Roger Freestone

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Roger Freestone

| image =

| fullname = Roger Freestone

| height = 6 ft 2 in{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=122 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1968|8|19}}

| birth_place = Caerleon, Wales

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1986–1987

| years2 = 1987–1991

| years3 = 1989

| years4 = 1990

| years5 = 1991–2004

| years6 = 2004

| clubs1 = Newport County

| clubs2 = Chelsea

| clubs3 = → Swansea City (loan)

| clubs4 = → Hereford United (loan)

| clubs5 = Swansea City

| clubs6 = Newport County

| caps1 = 13

| caps2 = 42

| caps3 = 14

| caps4 = 8

| caps5 = 552

| caps6 = 14

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 3

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 643 | totalgoals = 3

| nationalyears1 = 1990

| nationalyears2 = 2000

| nationalteam1 = Wales U21

| nationalteam2 = Wales

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2002

| managerclubs1 = Swansea City

}}

Roger Freestone (born 19 August 1968) is a Welsh former international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He has the distinction of being one of a relatively small group of footballers to play 500 English Football League matches for one club, the only other Welshmen being Ryan Giggs, Neville Southall and Len Weare.

Club career

Born in Caerleon, near Newport, Monmouthshire, Freestone began his career at Newport County as a trainee before moving to Chelsea in 1987 for £95,000. During his time there he was never the established first choice, being behind Eddie Niedzwiecki, Kevin Hitchcock and Dave Beasant, and was loaned out to Swansea City and Hereford United. He eventually joined Swansea on a permanent deal in 1991, for a fee of £45,000, and went on to spend over a decade, the majority of his career, at the Welsh club.

In 2001 a rumoured move to rivals Cardiff City was met with anger from Swansea fans as they did not want to lose him.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/1330888.stm "Hollins hits out"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 3 November 2007 He left the club after thirteen years and went on to sign for Newport County in 2004, but his contract was cancelled several months later by mutual consent owing to recurring injury problems[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/4046361.stm "Keeper Freestone leaves Newport"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 3 November 2007 and he eventually retired.

The way in which he left Swansea City angered a lot of fans. Then-manager Kenny Jackett said he made a tough choice in releasing Roger Freestone and the supporters felt they had missed an opportunity to give a proper send-off that he deserved for his contribution.{{Cite web |url=http://www.swansea.vitalfootball.co.uk/sitepage.asp?a=161805 |title=Swansea City - 18 - Roger Freestone |access-date=23 October 2009 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724153455/http://www.swansea.vitalfootball.co.uk/sitepage.asp?a=161805 |url-status=dead }}

Freestone is considered a legend among Swansea fans. In 1995, he briefly became the clubs penalty taker, where he converted three out of three spot-kicks. His talent as a shot stopper lead to him keeping 22 clean sheets in a season, which was a club record,{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/swansea_city/8321595.stm | work=BBC News | title=Centurion de Vries loving Swansea | date=23 October 2009}} until Dorus de Vries broke the record in the 2009–10 season.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/8595494.stm |title=Swansea 3–0 Scunthorpe |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 April 2010 |accessdate=5 April 2010}}

International career

Freestone played for Wales at schoolboy, under-21 and B level before winning his first and only cap against Brazil in 2000.[http://www.dragonsoccer.co.uk/matches/fr_00003.htm#match%20details "Wales vs Brazil match report"] Dragonsoccer Retrieved on 3 November 2007

Management career

Freestone had a short-lived stint as manager at Swansea along with Nick Cusack.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/bbc_pundits/1907333.stm "Mark Aizlewood:"No cause for celebration"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 3 November 2007 He currently manages youth side, Risca & Gelli United in the Islwyn Youth League.

Career statistics

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! ! ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Club	League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals !Apps !Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| England ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Total
1986–87	rowspan="1"\|Newport County	rowspan="1"\|Division 3	13	0\|

	\|13	0
1986–87	rowspan="4"\|Chelsea	rowspan="2"\|Division 1	6	0\|

	\|6	0
1987–88	15	0	2	0 \|	\|17	0
1988–89	rowspan="1"\|Division 2	21	0\|

2 \|0	23	0
1989–90	rowspan="1"\|Division 1	0	0\|

	\|0	0
1989–90	rowspan="1"\|Hereford United (Loan)	rowspan="1"\|Division 4	8	0\|

	\|8	0
1989–90	rowspan="1"\|Swansea City (Loan)	rowspan="1"\|Division 3	14	0\|

	\|14	0
1990–91	Chelsea	Division 1	0	0\|

	\|0	0
1991–92	rowspan="13"\|Swansea City	rowspan="1"\|Division 3	42	0\|

	\|42	0
1992–93	rowspan="4"\|Division 2	46	0\|

	\|46	0
1993–94	46	0\|

	\|46	0
1994–95	45	1\|

2 \|0	47	1
1995–96	45	2\|

– \| -	45	2
1996–97	rowspan="4"\|Division 3	45	0	0	0 \|2 \|0	47	0
1997–98	43	0	1	0 \|2 \|0	46	0
1998–99	38	0	5	0 \|2 \|0	45	0
1999–2000	46	0	2	0 \|4 \|0	52	0
2000–01	rowspan="1"\|Division 2	43	0	1	0 \|2 \|0	46	0
2001–02	rowspan="3"\|Division 3	43	0	2	0 \|1 \|0	46	0
2002–03	33	0	1	0 \|1 \|0	35	0
2003–04	37	0	5	0 \|0 \|0	42	0
2004–05	rowspan="1"\|Newport County	rowspan="1"\|Conference South	14	0\|

	\|14	0
rowspan=1 \| Total ! colspan=2 \| England !643\|\|3\|\|19\|\|0 !18 !0\|\|680\|\|3
colspan=3 \| Career total !643\|\|3\|\|19\|\|0 !18 !0\|\|680\|\|3

Honours

Chelsea

Football League Second Division: 1988–89

Swansea City

Football League Third Division: 1999–2000
Football League Trophy: 1993–94
FAW Premier Cup runner-up: 2000–01, 2001–02
Football League Third Division play-offs runner-up: 1997{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027002521/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |archivedate=27 October 2018 |title=Football: Swansea run over by Frain |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media |first=Norman |last=Fox |date=25 May 1997 |accessdate=1 May 2020}}