David Armstrong (footballer, born 1954)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = David Armstrong

| image =

| fullname = David Armstrong{{Hugman|483|access-date=5 April 2020}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1954|12|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Durham, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|08|21|1954|12|26|df=y}}

| height = {{Height|ft=5|in=8}}{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/336 336] |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/336}}

| position = Attacking midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| clubs1 = Middlesbrough

| years1 = 1971–1981

| caps1 = 359

| goals1 = 59

| years2 = 1981–1987

| clubs2 = Southampton

| caps2 = 222

| goals2 = 59

| years3 = 1987–1988

| clubs3 = AFC Bournemouth

| caps3 = 9

| goals3 = 2

| totalcaps = 590

| totalgoals = 120

| nationalyears1 = 1974–1975

| nationalteam1 = England U23

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1980 | nationalteam2 = England B | nationalcaps2 = 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1980–1984

| nationalteam3 = England

| nationalcaps3 = 3

| nationalgoals3 = 0

}}

David Armstrong (26 December 1954 – 21 August 2022) was an English footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent most of his career with Middlesbrough (from 1972 to 1981), before moving to Southampton in August 1981, where he played for a further six seasons. He finished his league career with AFC Bournemouth in 1987–88.{{cite news|work=The Mirror|title=Where are they now; DAVID ARMSTRONG Former Middlesbrough & Southampton.(Sport)|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61304824|date=26 October 1996}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}

Football career

Armstrong was part of the Middlesbrough side of the 1970s managed by Jack Charlton which won the Second Division title and was a consistent Division One team for most of the decade.{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Alexa |date=22 August 2022 |title=Tributes to Middlesbrough FC 'legend' David Armstrong |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/20682106.tributes-middlesbrough-fc-legend-david-armstrong/ |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=The Northern Echo}} Towards the end of his time at Middlesbrough, he gained his first England cap.{{Englandstats|ref=y|access-date=24 November 2023}}{{cite web |title=England players: David Armstrong |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersA/BioArmstrongD.html |website=englandfootballonline |accessdate=24 November 2023}} At Ayresome Park, Armstrong was noted for his remarkable durability – for many years he was ever-present in the #11 shirt, and as a testament to this was awarded a testimonial whilst aged only 25.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} He holds the Boro' record for most consecutive appearances with 305 consecutive league games and 358 consecutive games in all competitions between March 1972 and August 1980.{{cite web |url=http://middlesbroughfpa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60%3Ainterview-with-david-armstrong&Itemid=50 |title=Interview with David Armstrong |publisher=Middlesbrough Former Players Association |first=Jim |last=Platt |date=22 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027014525/http://middlesbroughfpa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60%3Ainterview-with-david-armstrong&Itemid=50 |archive-date=27 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}

He joined Southampton in August 1981 for £600,000, then a club record, and scored 15 league goals in his first season alongside Kevin Keegan, as the Saints led the table for most of the first three months of 1982 before finishing seventh.{{Cite web |last=McMenemy |first=Lawrie |date=27 August 2022 |title=Lawrie McMenemy: David Armstrong was a total legend |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/20780362.lawrie-mcmenemy-david-armstrong-total-legend/ |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}{{Cite book |last=Chalk |first=Gary |title=All the Saints: A Complete Who's Who of Southampton FC |last2=Holley |first2=Duncan |last3=Bull |first3=David |publisher=Hagiology Publishing |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-9926864-0-6 |pages=236–237 |language=en}} He came close to a league title medal again in 1984, as the Saints finished runners-up to Liverpool in the league and were also semi-finalists in the FA Cup, scoring 15 league goals again.{{Cite web |date=21 August 2022 |title=Saints mourn the passing of David Armstrong |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/saints-mourn-the-passing-of-david-armstrong |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=Southampton FC}} He was Southampton FC's Player of the Season in 1983–84.{{Cite web |last=Howard |first=Peter |date=11 May 2018 |title=Previous winners of the Daily Echo Southampton FC Player of the Season Award |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/14488550.previous-winners-daily-echo-southampton-fc-player-season-award/ |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}} At Southampton, he had scored 59 league goals in six seasons.{{Cite web |title=David Armstrong – Southampton FC |url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/southampton-fc/david-armstrong-5922/league-appearances_a12657/ |access-date=8 January 2019 |work=Sporting Heroes}}

At the end of the 1986–87 season, Armstrong dropped down a division to sign for AFC Bournemouth. With only a handful of appearances for the club, he exacerbated an ankle injury he sustained at Southampton in a tackle at Exeter City, and retired at the end of the season.

He also made three appearances for the England international team between 1980 and 1984.

Personal life

From 1987 to 2011, Armstrong had six operations on his left ankle and had to rule out full-time professional coaching. He since combined a day job in office supplies with football punditry and commentary.

On 21 August 2022, Armstrong died in his sleep in Greece aged 67.{{Cite web |last=Hardy |first=Martin |date=10 October 2022 |title='David worked all his life – he hated that players now earn more than surgeons' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/david-worked-all-his-life-he-hated-that-players-now-earn-more-than-surgeons-j0mbbg27q |url-access=subscription |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=The Times}}

Honours

Middlesbrough

Football League Division 2: 1973–1974
Anglo-Scottish Cup: 1975–76{{Cite web |last=Vickers |first=Anthony |date=10 December 2014 |title=Flashback: Unseen photos of Boro's 1975 Anglo-Scottish Cup win |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/flashback-unseen-photos-boros-1975-8262746 |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=Teesside Live}}{{Cite web |title=1975–76 Anglo-Scottish Cup |url=https://fchd.info/cups/ascup1975-76.htm |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=fchd.info}}

Southampton

Football League Division 1 runners-up: 1983–84{{cite web | title=Ex-Boro & Saints midfielder Armstrong dies aged 67 | website=BBC Sport | date=22 August 2022 | url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62632003 | access-date=22 August 2022}}