David Pipe

{{About|the Welsh footballer|the racehorse trainer|David Pipe (racehorse trainer)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = David Pipe

| image = David Pipe 12-05-2012 1.jpg

| image_size = 200

| caption = Pipe after playing for Newport County in the 2012 FA Trophy Final

| fullname = David Ronald Pipe{{cite book

| editor-first = Barry J.

| editor-last = Hugman

| title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11

| year = 2010

| publisher = Mainstream Publishing

| location = Edinburgh

| isbn = 978-1-84596-601-0

| page = 335 }}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|11|5|df=y}}

| birth_place = Caerphilly, Wales

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}

| position = Midfielder or Full-back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2001

| youthclubs1 = Coventry City

| years1 = 2001–2004

| clubs1 = Coventry City

| caps1 = 21

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 2004–2007

| clubs2 = Notts County

| caps2 = 141

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2007–2010

| clubs3 = Bristol Rovers

| caps3 = 86

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2009–2010

| clubs4 = → Cheltenham Town (loan)

| caps4 = 8

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2011–2014

| clubs5 = Newport County

| caps5 = 100

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2014–2016

| clubs6 = Forest Green Rovers

| caps6 = 66

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2016–2017

| clubs7 = Eastleigh

| caps7 = 9

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2017

| clubs8 = → Newport County (loan)

| caps8 = 21

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2017–2019

| clubs9 = Newport County

| caps9 = 54

| goals9 = 0

| totalcaps = 525 | totalgoals = 10

| nationalyears1 = 2002–2005

| nationalteam1 = Wales U21{{cite book|editor1-first=Glenda|editor1-last=Rollin|editor2-first=Jack|editor2-last=Rollin|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013|year=2012|publisher=Headline|location=London|isbn=978-0-7553-6356-8|page=980|edition=43rd}}

| nationalcaps1 = 12

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2003

| nationalteam2 = Wales

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update =

}}

David Ronald Pipe (born 5 November 1983) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or full-back.

Club career

Born in Caerphilly, Wales, Pipe began his career in the youth system at Coventry City. He made his senior debut for the Sky Blues on 31 August 2002 as a second-half substitute for Gary McSheffrey in a 1–0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/2213773.stm |title=Coventry 0–1 Nottingham Forest |publisher=BBC Sport |date=31 August 2002}} He scored his first senior goal in an away win over Gillingham on 5 October 2002 when he netted alongside Jay Bothroyd.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/2281718.stm |title=Gillingham 0–2 Coventry |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 October 2002}} At the start of the 2003–04 season, he was limited to just a single League Cup appearance.

=Notts County=

He subsequently joined Notts County on loan in January 2004.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/3396803.stm |title=Mills bags loan duo |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 January 2004}} He made his debut for his new loan club three days later on 17 January 2004, helping them to a 1–0 away win over Wrexham.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/3385341.stm |title=Wrexham 0–1 Notts County |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 January 2004}} In April 2004, he had his contract at Coventry terminated, allowing him to join Notts County permanently on a two-year contract.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/3611257.stm |title=Pipe signs for Magpies |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 April 2004}}

=Bristol Rovers=

Having been a mainstay of the Notts County squad for three consecutive seasons, Bristol Rovers paid £50,000 for his services in July 2007.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_rovers/6288832.stm |title=Bristol Rovers swoop to sign Pipe |publisher=BBC Sport |date=10 July 2007}} His first appearance for Bristol Rovers came in a 1–1 away draw against Port Vale in August 2007.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/6931099.stm |title=Port Vale 1–1 Bristol Rovers |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 August 2007}}

He joined Cheltenham Town on loan in November 2009.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cheltenham_town/8381646.stm |title=Cheltenham recruit pair on loan |publisher=BBC Sport |date=26 November 2009}} His loan at Whaddon Road was then extended until the end of January 2010.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cheltenham_town/8440351.stm |title=Defender David Pipe stays on loan at Cheltenham |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 January 2010}} He returned to Bristol Rovers at the end of the month but failed to make another appearance in the 2009–10 season. In June 2010, he was jailed for 38 months for fracturing the skull of another man in an unprovoked attack in Bristol in September 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10323142|title=Footballer David Pipe jailed over club attack|date=15 June 2010|work=BBC News |access-date=3 January 2014}}

=Newport County=

In September 2011, he spent time training with Conference Premier side Newport County whom he signed for on a non-contract basis later that month.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14932968 |title=Newport County sign former Wales midfielder David Pipe |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 September 2011}} He made his debut for Newport County on 17 September 2011 playing 75 minutes in a 1–0 away defeat against Braintree Town.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14863905 |title=Braintree Town 1–0 Newport County |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 September 2011}} He helped Newport to the final of the 2011–12 FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium in May 2012, however was on the losing side as York City came out on top in a 2–0 win.{{Cite web| url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/may/12/newport-county-york-city-fa-trophy |title=Lanre Oyebanjo seals York City's FA Trophy win against Newport County |date=12 May 2012}}{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18017573 |title=Newport County 0–2 York City |publisher=BBC Sport |date= 12 May 2012}} Pipe was selected as Newport County's Player of the Year for the 2011–12 season.

In June 2012, he was appointed as captain of Newport County. Twelve months after he been a part of a side that had lost at Wembley in the FA Trophy final, he led Newport to the Football League as captain at Wembley in a 2–0 win over Wrexham in the 2013 Conference Premier play-off final on 5 May 2013.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22335600 |title=Wrexham 0–2 Newport County |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 May 2013}} In June 2013, he was named in the 2012–13 Conference Premier team of the season{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22830881 |title=Newport duo named in Conference Premier team of the season |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2013 |access-date=3 January 2014}}

He was a regular in the Newport County side in their first year back in Football League Two, making 25 League Two appearances. However in February 2014, it was announced that he would be let go alongside Michael Flynn at the end of the season.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26360271 |title=David Pipe and Michael Flynn to leave Exiles |publisher=BBC Sport |date=26 February 2014}} Two months later, in April 2014, it was confirmed that he had been released by Newport.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27151584 |title=Defender David Pipe released by Exiles |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 April 2014 |access-date=4 February 2015}} In the same month, he insisted there was no falling out with manager Justin Edinburgh in relation to the decision for him to be released.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27156306 |title=No animosity over Newport County exit says defender |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 April 2014}}

=Forest Green Rovers=

On 7 May 2014, he joined Forest Green Rovers on a two-year deal, also being named captain at The New Lawn.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27310441 |title=Forest Green Rovers sign ex-Newport defender |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 May 2014 |access-date=7 May 2014}}{{Cite web| url=http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/sport/11196587.Forest_Green_boss_Ady_Pennock_swoops_for_Newport_County_captain_David_Pipe/?ref=var_0 |title=Forest Green boss Ady Pennock swoops for Newport County captain David Pipe |publisher=Stroud News & Journal |date=7 May 2014 |access-date=7 May 2014}} He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 2014–15 Conference Premier season on 9 August 2014, providing an assist in a 1–0 away win at Southport.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28647263 |title=Southport 0–1 Forest Green |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 August 2014 |access-date=10 August 2014}} He ended the 2014–15 season having helped Forest Green into the Conference National play-offs, only to be knocked out in the semi-finals by his former club, Bristol Rovers.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32473545 |title=Bristol Rovers 2–0 Forest Green |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 May 2015 |access-date=4 May 2015}}

On 4 September 2015, he was named National League August Player of the Month after helping Forest Green to seven straight league victories in the opening month of the 2015–16 season.{{Cite web |url=http://www.stroudlife.co.uk/Ady-Pennock-David-Pipe-land-Vanarama-National/story-27737161-detail/story.html |title=Ady Pennock and David Pipe land Vanarama National League awards for August |publisher=Stroud Life |date=4 September 2015 |access-date=9 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924114316/http://www.stroudlife.co.uk/Ady-Pennock-David-Pipe-land-Vanarama-National/story-27737161-detail/story.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }} He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 derby draw with Cheltenham Town on 22 September 2015.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34253879 |title=Forest Green 2–2 Cheltenham Town |publisher=BBC Sport |date=22 September 2015 |access-date=8 November 2015}} He helped Forest Green reach the National League play-off final in May 2016, starting at Wembley Stadium in a 3–1 loss to Grimsby Town on 15 May 2016.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36244418 |title=Forest Green 1–3 Grimsby Town |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 May 2016}} The following day on 16 May 2016 he was released by the club.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36297708 |title=Darren Carter: Forest Green Rovers have 'unfinished business' in National League |publisher=BBC Sport |date=16 May 2016}}

=Eastleigh=

On 20 May 2016, after his release from Forest Green Rovers, Pipe joined Eastleigh on a one-year deal.{{Cite news |title=David Pipe Signs For the Spitfires |url=http://www.eastleighfc.com/2016/05/20/david-pipe-signs-for-the-spitfires/ |publisher=Eastleigh F.C. |date=20 May 2016 |access-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601211651/http://www.eastleighfc.com/2016/05/20/david-pipe-signs-for-the-spitfires/# |archive-date=1 June 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

=Return to Newport County=

On 5 January 2017, Pipe returned to former club Newport County on loan until the end of the 2016–17 season.{{cite web |url=http://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38516901 |title=Graham Westley: 'Bringing David Pipe back a 'no-brainer' |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 January 2017 |access-date=5 January 2017}} He made his second debut for Newport in the starting line-up in a 3–1 defeat to Stevenage in League Two on 7 January 2017.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38475066 Newport debut] Pipe provided the left footed cross for Mark O'Brien's 89th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory at home to Notts County, which ensured Newport's survival in League Two on the final day of the 2016-17 season.{{cite web |title=Newport County 2–1 Notts County |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39753914 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 May 2017 |access-date=6 May 2017}} Pipe was released by Eastleigh at the end of the 2016–17 season. On 18 May 2017 Pipe rejoined Newport County on a one-year contract.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39963052 Pipe re-joins Newport] In February 2018, his contract was extended to the end of the 2018–19 season.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43154302 Pipe contract extended] He was part of the team that reached the League Two playoff final at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 2019, although he was an unused substitute in the final. Newport lost to Tranmere Rovers, 1-0 after a goal in the 119th minute.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48318580|title=League Two play-off final: Newport County 0-1 Tranmere Rovers|first=Michael |last=Pearlman|date=25 May 2019|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=6 December 2019}} On 23 April 2019 Pipe announced his retirement from play at the end of the 2018-19 season.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47975099 Pipe retires]

International career

Pipe earned his only international cap for Wales in 2003 in a friendly international against the United States.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/wales/2938150.stm |title=USA sink poor Wales |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 May 2003 |access-date=11 August 2014}}{{NFT player|pid=7295 |accessdate=3 January 2014}} He had previously played for Wales at youth level and earned 12 caps for the under-21 team.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals !Apps	Goals !Apps	Goals !Apps	Goals !Apps	Goals
rowspan="3"\|Coventry City \|2002–03{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2002\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|rowspan="2"\|First Division \|21	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	24	2
2003–04{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2003\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total !21	2	1	0	3	0	0	0	25	2
rowspan="5"\|Notts County \|2003–04 \|Second Division \|18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	0
2004–05{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2004\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|rowspan="3"\|League Two \|41	2	4	0	2	0	1Appearances in the Football League Trophy	0	48	2
2005–06{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2005\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|43	2	2	0	1	0	0	0	46	2
2006–07{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2006\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|39	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	42	0
colspan="2"\|Total !141	4	7	0	5	0	1	0	154	4
rowspan="4"\|Bristol Rovers \|2007–08{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2007\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|rowspan="3"\|League One \|40	2	7	0	2	0	1	0	50	2
2008–09{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2008\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|39	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	40	1
2009–10{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2009\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|7	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	10	0
colspan="2"\|Total !86	3	7	0	5	0	2	0	100	3
Cheltenham Town (loan) \|2009–10 \|League Two \|8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
rowspan="4"\|Newport County \|2011–12{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2011\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|rowspan="2"\|Conference Premier \|34	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	8Appearances in the FA Trophy	0	43	0
2012–13{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2012\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|41	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|–	3Appearances in the Conference Premier play-offs	0	44	0
2013–14{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2013\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|League Two \|25	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	29	0
colspan="2"\|Total !100	0	2	0	0	0	14	0	116	0
rowspan="3"\|Forest Green Rovers \|2013–14{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2014\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|rowspan="2"\|Conference Premier \|34	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|–	4Two appearances in the FA Trophy and two in the Conference Premier play-offs	0	38	0
2015–16{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2015\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|30	1	2	0	colspan="2"\|–	3One appearance in the FA Trophy and two in the Conference Premier play-offs	0	35	1
colspan="2"\|Total !64	1	2	0	colspan="2"\|–	7	0	73	1
Eastleigh \|2016–17{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2016\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|National League \|9	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	0	0	12	0
rowspan="3"\|Newport County \|2016–17 \|rowspan="2"\|League Two \|21	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	0
2017–18{{soccerbase season\|33061\|2017\|access-date=5 September 2017}} \|2	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	0
colspan="2"\|Total !23	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	26	0
colspan="3"\|Career total !366	7	15	0	10	0	23	0	414	7

Honours

Newport County

Conference Premier play-offs: 2013{{cite news|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/wrexham-vs-newport-county-afc/teams/286199 |title=National League (Sky Sports) |website=Sky Sports |access-date=26 February 2023}}
FA Trophy runner-up: 2011–12{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/18017573 |title=FA Trophy: Newport County 0–2 York City |author=Ian Woodcock |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 May 2012 |access-date=26 February 2023}}

Individual

Conference Premier Team of the Year: 2012–13{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/22830881 |title=Newport duo named in Conference Premier team of the season |website=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2013 |access-date=11 January 2023}}