Paul Barrowcliff Explained

Paul Barrowcliff
Fullname:Paul Joseph Barrowcliff
Birth Date:15 June 1969
Birth Place:Hillingdon, England
Height:1.7m
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Metropolitan Police (physiotherapist)
Years1:1988–1989
Clubs1:Ruislip Manor
Years2:1989–1990
Clubs2:Hayes
Caps2:21
Goals2:3
Years3:1990
Clubs3:Chalfont St Peter (loan)
Years4:1990
Clubs4:Harrow Borough
Years5:1990–1991
Clubs5:St Albans City
Caps5:21
Goals5:3
Years6:1991
Clubs6:Woking
Years7:1991–1992
Clubs7:Kingstonian
Years8:1992–1993
Clubs8:Wycombe Wanderers
Caps8:2
Goals8:0
Years9:1993–1994
Clubs9:Sutton United
Years10:1994–1995
Clubs10:Aylesbury United
Caps10:19
Goals10:0
Totalcaps:367
Totalgoals:22
Years11:1995–1997
Clubs11:Stevenage Borough
Caps11:77
Goals11:11
Years12:1997–1998
Clubs12:Brentford
Caps12:12
Goals12:0
Years13:1997
Clubs13:Stevenage Borough (loan)
Caps13:5
Goals13:0
Years14:1998
Clubs14:Hendon
Caps14:0
Goals14:0
Years15:1998
Clubs15:Chesham United
Years16:1999–2003
Clubs16:Slough Town
Caps16:139
Goals16:4
Years17:2003
Clubs17:Metropolitan Police
Years18:2003–2004
Clubs18:Slough Town
Caps18:24
Goals18:0
Years19:2004–2009
Clubs19:Metropolitan Police
Caps19:46
Goals19:1

Paul Joseph Barrowcliff (born 15 June 1969) is an English retired semi-professional footballer who played as midfielder. He had a long career in non-League football and played one season in the Football League for Brentford. He is currently the physiotherapist at Metropolitan Police.

Playing career

Beginnings in non-League football (1988–1997)

Barrowcliff got into football through attending the Boys' Brigade and scouts as a youth.[1] He began his senior career at Isthmian League Second Division South club Ruislip Manor in 1988 and moved up a level to sign for Premier Division club Hayes in February 1989.[2] While at Hayes, Barrowcliff featured on loan for Isthmian League First Division club Chalfont St Peter in January 1990. He moved across the Isthmian League Premier Division to sign for Harrow Borough in March 1990. He departed early in the 1990–91 season to move Isthmian Premier Division club St Albans City and left to join divisional rivals Woking in February 1990.[3]

Barrowcliff moved to Isthmian League Premier Division club Kingstonian in 1991 and played at Conference level for the first time when he signed for Wycombe Wanderers in 1992. Barrowcliff made just six appearances and left after the 1992–93 season to join Isthmian League Premier Division club Sutton United.[4] Barrowcliff signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Aylesbury United during the 1994–95 season and made 19 appearances before leaving at the end of the campaign.

Barrowcliff joined newly-promoted Conference club Stevenage Borough during the 1995 off-season.[5] He was a vital part of the team which won the 1995–96 Conference title, making 50 appearances and scoring eight goals, but the club was not promoted to the Football League due to its Broadhall Way ground not meeting Football League requirements.[6] Barrowcliff was named the club's 1995–96 Supporters' Player Of The Year award and also captained the team.[7] [8] He stayed with Stevenage for the 1996–97 season and left the club in August 1997.

Brentford

On 1 August 1997, Barrowcliff moved up to the Football League when he transferred to Second Division club Brentford for a £60,000 fee. He started Brentford's first six games in all competitions and returned to former club Stevenage Borough on a one-month loan in October 1997. He made five appearances during his spell and following his return to Brentford, he made substitute cameos and occasional starts, before injury ended his season in December. Barrowcliff was transfer-listed in February 1998 and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent after Brentford's final-day relegation to the Third Division.[9] He made 16 appearances during the 1997–98 season.

Return to non-League football (1998–2009)

Following his release from Brentford, Barrowcliff joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Hendon during the 1998 off-season.[10] He failed to make an appearance and moved across the division to sign for Chesham United later in the year.

Barrowcliff transferred to Isthmian League Premier Division club Slough Town in January 1999. During what remained of the 1998–99 season, Barrowcliff made 18 appearances and scored three goals.[11] He made 31 appearances during the 1999–00 season and scored one goal. After a period out of the team during the early months of the 2000–01 season, Barrowcliff was a virtual ever-present from November 2000 onwards and finished the season with 32 appearances. His performances were a rare highlight of a season which saw Slough suffer relegation.

Playing at Isthmian League First Division level for the first time since 1990, Barrowcliff was again a virtual ever-present for Slough Town during the 2001–02 season and made 46 appearances, scoring two goals. Barrowcliff played 39 matches during the 2002–03 season before departing to join Isthmian League First Division South club Metropolitan Police in February 2003.

Barrowcliff returned to Slough Town (now playing in the Isthmian League First Division South) in September 2003 and had a successful 2003–04 season with the club.[12] He made 27 appearances and helped Slough to a fourth-place finish, which saw the Rebels secure promotion back to the Isthmian League Premier Division. During his two spells at Slough Town, Barrowcliff made 193 appearances and scored six goals.

Barrowcliff returned to Metropolitan Police during the 2004 off-season.[13] He made just 10 appearances during the 2004–05 season,[14] but he captained the club during the 2005–06 season.[15] Barrowcliff made 13 appearances during the 2006–07 season, but failed to make an appearance during the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons and retired in 2009.[16] [17] After his retirement, he became the club's physiotherapist.[18] He represented the club's Veterans team in the 2012–13 Isthmian Veterans' Cup and played in the final, which was lost 2–1 to Northwood Vets.[19]

Personal life

Barrowcliff worked as a personal trainer and as of October 2012, was working for the Metropolitan Police.

Career statistics

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
St Albans City1990–91[20] Isthmian League Premier Division213003[21] 0243
Aylesbury United1994–95Isthmian League Premier Division190190
Stevenage Borough1995–96Conference406624[22] 0508
1996–97394809[23] 0564
Total791014213010612
Brentford1997–98Second Division110203000160
Stevenage Borough (loan)1997–98Conference5050
Total841014213011112
Slough Town1998–99Isthmian League Premier Division17210182
1999–00241304[24] 0311
2000–01280004[25] 1321
2001–02Isthmian League First Division421105[26] 1482
2002–03Isthmian League First Division North280704[27] 0390
Total13941101821686
Slough Town2003–04Isthmian League First Division South240102[28] 0270
Total16341202021956
Metropolitan Police2004–05Isthmian League First Division1000000100
2005–062510000251
2006–07Isthmian League First Division South110002[29] 0130
Total4610020481
Career total344182623038241122
  1. Web site: 2 February 2014 . The FA Cup . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202111109/http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/News/2012/Oct/met-police-dereham-town-barrowcliff-preview-101012.aspx . 2 February 2014 . 9 November 2016 . The website for the English football association, The FA Cup and The England football team.
  2. Web site: Baptiste – Bartley . 28 June 2015 . Hayes & Yeading United FC: The Official Website.
  3. Web site: Paul Barrowcliff . 18 January 2017 . St Albans City F.C. History & Archives.
  4. Web site: Stevenage Football Club Quick Guide . 9 November 2016 . Chairboys on the Net.
  5. Web site: Stevenage Player: Paul Barrowcliff profile . 13 July 2016 . BoroGuide.
  6. Web site: Ground of the Week: Broadhall Way . 28 June 2015 . BBC – London – Radio.
  7. Web site: Previous Winners . 28 June 2015 . sfcsa.co.uk . 20 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110320085654/http://www.sfcsa.co.uk/home/player-of-the-year/previous-winners . dead .
  8. Web site: Stevenage Borough . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193112/http://webspace.webring.com/people/du/um_4581/Sbfc.htm . 4 March 2016 . 28 June 2015 . webring.com.
  9. Book: Croxford . Mark . The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties . Lane . David . Waterman . Greville . Legends Publishing . 2013 . 9781906796723 . Sunbury, Middlesex . 420.
  10. Web site: Player Profile . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201192916/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/teams/guidetoground.php?mode=playershow&pid=1794&team_id=1925&league_id=5 . 1 February 2014 . 13 May 2016 . NonLeagueDaily.com.
  11. Web site: Paul Barrowcliff . 28 June 2015 . SloughTownFC.net – The Official Website of Slough Town FC.
  12. Web site: Latest Transfers . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201192912/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=12651 . 1 February 2014 . 28 June 2015 . NonLeagueDaily.com.
  13. Web site: Rebels Romp To Four Goal Win . 28 June 2015 . SloughTownFC.net – The Official Website of Slough Town FC. 23 October 2001 .
  14. Web site: Player Details: Season 2004–2005 Paul Barrowcliff . dead . 28 June 2015 . SoccerFacts UK . 4 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160204190736/http://soccerfactsuk.co.uk/s2004/player_details.php?playerid=6221 .
  15. Web site: All Competitions : Player's Appearances – Barrowcliff Paul . 8 January 2018 . football.mitoo.
  16. Web site: Paul Barrowcliff Profile . 13 May 2016 . Aylesbury United FC.
  17. Web site: All Competitions : Player's Appearances – Barrowcliff Paul . 8 September 2017 . Football.mitoo.
  18. Web site: 1st XI – The Team . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201212929/http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/metropolitanpolicefc/s/the-team-96367.html?player_id=954855 . 1 February 2014 . 28 June 2015 . Metropolitan Police FC.
  19. Web site: Northwood F C – Reports 2012–13 – Met Police Vets . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202170019/http://www.northwoodfc.com/Reports%201213/Met-vets.html . 2 February 2014 . 28 June 2015 . northwoodfc.com.
  20. Web site: Season 1990–91 appearances . 18 January 2017 . St Albans City F.C. History & Archives.
  21. 1 appearance in Isthmian League Cup, 1 appearance in Isthmian League Full Members Cup, 1 appearance in Herts Senior Cup
  22. Appearances in FA Trophy
  23. 7 appearances in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Herts Charity Cup, 1 appearance in Jim Thompson Championship Match
  24. 2 appearances in Isthmian League Full Members Cup, 1 appearance in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  25. 2 appearances in FA Trophy, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Isthmian League Full Members Cup
  26. 3 appearances and 1 goal in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup, 1 appearance in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Isthmian League Cup
  27. 2 appearances in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Isthmian League Cup, 1 appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  28. 1 appearance in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  29. Appearances in Isthmian League Cup

Honours

Stevenage Borough

Slough Town

Individual