Alan Paul Biley (born 26 February 1957) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, Cambridge United, Derby County, Everton, Portsmouth and Stoke City.[1]

Alan Biley
Personal information
Full name Alan Paul Biley[1]
Date of birth (1957-02-26) 26 February 1957 (age 67)[1]
Place of birth Leighton Buzzard, England[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1973–1974 Luton Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1979 Cambridge United 165 (74)
1979–1981 Derby County 47 (19)
1981–1982 Everton 19 (3)
1981–1982Stoke City (loan) 8 (1)
1982–1984 Portsmouth 105 (50)
1984–1986 Brighton & Hove Albion 35 (8)
1986–1987 Cambridge United 3 (0)
1987–1988 Panionios 2 (0)
1988–1989 Waterford United 2 (0)
Total 386 (155)
Managerial career
1998–1999 Ely City
Potton United
2000–2001 Barton Rovers
2001–2002 Diss Town
2002 Spalding United
2005–2006 Spalding United
2006–2007 Rothwell Town
2008–2009 Spalding United
2012 Hemel Hempstead Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Biley was born in Leighton Buzzard and began his career with Luton Town's youth team before joining Cambridge United in 1975.[1] He became a prolific goalscorer for Cambridge which saw him net 82 goals in 185 matches which brought the attention of bigger clubs. First Division Derby County signed him in 1979 and he took to the top-flight well scoring nine goals in 18 matches but Derby were relegated. He remained with the "Rams" for the 1980–81 season scoring 10 goals as they finished in 6th position. Biley was then signed by Everton but he had a frustrating spell at Goodison Park scoring just three goals in 21 and left before the end of the 1981–82 for Stoke City. He played eight matches for Stoke scoring once which came in a 4–3 defeat away at Southampton.[1]

Biley then signed for Bobby Campbell's Portsmouth in 1982.[1] He became a hugely popular figure at Fratton Park helping the South Coast side to the Third Division title in 1982–83. After scoring 65 goals in 119 games for Pompey he left for Brighton & Hove Albion where he spent two seasons and then a short return to Cambridge United.[1] After a brief spell at Panionios he ended his career with a brief spell at Waterford United where he was signed by ex teammate Andy King. Biley made his League of Ireland debut on 15 January 1989 at Cork City but only made one other appearance for Waterford.

Managerial career

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Biley was appointed manager of Eastern Counties League club Ely City in 1998 after the club had finished as runners-up in the league the previous season. However, the club were relegated at the end of the 1998–99 season, after which Biley resigned.[3] He later managed Potton United and Barton Rovers before resigning after four months to take over at Diss Town.

After leaving Diss, he managed Spalding United, from October [4] to December 2002,[5] later joining Wootton Blue Cross as assistant manager in June 2003.[6]

In February 2004, Biley joined Kettering Town as assistant manager, working under his former Derby County colleague Kevin Wilson.[7] Biley had two spells as assistant manager of Kettering, separated by a short spell as caretaker manager of Spalding United in February 2006,[8] before taking over as manager of Rothwell Town in November 2006.[9]

He resigned from his post at Rothwell in May 2007.[10] In 2007, Biley was once again re-united with Wilson as he became assistant manager of Corby Town, however, following a bad run on the back end of the year. In 2008, he went back to Spalding for a fourth time as manager; Spalding were on the verge of relegation to the United Counties League, but Biley kept them in the Northern Premier League. On 3 January 2014 Biley became assistant manager at struggling Southern League Premier Division club Bedford Town.

Career statistics

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Source:[11]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cambridge United 1975–76 Fourth Division 12 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 14 4
1976–77 Fourth Division 46 19 1 0 3 1 0 0 50 20
1977–78 Third Division 44 21 2 2 3 1 0 0 49 20
1978–79 Second Division 41 19 1 1 2 1 0 0 44 21
1979–80 Second Division 22 12 1 0 2 0 3 1 28 13
Total 165 74 5 3 12 4 3 1 185 82
Derby County 1979–80 First Division 18 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 9
1980–81 Second Division 29 10 2 0 2 0 0 0 33 10
Total 47 19 2 0 2 0 0 0 51 19
Everton 1981–82 First Division 19 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 21 3
Stoke City (loan) 1981–82 First Division 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1
Portsmouth 1982–83 Third Division 46 22 2 2 2 1 0 0 50 26
1983–84 Second Division 37 16 2 0 4 2 0 0 43 26
1984–85 Second Division 22 12 0 0 4 1 0 0 26 13
Total 105 50 4 2 10 4 0 0 119 65
Brighton & Hove Albion 1984–85 Second Division 13 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 4
1985–86 Second Division 22 4 2 0 3 1 0 0 27 5
Total 35 8 2 0 3 1 0 0 40 9
Cambridge United 1986–87 Fourth Division 3 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 7 1
Panionios 1987–88 Alpha Ethniki 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Waterford United 1988–89 League of Ireland 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Career Total 386 155 16 6 30 9 4 1 436 171
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Scottish Cup.

Honours

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Cambridge United
Portsmouth

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. ^ History Ely City F.C.
  4. ^ Biley's the new man for Tulips[usurped]
  5. ^ Chairman and manager go at Spalding[usurped]
  6. ^ Davidson puts together impressive backroom staff[usurped]
  7. ^ Old team-mates re-united at Rockingham Road[usurped]
  8. ^ Biley back at Kettering[usurped]
  9. ^ "Biley Gets Bones Post". Non-League Daily. 15 November 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Biley quits Bones". Non-League Daily. 21 May 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ Alan Biley at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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