Nicky Morgan (footballer) explained

Nicky Morgan
Fullname:Nicholas Morgan
Birth Date:30 October 1959
Birth Place:East Ham, England
Position:Forward
Height:5 ft 10 in[1]
Youthyears1:1976–1978
Years1:1978–1983
Caps1:21
Goals1:2
Years2:1981–1982
Clubs2:FC Den Haag (loan)
Caps2:20
Goals2:6
Years3:1983–1986
Clubs3:Portsmouth
Caps3:95
Goals3:32
Years4:1986–1990
Clubs4:Stoke City
Caps4:88
Goals4:21
Years5:1990–1993
Caps5:80
Goals5:23
Years6:1992
Clubs6:AFC Bournemouth (loan)
Caps6:6
Goals6:1
Years7:1993–1994
Clubs7:Exeter City
Caps7:12
Goals7:4
Totalcaps:322
Totalgoals:89

Nicholas Morgan (born 30 October 1959) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for AFC Bournemouth, Bristol City, Exeter City, Portsmouth, Stoke City and West Ham United.[2]

Morgan began his career with his local side West Ham United where he made fleeting appearances and also had time on loan at Dutch side FC Den Haag. With chances limited at West Ham, Morgan joined Portsmouth where he enjoyed to most success in his career. He spent five seasons at Fratton Park where he made 109 appearances scoring 35 goals. He joined Stoke City where he scored 26 goals in 104 games in four seasons before playing for Bristol City for four years. After scoring 29 goals in 89 games for the "Robins" he played for AFC Bournemouth and then Exeter City and retired in 1994.

Career

Morgan was born in East Ham and started his career at his boyhood club West Ham United as an apprentice before earning a professional contract in 1978.[2] He failed to make much of an impression at the "Hammers" and joined Portsmouth in 1983.[2] Prior to joining Portsmouth Morgan had spent the 1981–82 season at Dutch club FC Den Haag where he played 20 times scoring six goals but they finished in 17th position and were relegated.[2]

He did much better at "Pompey" and in his first season with the club they gained promotion to the Second Division. In the next four seasons Portsmouth tried to gain a promotion to the First Division finishing fourth twice with Morgan scoring 16 goals in 1985–86. They claimed that promotion they wanted in 1986–87 but Morgan left for Stoke City just four matches into the season.[2] He made a fine start to his Stoke career scoring on his debut against Hull City on 8 November 1986.[2] He finished the 1986–87 season with 12 goals to his name.[2] He then hit six in the following two seasons and with Stoke enduring a terrible 1989–90 season and on their way to being relegated to the Third Division, Morgan left for Bristol City in April 1989.[2]

It proved to be a good decision by Morgan as he scored four goals in seven matches as Bristol City and Stoke City swapped league places at the end of the season.[2] He scored 17 goals in 1990–91 as Bristol City finished in 9th position. He fell out of the first team picture in 1991–92 and 1992–93 and spent a short spell on loan at Bournemouth. He left Bristol City in August 1993 for Exeter City, where he played 12 matches scoring four goals before deciding to retire from the game.

Career statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Ham United1978–79Second Division2000000020
1979–80Second Division6100100061
1980–81Second Division61000040101
1981–82First Division0000000000
1982–83First Division7000000070
Total212001040262
FC Den Haag (loan)1981–82Eredivise206000000206
Portsmouth1982–83Third Division6100000061
1983–84Second Division2591120002810
1984–85Second Division308102000338
1985–86Second Division30141051213816
1986–87Second Division4000000040
Total953231912110935
Stoke City1986–87Second Division29105200003412
1987–88Second Division285203130366
1988–89Second Division185001100196
1989–90Second Division131001110152
Total882162534010426
Bristol City1989–90Third Division7400000074
1990–91Second Division44130044004817
1991–92Second Division193202200215
1992–93First Division103000000103
1993–94First Division0000001010
Total80232066108929
Bournemouth (loan)1992–93Second Division6121001193
Exeter City1993–94Second Division124000000124
Career Total322891442110122369105

A.  The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Italian Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, FA Community Shield, Full Members' Cup, Football League Trophy.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 . Peter . Dunk . Queen Anne Press . London . 1987 . 348 . 978-0-356-14354-5.
  2. Book: Matthews, Tony. The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. 1994. Lion Press. 0-9524151-0-0.