Tony Lange Explained

Tony Lange
Fullname:Anthony Stephen Lange
Birth Date:10 December 1964
Birth Place:West Ham, England
Height:[1]
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthclubs1:Bromley District
Youthclubs2:Charlton Athletic
Years1:1983–1986
Clubs1:Charlton Athletic
Caps1:12
Goals1:0
Years2:1985
Clubs2:Aldershot (loan)
Caps2:7
Goals2:0
Years3:1986–1988
Clubs3:Aldershot
Caps3:125
Goals3:0
Years4:1988–1992
Clubs4:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Caps4:8
Goals4:0
Years5:1990
Clubs5:Aldershot (loan)
Caps5:2
Goals5:0
Years6:1991
Clubs6:Torquay United (loan)
Caps6:1
Goals6:0
Years7:1992
Clubs7:Portsmouth (loan)
Caps7:0
Goals7:0
Years8:1992–1995
Clubs8:West Bromwich Albion
Caps8:48
Goals8:0
Years9:1995–1997
Clubs9:Fulham
Caps9:59
Goals9:0
Clubs10:St. Leonards Stamcroft
Totalcaps:262
Totalgoals:0

Anthony Stephen Lange (born 10 December 1964) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Lange made over 250 appearances in the Football League between 1983 and 1997.

Career

Born in West Ham, Lange was playing for the Bromley District side when he signed for Charlton Athletic, turning professional in 1983.[2] He later played for Aldershot, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Torquay United, Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and St. Leonards Stamcroft.[3]

At Aldershot, Lange was the club's Player of the Year in both the 1986–87 and 1987–88 seasons.[2] He also won promotion to the Third Division with the club in the 1986–87 season.[2] He moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1988 for a fee of £150,000, which remains Aldershot's record transfer fee.[2]

While at West Bromwich Albion, Lange won promotion via the play-offs in the 1992–93 season, with Lange appearing in the final.[4] While at the club he was nicknamed "Freddie" due to his appearance being similar to Freddie Mercury.[4]

Lange was a member of the Fulham team which was runner-up in Division Three in the 1996–97 season.[5]

Later life

After retiring as a player, Lange worked as a landscape gardener and for Southern Railway.[5] Lange also played for the West Bromwich Albion Masters side.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 . Peter . Dunk . Queen Anne Press . London . 1987 . 42 . 978-0-356-14354-5 .
  2. Web site: Tony Lange to be guest of the day at Cheltenham game. 3 July 2016. Aldershot F.C.. 20 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820040510/http://shop.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot47375.ink. dead.
  3. Web site: Profile. 3 July 2016. Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database.
  4. Web site: Albion's 1993 play-off side revisited. 11 May 2007. 3 July 2016. Birmingham Mail.
  5. Web site: Where are they now? Fulham's Division 3 runners-up 1997. 5 January 2016. 3 July 2016. Adam Ellis. The League Paper.