Tony Funnell

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Tony Funnell

| fullname = Anthony Funnell

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|8|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Eastbourne, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Newhaven

| years1 = 1975–1977

| clubs1 = Eastbourne United

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1977–1979

| clubs2 = Southampton

| caps2 = 17

| goals2 = 8

| years3 = 1977

| clubs3 = → Vancouver Whitecaps (loan)

| caps3 = 10

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 1979–1980

| clubs4 = Gillingham

| caps4 = 33

| goals4 = 10

| years5 = 1980–1981

| clubs5 = Brentford

| caps5 = 32

| goals5 = 8

| years6 = 1981–1983

| clubs6 = Bournemouth

| caps6 = 64

| goals6 = 22

| years7 =

| clubs7 = Poole Town

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 = Hamworthy United

| manageryears2 =

| managerclubs2 = Wimborne Town

}}

Anthony Funnell (born 20 August 1957) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League.

Funnell played in the Football League for Bournemouth, Gillingham, Brentford and Southampton. After a back injury forced him to retire from League football, Funnell he had a notable spell with Poole Town in non-League football. He made over 300 appearances and was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2014. Funnell later became a manager.

Playing career

= Southampton =

After rising to prominence at Athenian League club Eastbourne United, Funnell joined Second Division club Southampton for a £250 fee in January 1977.{{Cite book|title=The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies |last=Croxford| first=Mark| last2=Lane |first2=David |last3=Waterman |first3=Greville |publisher=Legends Publishing|year=2011|isbn=978-1906796709|location=Sunbury, Middlesex|page=294}} Funnell played the 1977 English off-season in Canada with North American Soccer League club Vancouver Whitecaps.{{Cite web |title=Tony Funnell |url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/F/Funnell.Tony.htm |accessdate=5 October 2014 |website=North American Soccer League Players}} He scored two goals in 10 games for the club, which fell to the Seattle Sounders in the first round of the playoffs.{{Cite web |date= |title=The Year in American Soccer – 1977 |url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1977.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713134953/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1977.html |archive-date=13 July 2013 |access-date=6 September 2023}}

Funnell made an impression during the second half of the 1977–78 season, scoring 9 goals to help the Saints clinch promotion to First Division with a second-place finish.{{Cite web |url=http://www.11v11.com/players/tony-funnell-28164/ |title=Tony Funnell |website=11v11.com |accessdate=5 October 2014}}{{Fchd|id=SOUTHAMP|name=Southampton F.C.}} The higher level of football during the 1978–79 season meant Funnell rarely figured in the first team picture and he departed The Dell in March 1979.{{Cite web |url=http://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-norwich-city-11-november-1978-84553/ |title=Southampton v Norwich City, 11 November 1978 |website=11v11.com |accessdate=5 October 2014}} Funnell made 20 appearances and scored 9 goals during his time with Southampton.

= Gillingham =

In March 1979, Funnell transferred to Third Division club Gillingham for a then-club record fee of £50,000.{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |location=Harefield |pages=61}} He made 38 appearances and scored 10 goals during just over a year at Priestfield.{{Cite web |title=Tony Funnell |url=http://www.gillinghamfcscrapbook.co.uk/DisplayPlayer.php?playername=Funnell%2CTony |accessdate=26 May 2017 |website=Gillingham FC Scrapbook}}

= Brentford =

Funnell joined Third Division club Brentford for a then-club record fee of £56,000 in March 1980. Not rated by incoming manager Fred Callaghan, he made only 23 appearances and scored six goals during his only full season at Griffin Park. Funnell departed the Bees in the summer of 1981, having made 35 appearances and scored 10 goals.

= Bournemouth =

Funnell signed for Fourth Division club AFC Bournemouth in September 1981 for a £5,000 fee. Under David Webb's management, he had the best season of his career in 1981–82, top-scoring 16 goals in 43 league games to help the Cherries to promotion to Division Three with a fourth-place finish.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/8905579.Funnell__Cherries_have_done_10_times_better_than_Saints/ |title=Funnell: Cherries have done 10 times better than Saints |last=Wadley |first=Ian |website=Bournemouth Echo |accessdate=5 October 2014}} A back injury during the 1982–83 season ended Funnell's career in league football. He made 64 appearances and scored 22 goals during his time at Dean Court.

= Poole Town =

After two years in Sunday league football, Funnell moved into non-League football to join Southern League Premier Division club Poole Town in 1985.{{Cite web |title=The Chairman Remembers Pt8 – Tony Funnell's 176 goals and Tom Killick's first!! |url=https://www.pooletownfc.co.uk/news/it/237 |access-date=6 September 2023 |website=Poole Town FC |language=en}} During a long spell with the club, Funnell scored 127 goals in 308 appearances for the Dolphins. He was recognised for his service with a testimonial versus former club Southampton in May 1991 and he was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2014.{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame 2014 |url=http://www.pooletownfc.co.uk/hall-fame/ |accessdate=5 October 2014 |website=Poole Town FC}}

Managerial career

Funnell had spells as manager of Dorset League club Hamworthy United and Wessex League club Wimborne Town.

Personal life

Funnell's son Gary is also a footballer, who represented non-League clubs Wimborne Town, Salisbury City and Poole Town, in addition to the England beach football team at international level.{{cite news |url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/football/9229072.Wimborne_Town__Funnell_after_more_FA_Cup_exploits/|title=Wimborne Town: Funnell after more FA Cup exploits|first=Ian |last=Wadley |work=Bournemouth Echo|accessdate=5 October 2014}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|National cup{{efn\|Includes FA Cup}} ! colspan="2" \|League cup{{efn\|Includes Football League Cup}} ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="3" \|Southampton \|1977–78 \|Second Division \|15 \|8 \|1 \|0 \|2 \|1 \|18 \|9
1978–79 \|First Division \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|2 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !17 !8 !2 !0 !2 !1 !20 !9
Vancouver Whitecaps (loan) \|1977 \|North American Soccer League \|10 \|2 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|10 \|2
rowspan="3" \|Gillingham \|1978–79 \| rowspan="2" \|Third Division \|12 \|7 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|12 \|7
1979–80 \|21 \|3 \|2 \|0 \|3 \|0 \|26 \|3
colspan="2" \|Total !33 !10 !2 !0 !3 !0 !38 !10
rowspan="3" \|Brentford \|1979–80{{Cite book\|title=100 Years Of Brentford\|publisher=Brentford FC\|year=1989\|isbn=0951526200\|editor-last=White\|editor-first=Eric\|pages=393–398}} \| rowspan="2" \|Third Division \|9 \|2 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|9 \|2
1980–81 \|23 \|6 \|3 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|26 \|8
colspan="2" \|Total !32 !8 !3 !2 !0 !0 !35 !10
colspan="3" \|Career total !92 !28 !7 !2 !5 !1 !103 !31

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |National cup{{efn|Includes FA Cup}}

! colspan="2" |League cup{{efn|Includes Football League Cup}}

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps