Jamie Clapham Explained

Jamie Clapham
Fullname:James Richard Clapham
Height:1.75m (05.74feet)[1]
Birth Date:7 December 1975
Birth Place:Lincoln, England
Position:Left-back
Years1:1994–1998
Caps1:1
Goals1:0
Years2:1997
Clubs2:Leyton Orient (loan)
Caps2:5
Goals2:0
Years3:1997
Clubs3:Bristol Rovers (loan)
Caps3:5
Goals3:0
Years4:1998
Clubs4:Ipswich Town (loan)
Caps4:12
Goals4:0
Years5:1998–2003
Clubs5:Ipswich Town
Caps5:195
Goals5:10
Years6:2003–2006
Caps6:84
Goals6:1
Years7:2006–2008
Caps7:26
Goals7:0
Years8:2007
Clubs8:Leeds United (loan)
Caps8:13
Goals8:0
Years9:2008
Caps9:11
Goals9:0
Years10:2008–2010
Clubs10:Notts County
Caps10:70
Goals10:3
Years11:2010–2011
Clubs11:Lincoln City
Caps11:25
Goals11:1
Years12:2011
Caps12:3
Goals12:0
Totalcaps:450
Totalgoals:15
Manageryears1:2021–
Managerclubs1:Loughborough Students

James Richard Clapham (born 7 December 1975) is an English former professional footballer and current head coach of Loughborough Students.

He played as a left-back from 1994 to 2011, notably in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town and Birmingham City. He has also played for Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City, Leeds United, Notts County, Lincoln City and Kettering Town. He began his coaching career with Middlesbrough.

Playing career

Tottenham Hotspur

Clapham was born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. His career started at Tottenham Hotspur with Clapham playing for the Spurs' first XI in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Subsequently, he made one first-team league appearance for Spurs, a 2–1 defeat to Coventry City on 11 May 1997. Clapham had loan spells at Leyton Orient (six games between 29 January and 22 February 1997) and Bristol Rovers (five games between 27 March and 26 April the same year).

Ipswich Town

The next season saw him loaned to Ipswich Town for two months between 9 January and 12 March 1998, the move then becoming permanent for a fee of £300,000. He made a total of 175 full and 20 substitute appearances in the league for Ipswich and scored eight goals, the most notable coming from his left-footed free kicks. In 1999, he was voted Ipswich Town's Player of the Year. He also tasted European action with the club, playing 12 games in the UEFA Cup in two successive campaigns, 2001–02 and 2002–03.

Ipswich Town's relegation in 2002 led to the club going into administration and created a need to sell players. Clapham was one such player as he was sold.[2]

Birmingham City

He joined Premier League club Birmingham City for £1.3 million in 2003 after four years at Portman Road. He settled into the team and was a virtual ever-present until a hamstring injury forced him out in December 2003. His recovery was hampered when he suffered shingles during February 2004, and he was unable to return until April.

In the following two seasons, he remained a squad player with competition for his slot from a number of players, such as Stan Lazaridis and Julian Gray, limiting his appearances. In May 2006, he was released by the club as they slipped from the top flight. In all, he played 84 league games over three seasons and scored once, against Manchester United in December 2005.[3]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In July 2006, Clapham had a trial with Sheffield United and played 75 minutes of a pre-season clash with Rotherham United. He also received interest from Ipswich Town before choosing to sign for Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2006 on a two-year deal. He played in just 26 league games during the 2006–07 season, without scoring, and was put on the transfer list at the end of it. However, there were no takers for the defender in the close season and he began the 2007–08 campaign still at Molineux.

Leeds United (loan)

He was loaned out to League One Leeds United in August 2007 and remained at Elland Road for three months, becoming Leeds first choice left back, the club was given a 15-point deduction at the start of that season and Clapham was instrumental at playing a part in Leeds' impressive early season form.

Leicester City

He failed to break back into Wolves' first team after his return and was released to join Leicester City on 31 January 2008.[4] Clapham was released in May 2008.

Notts County

After a period in July training with West Bromwich Albion, managed by former Ipswich teammate Tony Mowbray, he joined Southend United on trial but was not offered a contract.[5] After two weeks' training with Notts County, he signed a short-term deal with the League Two club in September 2008,[6] then in January 2009, he signed an 18-month contract extension to keep him at the club until May 2010. He and seven other players were released at the end of the 2009–10 season.[7]

Lincoln City

He signed a one-year contract with League Two club Lincoln City in July 2010.[8] He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win over Macclesfield Town on 9 October, and scored again in an FA Cup defeat to Hereford United.[9] He was not offered a new contract after a mass clearout of players after Lincoln's relegation from the Football League.[10]

Kettering Town

In August 2011 he signed for Kettering Town after a trial.[11] A month later, after manager Morell Maison was replaced by Mark Stimson, Clapham left the club.[12]

Coaching career

Tony Mowbray appointed Clapham to a coaching role in Championship club Middlesbrough's academy after Steve Agnew left for Hull City in 2012.[13] Clapham managed the club's under-21 team, and assisted new manager Aitor Karanka with the first team from November 2013 to March 2014.[13] [14] In June 2015, he rejoined Mowbray on the coaching staff at Coventry City.[15]

In September 2016, Barnsley manager Paul Heckingbottom brought Clapham into the club as first-team coach on a short-term deal.[16] A few weeks later, his tenure was extended to the end of the season,[17] and extended again in July 2017.[18]

Heckingbottom was appointed head coach of Leeds United on 6 February 2018, and took Clapham with him as his assistant.[19] When Heckingbottom was dismissed at the end of the season, Clapham also left the club.[20]

On 17 May 2021, Clapham was announced as the new head coach of Loughborough Students.[21] Taking the Scholars to the semi-final of the FA Vase in the 21-22 season.

Personal life

Clapham's father, Graham Clapham, and grandfather, Bert Wilkinson, were also professional footballers.[22]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tottenham Hotspur1996–97Premier League10000010
Leyton Orient (loan)1996–97Third Division5000000050
Bristol Rovers (loan)1996–97Second Division5000000050
Ipswich Town1997–98First Division220000010230
1998–99First Division463204020543
1999–00First Division462104231545
2000–01Premier League3522071443
2001–02Premier League322102060412
2002–03First Division261113160363
Total207107120418125216
Birmingham City2002–03Premier League1600000160
2003–04Premier League2501010270
2004–05Premier League2702020310
2005–06Premier League1613040231
Total841607000971
Wolverhampton Wanderers2006–07Championship260101000280
2007–08Championship00001010
Total260102000290
Leeds United (loan)2007–08League One130100010150
Leicester City2007–08Championship1100000110
Notts County2008–09League Two402300000432
2009–10League Two301501010371
Total703801010803
Lincoln City2010–11League Two251211000282
Kettering Town2011–12Conference Premier30000030
Career total4501525231420152622

Honours

Ipswich Town

2000[23]

Notts County

2009–10[24]

Individual

1998–99[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jamie Clapham . Premier League . 9 August 2019.
  2. News: Clapham Move Complete . TWTD . 10 January 2003 . 7 April 2020.
  3. News: Birmingham 2–2 Man Utd . BBC Sport . 28 December 2005 . 17 February 2010.
  4. Web site: Clapham makes it seven! . Leicester City F.C. . 31 January 2008 . 31 January 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080203194308/http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10274~1229914%2C00.html . 3 February 2008 .
  5. News: Southend end interest in Clapham . BBC Sport . 28 August 2008 . 19 September 2008.
  6. News: Magpies sign free agent Clapham . BBC Sport . 19 September 2008 . 19 September 2008.
  7. News: Notts County release eight out-of-contract players . BBC Sport . 10 May 2010 . 10 May 2010.
  8. Web site: Duo sign one year deals . Lincoln City F.C. . 19 July 2010 . 19 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120404183318/http://www.redimps.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10440~2096326%2C00.html . 4 April 2012 .
  9. News: Lincoln City 3–4 Hereford . BBC Sport . 8 January 2011 . 2 August 2012.
  10. News: Steve Tilson clears out Lincoln City squad . BBC Sport . 11 May 2011 . 12 May 2011.
  11. Web site: Clapham deal for Poppies . Football Conference . 22 August 2011 . 22 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120319231753/http://www.footballconference.co.uk/news/details.php?news_id=5323 . 19 March 2012.
  12. News: Kettering Town boss wants hard working Moses Ashikodi . BBC Sport . 21 September 2011 . 3 October 2011 . 19 April 2013 . https://archive.today/20130419170008/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15001959.stm . dead .
  13. Web site: Senior professional development phase coach . Middlesbrough F.C. . 11 June 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150611153042/http://www.mfc.co.uk/news/article/senior-professional-development-phase-coach-jamie-clapham-1587257.aspx . 11 June 2015.
  14. News: Clapham to stay part of Boro backroom team . Paul . Fraser . The Northern Echo . Darlington . 18 December 2013 . 11 June 2015.
  15. News: Mark Venus and Jamie Clapham join Tony Mowbray's coaching team at Coventry City . Aidan . McCartney . Coventry Telegraph . 1 June 2015 . 11 June 2015.
  16. Web site: Jamie Clapham joins the Reds coaching staff . Barnsley F.C. . 30 September 2016 . 5 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006052138/https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/jamie-clapham-joins-the-reds-coaching-staff.-3338760.aspx . 6 October 2016.
  17. News: Reds 'always looking for coaches' to join Clapham . Barnsley Chronicle . 11 November 2016 . 8 March 2018.
  18. Web site: Jamie Clapham signs new contract! . Barnsley F.C. . 14 July 2017 . 8 March 2018.
  19. News: Paul Heckingbottom's Leeds United coaching staff confirmed by Barnsley . Tom . Marshall-Bailey . Leeds Live . 6 February 2018 . 8 March 2018.
    News: Wolves: they played for both . Leeds United F.C. . 7 March 2018 . 8 March 2018.
  20. News: Leeds sack Paul Heckingbottom . Sky Sports . 1 June 2018 . 2 June 2018.
  21. News: Former Premier League pro announced as new Men's football Head Coach . Loughborough University . 17 May 2021 . 16 March 2022.
  22. News: Clapham shows talent does stay in the family . Glenn . Moore . The Independent . London . 25 November 2000 . 29 September 2010 . Gale Power Search . subscription .
  23. News: Ipswich triumph at last . BBC News . 29 May 2000 . 25 September 2019.
  24. Web site: League Tables. football-league.co.uk. 4 March 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130730170034/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalLeagueTable/0,,10794~200926,00.html. 30 July 2013.
  25. News: Picking Ipswich Town's shining light in a dark season – the contenders for the player of the year award . Andy . Warren . East Anglian Daily Times . Ipswich . 28 March 2019 . 25 September 2019.