Gary Locke (English footballer) explained

Gary Locke
Fullname:Gary Robert Locke
Birth Date:12 July 1954
Birth Place:Park Royal, London, England
Position:Full back
Youthyears1:
Youthclubs1:Chelsea
Years1:1971–1983
Clubs1:Chelsea
Caps1:272
Goals1:3
Years2:1982–1986
Caps2:84
Goals2:1
Years3:1986
Clubs3:Halmstads BK
Caps3:20
Goals3:0
Years4:1987–1991
Clubs4:Napier City Rovers
Caps4:109
Goals4:9
Years5:1992
Clubs5:Waikato United

Gary Robert Locke[1] (born 12 July 1954) is an English former footballer born in Willesden, London, who played in the Football League for Chelsea[2] and Crystal Palace,[3] and in the Allsvenskan for Halmstads BK.

Locke was born in Park Royal but moved to Willesden as a six-year-old with his family in 1960.

A right-back, Locke spent much of his career at Chelsea, making more than 300 league and cup appearances for the west London side between 1972 and 1983.[4] He turned professional in July 1971,[5] made his debut in a 3–1 win against Coventry City in the First Division on 30 September 1972,[4] and scored his first goal for the club against the same opponents on 24 August 1974. Capable of making overlapping attacking runs up the wing, he was chosen as Chelsea Player of the Year in the 1973–74 season.[6]

In 1983, after a spell on loan at the club, he moved to Crystal Palace on a permanent basis, making another 101 league and cup appearances in total,[7] before spending the 1986 season in Sweden with Halmstads BK.[8] [9]

In 1987 Locke was brought to New Zealand by newly promoted National League club Napier City Rovers. He captained the team in 1988 and helped the club win the National League championship in 1989. Locke was left out of Napier's squad for the 1992 National League campaign.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Purkiss. Mike. Sands. Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. 332. 0907969542.
  2. Web site: Chelsea : 1946/47–2008/09 . UK A–Z Transfers . Neil Brown . 24 November 2009.
  3. Web site: Crystal Palace : 1946/47–2008/09 . UK A–Z Transfers . Neil Brown . 24 November 2009.
  4. Web site: Gary Locke Chelsea FC . Football Heroes . Sporting Heroes Collections . 12 May 2014.
  5. News: Hutchinson not going on tour . The Times . 24 July 1971 . 11.
  6. Web site: Player of the Year 2009 . https://archive.today/20140512130549/http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/1651591 . dead . 12 May 2014 . Chelsea F.C . 7 May 2009 . 12 May 2014 .
  7. Web site: Appearances . Crystal Palace F.C . 10 October 2013.
  8. Web site: HBK i Allsvenskan: 1986 . sv . Halmstads BK . 26 November 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100823141215/http://www.hbk.se/extra/news/?module_instance=1&id=3060 . 23 August 2010 . dmy-all .
  9. Web site: Matcherna 1986 . sv . Halmstads BK . 26 November 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120406213151/http://www.hbk.se/dynamaster/file_archive/080621/9e89fc6a22815292e71688db67dbc417/Microsoft%20Word%20-%201986.pdf . 6 April 2012 . dmy-all .