Alan Knight". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- ^ Alan Knight at Soccerbase
- ^ "Knight in charge at the Avenue". Dorset Echo. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Alan Knight is England's longest-serving one-club man. There won't be many like him in future". The Guardian. 25 January 1999.
- ^ a b "Knight's longest crusade". The Independent. 9 March 1997. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Alan Knight". The Portsmouth News. 18 March 2013.
- ^ "England - U-21 International Results 1976-1985 - Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Alan Knight: Fond memories of Bobby Campbell's famous side". The Portsmouth News. 11 November 2015.
- ^ "Warren Neill: The Big Interview". The Portsmouth News. 8 October 2014.
- ^ "Flahavan in scare for Ball braves; Portsmouth 5 Swindon 2". The Free Library. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "UK: SOCCER - DIVISION ONE SOCCER SIDE PORTSMOUTH PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR THEIR GOALKEEPERAARON FLAHAVAN WHO COLLAPSED DURING A MATCH". ITN Source. 14 September 1999. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Alan Knight in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Pompey legend Alan Knight declared bankrupt". 18 January 2011.
- ^ "Pompey's Legend handed MBE". BBC Sport. 30 December 2000. Retrieved 17 December 2007.
- ^ "Aston Villa 2-1 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 6 January 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Injury crisis is a Knight-mare!". dailyecho.co.uk. 5 January 2004. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Knight replaces Priddy as Aldershot goalkeeping coach". BBC Sport. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
- ^ "Knight quits as Magpie's chief". NonLeagueDaily.com. 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
- ^ Alan Knight returns to Portsmouth as coach; BBC Sport, 25 January 2013
- Mike Neasom, Mick Cooper & Doug Robinson (1984). Pompey: The History of Portsmouth Football Club. Milestone Publications. ISBN 0-903852-50-0.