John Napier (footballer)
{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer and manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = John Napier
| image =
| fullname = Robert John Napier
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|9|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lurgan, Northern Ireland
| position = Centre half
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1963–1967
| clubs1 = Bolton Wanderers
| caps1 = 69
| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 1967–1972
| clubs2 = Brighton & Hove Albion
| caps2 = 218
| goals2 = 5
| years3 = 1972–1975
| clubs3 = Bradford City
| caps3 = 106
| goals3 = 3
| years4 = 1975
| clubs4 = → Baltimore Comets (loan)
| caps4 = 22
| goals4 = 1
| years5 = 1975–1976
| clubs5 = Mossley
| caps5 = 24
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 1976
| clubs6 = → San Diego Jaws (loan)
| caps6 = 22
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 1976–1978
| clubs7 = Bradford City
| caps7 = 1
| goals7 = 0
| totalcaps = 462
| totalgoals = 13
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland U23
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1966
| nationalteam2 = Northern Ireland
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1978
| managerclubs1 = Bradford City
}}
Robert John Napier (born 23 September 1946) is a Northern Irish former football centre half and manager, who currently teaches soccer in San Diego, California.
Biography
Napier was born in Lurgan. With a career as both player and coach, Napier has also been a player agent and a television and radio sports analyst.{{cite web|url=http://www.johnnapiersoccer.com/ |title=John Napier's website | access-date=2007-10-11 | work=Johnnapiersoccer.com}}
Career
= Club playing career =
Napier began his career in September 1963 playing for the Bolton Wanderers, where he played until 1967, when he was transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25,000. He played until 1972 playing more than 200 games including two seasons as ever-present. In 1972, he was transferred to Bradford City for a record-equalling £10,000. He spent six seasons at Valley Parade interspersed with spells in America at Baltimore Comets and the same team after they became San Diego Jaws, and also at Mossley. In all he played more than 100 games at City, and served as manager, and assistant coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.johnnapiersoccer.com/Resume.html |title=John Napier's resume|access-date=2007-10-11|work=johnnapiersoccer.com}}
= Club management career =
Napier served as manager at City from February 1978 to October 1978. He was unpopular as manager of Bradford City, as the team was relegated to the now defunct Division Four.{{cite web | url=http://www.geocities.com/thebradfordcitysite/tbcs11-2.html | title=John Napier management profile | access-date=2007-10-11 | work=Geocities.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904042921/http://geocities.com/thebradfordcitysite/tbcs11-2.html| url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-09-04}} Napier returned to the United States in 1979 to take a coaching position at Pepperdine University and continues to coach soccer.{{cite news
|url = http://soccer.xksandiego.com/news.php?viewStory=1595
|title = Coach's Corner: John Napier
|date = 2009-01-07
|access-date = 2009-01-08
|publisher = Daily San Diego Soccer News
|first = Erin
|last = Murphy
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718131333/http://soccer.xksandiego.com/news.php?viewStory=1595
|archive-date = 2011-07-18
}}
= International career =
Napier was a Northern Ireland schoolboy international, won 11 youth caps, two under-23 caps. He won his only full international cap against West Germany in May 1966.{{cite book
| last = Frost
| first = Terry
| title = Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988
| publisher = Breedon Books Sport
| year = 1988
| pages = 127
| isbn = 0-907969-38-0}}
Honours
- Most Valuable Player, Bolton Wanderers: 1966
- Most Valuable Player, Brighton: 1969
- Football League Division Three Runner-Up, Brighton: 1971
- Most Valuable Player, Bradford City: 1973
Managerial statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | ||||
| rowspan="2" |Team
! rowspan="2" |Nat ! rowspan="2" |Year ! colspan="5" |Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % |
| align="left" |Bradford City
|{{flagicon|ENG}} |1978 {{WDL|34|11|5|18}} | ||||
| colspan=3 | Career Total
{{WDLtot|34|11|5|18}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.johnnapiersoccer.com/Resume.html John Napier's resume on his official website]
- {{soccerbase (manager)|828|Napier, John}}
- [http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s474/st126700.htm Bolton Wanderers interview with John Napier]
{{Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Bradford City A.F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Napier, John}}
Category:Association footballers from Lurgan
Category:Association football managers from Northern Ireland
Category:Northern Ireland men's international footballers
Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Category:Bradford City A.F.C. players
Category:Baltimore Comets players
Category:San Diego Jaws players
Category:Bradford City A.F.C. managers
Category:English Football League players
Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Category:Men's association football central defenders
Category:Mossley A.F.C. players
Category:Northern Ireland men's under-23 international footballers