Stuart Thurgood

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Stuart Thurgood

| image = Stuart Thurgood cropped.JPG

| image_size = 150

| fullname = Stuart Anthony Thurgood{{cite book

| editor-last = Hugman

| editor-first = Barry J.

| title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09

| publisher = Mainstream

| year = 2008

| isbn = 978-1-84596-324-8}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|11|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Enfield, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Tottenham Hotspur

| years1 = 1998–1999

| years2 = 2000

| years3 = 2001–2003

| years4 = 2003–2008

| years5 = 2007–2008

| years6 = 2008–2009

| years7 = 2008

| years8 = 2008–2009

| years9 = 2009

| years10 = 2009–2010

| years11 = 2011

| years12 = 2011–2012

| years13 = 2013–2014

| years14 = 2014

| years15 = 2016–2017

| years16 = 2017

| clubs1 = Tottenham Hotspur

| clubs2 = Shimizu S-Pulse

| clubs3 = Southend United

| clubs4 = Grays Athletic

| clubs5 = → Gillingham (loan)

| clubs6 = Gillingham

| clubs7 = → Grays Athletic (loan)

| clubs8 = → Grays Athletic (loan)

| clubs9 = Grays Athletic

| clubs10 = Dagenham & Redbridge

| clubs11 = Grays Athletic

| clubs12 = Thurrock

| clubs13 = East Thurrock United

| clubs14 = VCD Athletic

| clubs15 = Grays Athletic

| clubs16 = Thurrock

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0J.LEAGUE YEARBOOK 2001 – Jリーグ公式記録集2001, J.League (J.League Enterprise, 2001) {{ISBN|978-4-88752-103-2}}

| caps3 = 79

| goals3 = 1

| caps4 = 157

| goals4 = 26

| caps5 = 5

| goals5 = 0

| caps6 = 7

| goals6 = 0

| caps7 = 13

| goals7 = 0

| caps8 = 27

| goals8 = 2

| caps9 = 17

| goals9 = 1

| caps10 = 17

| goals10 = 0

| caps11 = 2

| goals11 = 0

| caps12 = 26

| goals12 = 0

| caps13 = 20

| goals13 = 2

| caps14 = 7

| goals14 = 1

| caps15 = 0

| goals15 = 0

| caps16 = 0

| goals16 = 0

| totalcaps = 377 | totalgoals = 33

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2006

| nationalteam1 = England C

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| club-update =

| ntupdate =

}}

Stuart Anthony Thurgood (born 4 November 1981) is an English convicted criminal and former professional footballer. He played professionally for clubs including Southend United and Gillingham. In 2021 he was convicted of drugs smuggling offences and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Career

Born in Enfield, London, Thurgood made his debut for Gillingham in the 2–1 home win over Hartlepool United on 24 November 2007. He signed for Gillingham on a permanent basis in January 2008, keeping him at the club until 2009.{{cite news

| title = Exclusive: Contract Update On Four Gills Stars

| url = http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~1214676,00.html

| publisher = gillinghamfootballclub.co.uk

| date = 14 January 2008

| accessdate = 19 August 2008}}

Thurgood rejoined Grays Athletic on 13 March 2008 on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season.{{cite news|title=Player News |url=http://www.graysathletic.co.uk/news/archives/002447.html |publisher=greysathletic.co.uk |date=19 March 2008 |access-date=19 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517060819/http://www.graysathletic.co.uk/news/archives/002447.html |archive-date=17 May 2008 }} He signed for Grays for a third time on 19 August 2008, on loan until the end of the 2008–09 season.{{cite news|title=Thurgood Back Again |url=http://www.graysathletic.co.uk/news/archives/002674.html |publisher=greysathletic.co.uk |date=19 August 2008 |access-date=19 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809152242/http://graysathletic.co.uk/news/archives/002674.html |archive-date=9 August 2011 }} This was cut short though when he was released by Gillingham on 23 January 2009, at which point he joined Grays permanently again until the end of the season.{{cite news

| title = Thurgood leaves Gills

| url = http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11750_4838912,00.html

| publisher = Sky Sports

| date = 23 January 2009

| accessdate = 23 January 2009}} After the end of the season, in May, he joined League Two team Dagenham & Redbridge on a two-year contract.{{cite news

| title = Daggers sign Thurgood from Grays

| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dagenham_and_redbridge/8064156.stm

| publisher = BBC Sport

| date = 22 May 2009

| accessdate = 22 May 2009}}

During November 2009 he sustained an injury; in September 2010, he retired aged 28.{{cite news |title=Thurgood forced to retire at 28 |url=http://www.daggers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10692~2159793,00.html |work=daggers.co.uk |publisher=Dagenham & Redbridge |date=20 September 2010 |accessdate=16 November 2010}}

However, after a successful period with playing for Grays Athletic's reserve team, Thurgood signed for the Isthmian League Division One club on 11 October 2011.{{cite web | url = http://www.graysathletic.co.uk/news/new-signings-402249.html | title = New signings | publisher = Grays Athletic F.C. | date = 11 October 2011 | accessdate = 11 October 2011 }}

In November 2011, Thurgood signed for Conference South club Thurrock,{{Cite web| url=http://www.footballconference.co.uk/news/details.php?news_id=5818 |title=Thurrock sign Thurgood |publisher=Football Conference |date=5 November 2011}}{{cite web | url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/stuart-thurgood/84173/ | title=England - S. Thurgood - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway }} where he would return for another spell in March 2017.

During the 2013-14 season, he played for East Thurrock United{{cite web | url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/east-thurrock-united/appearances/2013-2014/stuart-thurgood/18671 | title=East Thurrock United | Appearances | Stuart Thurgood | 2013-2014 | Football Web Pages }} and VCD Athletic.{{cite web | url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/east-thurrock-united/appearances/2013-2014/stuart-thurgood/18671 | title=East Thurrock United | Appearances | Stuart Thurgood | 2013-2014 | Football Web Pages }}

Imprisonment

In 2021, Thurgood was sentenced to eight years in prison for drugs smuggling offences. He was a member of an organised crime group which smuggled cocaine into the United Kingdom and distributed it to county lines gangs in Essex and surrounding areas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/south_essex_news/19340062.essex-drugs-gang-locked-combined-total-40-years/|title=Former Blues player Stuart Thurgood jailed for cocaine smuggling|first=Ellis|last=Whitehouse|date=31 May 2021|accessdate=5 June 2021|work=Maldon Standard}}

Honours

FA Trophy: 2005, 2006
Conference South (VI): 2005

References

External links

[http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10416~9022,00.html Stuart Thurgood player profile] at gillinghamfootballclub.com
{{Soccerbase|24031}}
{{Soccerbase|36908}}

Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Enfield

Category:People from Enfield, London

Category:English men's footballers

Category:Player-coaches

Category:England men's semi-pro international footballers

Category:English expatriate men's footballers

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Japan

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players

Category:Shimizu S-Pulse players