Kit Napier

Kit Napier
Personal information
Full name Christopher Robin Anthony Napier[1]
Date of birth (1943-09-26) 26 September 1943[1]
Place of birth Dunblane, Scotland
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing position Forward
Youth career
– Blackpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1963 Blackpool 2 (0)
1963–1964 Preston North End 1 (0)
1964–1965 Workington 58 (25)
1965–1966 Newcastle United 8 (0)
1966–1972 Brighton & Hove Albion 256 (84)
1972–1974 Blackburn Rovers 54 (10)
– Durban United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Christopher Robin Anthony "Kit" Napier (born 26 September 1943) is a Scottish former professional footballer who scored 119 goals from 379 appearances in the Football League playing as a forward for Blackpool, Preston North End, Workington, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Blackburn Rovers.[3]

Career

Napier was born in Dunblane, Perthshire,[1] the nephew of Tommy McInally who played for Celtic FC & who was a Scotland International [ 2 ]. Kit was brought up in West Linton in Peeblesshire Scotland where he played for the local amateur team " Linton Hotspur". The headmaster of his school contacted the then football "scouts" & so began his professional career .He began his football career as a junior with First Division club Blackpool, and turned professional with that club in 1960. He played twice in the Football League before joining their arch-rivals Preston North End of the Second Division for the 1963–64 season. After a single appearance, and still only 20 years old, he moved on to his third club, Workington, newly promoted to the Third Division. He scored twice as Workington eliminated First Division Blackburn Rovers from the 1964–65 League Cup by five goals to one,[4] and scored the equaliser as his club earned a deserved replay against eventual winners Chelsea in the quarter-final.[5][6]

Such results, added to 25 goals from 58 League matches, attracted attention. In November 1965, First Division club Newcastle United paid £18,000 for Napier's services,[2] but at the end of the season, having struggled to adapt to the higher level,[7] he returned to Division Three with Brighton & Hove Albion, for an £8,500 fee.[2] At Brighton he finally found some stability; of the six seasons he spent with the club, he was their top scorer in all but 1969–70,[8] and helped them to runners-up spot in 1972. Though his club were promoted, Napier spent two further seasons in Division Three, with Blackburn Rovers. He then moved to South Africa, where he played for Durban United and then made a career in the motor trade.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kit Napier". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Carder, Tim & Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 181. ISBN 0-9521337-1-7.
  3. ↑ "Kit Napier". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "1960's – League Cup 50th Vote". The Football League. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "News Archive 2007". Workington A.F.C. 25 November 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  6. ↑ "Workington Earn Replay". The Times. 26 November 1964. p. 4. ... soon after the restart Napier equalized after good work by Martin and Moran. Then Workington really set the pace, and at times three Chelsea forwards were defending in the penalty area.
  7. ↑ "Player Profile: Christopher 'Kit' Napier". Toon1892. Ken Scott. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  8. ↑ Carder & Harris, Albion A–Z, p. 338.
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