Nicky Bissett Explained

Nicky Bisset
Fullname:Nicholas Bissett
Birth Date:5 April 1964
Birth Place:Fulham, England
Position:Central defender
Years3:1987–1988
Clubs3:Dagenham[1]
Caps3:71
Goals3:2
Years4:1988
Clubs4:Barnet[2]
Caps4:16
Goals4:0
Years5:1988–1995
Caps5:97
Goals5:8
Years6:1995
Caps6:1
Goals6:0
Clubs7:Stamco

Nicholas Bissett (born 5 April 1964) is an English former professional footballer who made 97 Football League appearances playing as a central defender for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Life and career

Bissett was born in Fulham, London. He worked as a gas service engineer and played football for Hornchurch and Walthamstow Avenue of the Isthmian League and Conference clubs Dagenham and Barnet, who set a record for a transfer between non-league clubs when they paid £20,000 for his services in March 1988.[3] Six months later, Second Division club Brighton & Hove Albion broke the record for a non-league player when they paid Barnet £115,000 for Bissett.[4] He became a regular in the team over his first 18 months, but he suffered a badly broken leg in a match against Swindon Town that kept him out for nearly a year.[5] He returned in time to help Albion reach the 1991 Second Division play-off final, which they lost to Notts County, but broke the leg again in 1993 and suffered a knee injury the following year which effectively finished his professional career.[6] He made one substitute appearance for Crawley Town,[7] and then tried his luck in minor football with Stamco, but his knee prevented his playing even at that level.[8]

He and his family relocated to York, his wife's home town, and he worked as a postman.[8], their sons George and Harry were playing non-league football in Yorkshire.[9] [10]

Notes and References

  1. Book: John . Harman . Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years . Tony Williams . 2005 . 978-1-869833-52-7 . 176, 179.
  2. Book: Harman . Alliance to Conference . 61, 72.
  3. News: Non-League Football: Wilkie betting on the boys at Barrow . Paul . Newman . The Times . London . 11 March 1988 . PowerSearch . subscription .
  4. News: Big pay day for Barnet; Transfer fees . Paul . Newman . The Times . London . 2 September 1988 . PowerSearch . subscription .
  5. News: Swindon suffer a setback . Clive . White . The Times . London . 11 April 1990 . Brighton's joy was offset by an injury to Bissett, their central defender, who suffered a double fracture of the leg when tackled recklessly by Shearer, the Swindon forward, in the thirtieth minute. . PowerSearch . subscription .
  6. News: Laughing physio gets his reward . The Argus . Brighton . 5 May 2001 . 14 August 2018.
  7. Web site: 1995/96 – Southern League Premier Division . Crawley Town Football Club History . 14 August 2018.
  8. Book: Tim . Carder . Roger . Harris . Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. . Goldstone Books . Hove . 1997 . 29 . 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  9. Web site: Tadcaster stars Liam Ormsby and George Bissett hoping to create FA Cup memories of their own . James . Grayson . Non League Yorkshire . 28 August 2014 . 14 February 2020.
  10. Web site: Players: George Bissett .