Colin Foster
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{for|the former Mansfield Town defender|Colin Foster (footballer, born 1952)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Colin Foster
| image =
| fullname = Colin John Foster
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1964|7|16}}
| birth_place = Chislehurst, Kent, England
| height = {{height|m=1.93}}
| position = Central defender
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Elmstead
| years1 = 1982–1987
| years2 = 1987–1989
| years3 = 1989–1994
| years4 = 1994
| years5 = 1994–1997
| years6 = 1997
| years7 = 1997–1998
| clubs1 = Leyton Orient
| clubs2 = Nottingham Forest
| clubs3 = West Ham United
| clubs4 = → Notts County (loan)
| clubs5 = Watford
| clubs6 = → Cambridge United (loan)
| clubs7 = Cambridge United
| caps1 = 178
| caps2 = 72
| caps3 = 93
| caps4 = 9
| caps5 = 66
| caps6 = 7
| totalcaps = 425
| caps7 = 27
| goals1 = 10
| goals2 = 5
| goals3 = 4
| goals4 = 0
| goals5 = 8
| goals6 = 0
| goals7 = 1
| totalgoals = 55
}}
Colin Foster (born 16 July 1964) is an English retired football defender.
Career
Starting out at non-League club Elmstead,[http://www.fcelmstead.co.uk/club/History Club history] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323154840/http://www.fcelmstead.co.uk/club/History |date=23 March 2018 }} at fcelmstead.co.uk Foster made his league debut for Leyton Orient in January 1982 whilst still an apprentice. He moved to Nottingham Forest, for a fee of £50,000 in May 1987, making 72 league appearances under manager, Brian Clough.
In September 1989, he became manager Lou Macari's second and most expensive signing for West Ham United for £750,000. Never a regular player under Macari, he became so under new manager Billy Bonds in a team which won promotion from the second division in season 1990-91. Foster's time at West Ham is most often associated with scoring a spectacular mid-air volley in an FA Cup Quarter-final versus Everton in March 1991. Everton were in the upper reaches of the First Division (then the top tier) while West Ham were a second-tier side. West Ham won the match 2-1 [http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=5&ham=3743&united=11_Mar_1991] before being knocked out in the semi-finals by Foster's old club Nottingham Forest.
Three seasons broken by regular injury followed and after a projected £400,000 move back to Nottingham Forest fell through, when Foster could not agree terms, he remained at West Ham on a weekly contract. A loan to Notts County followed before he eventually moved, for a fee of £100,000, to Watford in March 1994.{{cite book|title=Who's Who. A player by player guide to West Ham United FC|publisher=Independent UK Sports Publications|location=London |year=1995 |page=68 |isbn=1-899429-01-8}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
- [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=17787 SportingHeroes.net]
- [http://www.allfootballers.com Since 1888... The Searchable Premiership and Football League Player Database] (subscription required)
- [http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=247&united=Colin_Foster Wonderful World of West Ham United statistics]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Colin}}
Category:People from Chislehurst
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Bromley
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Premier League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:F.C. Elmstead players
Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players
Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players
Category:West Ham United F.C. players
Category:Notts County F.C. players
Category:Cambridge United F.C. players
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