Stuart Taylor (footballer, born 1947)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stuart Taylor | ||
| Date of birth | 8 April 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Bristol, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||
| Playing position | Central defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Bristol City (amateur) | 0 | (0) | |
| Oldland Abbotonians | |||
| ????–1965 | Hanham Athletic | ||
| 1965–1980 | Bristol Rovers | 546 | (28) |
| 1980–? | Bath City | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1980–? | Bath City | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Stuart Taylor (born 18 April 1947 in Bristol, England) is an English former footballer. He spent his entire professional playing career at Bristol Rovers and holds the club record for most league appearances by any player, with 546 league games played in his fifteen years at the club.[1]
Taylor initially played as an amateur for Rovers' local rivals Bristol City, and also had spells with Oldland Abbotonians and Hanham Athletic in what it now South Gloucestershire. His big break came when he signed for Bristol Rovers as an apprentice in August 1965, and he went on to sign professional terms with the club just four months later, on 30 December 1965.[2]
At 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m). and weighing in at 14 st 6 lbs (91.6 kg), Taylor was known as a giant of a defender, and in 1994 it was reported that he was the tallest man ever to have played for Bristol Rovers. As well as his size, he was also known for his stamina, and between 1968 and 1973 he played in 207 consecutive Football League matches for The Pirates: a post-war club record that still stands as of 2016.[2]
In 1980 he turned down the offer of a one-year contract with Chelsea, choosing instead to take up a position as player-manager of non-league Bath City.[2]
He had originally trained as a plumber in case his footballing career did not work out, and in February 2008 was reported to be working as a plumber in Bristol.[3] Other post-football jobs included working as a nightclub owner, a publican, and even a brief spell as commercial manager of Bristol Rovers.[2]
Taylor continued attending Bristol Rovers games as a spectator later in life, and in 2015 he was awarded the Harry Bamford Trophy – a trophy presented to Bristol sportsmen to recognise sportsmanship and fair play.[4]
References
- ↑ Byrne & Jay (2003), p.476
- 1 2 3 4 Jay & Byrne (1994), p.264
- ↑ Greg Struthers (24 February 2008). "Caught in time: Bristol Rovers win the Watney Cup, 1972". London: The Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
- ↑ Nick Higgs (7 March 2015). "Chairman's Report". Bristol Rovers Football Club. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
Bibliography
- Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club: The Definitive History 1883–2003. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2.
- Jay, Mike; Byrne, Stephen (1994). Pirates in Profile: A Who's Who of Bristol Rovers Players. Bristol: Potten, Baber & Murray. ISBN 0-9524835-0-5.