Robert Taylor (footballer, born 1971)

Robert Anthony Taylor (born 30 April 1971) is an English former professional footballer. He is currently manager of Watton United and a licensed football agent.

Robert Taylor
Personal information
Full name Robert Anthony Taylor[1]
Date of birth (1971-04-30) 30 April 1971
Place of birth Norwich, England
Playing position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Watton United (manager)
Youth career
Watton United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1991 Norwich City 0 (0)
1991 → Leyton Orient (loan) 3 (1)
1991 Birmingham City 0 (0)
1991–1994 Leyton Orient 73 (20)
1994–1998 Brentford 183 (58)
1998–1999 Gillingham 61 (33)
1999–2000 Manchester City 12 (5)
2000–2002 Wolverhampton Wanderers 9 (0)
2001 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 3 (0)
2001–2002 → Gillingham (loan) 11 (0)
2002 → Grimsby Town (loan) 4 (1)
2002–2003 Grimsby Town 1 (0)
2003 Scunthorpe United 8 (0)
2004 Gorleston 3 (1)
2008–2012 Diss Town 3 (0)
Total 374 (119)
Teams managed
2003–2004 Watton United
2004 King's Lynn (caretaker)
2004–2008 Dereham Town
2008–2012 Diss Town
2013 Mundford
2016 Swaffham Town
2017 Acle United
2019– Watton United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Born in Norwich, Taylor played for Watton United's youth team.[2] He was first spotted after playing for Watton United's first team at the age of 15 against Norwich City's reserves in a pre-season friendly.[3]

A forward, Taylor failed to make a first-team appearance for Norwich, making his professional debut in 1991 whilst on loan at Leyton Orient.[4] He spent the summer of 1990 with Norwegian side FK Mjølner gain further experience.[5]

In 1991 Taylor signed for Birmingham City where he also failed to make the first team.[4] He then signed permanently former loan club Leyton Orient where he scored 20 goals in 81 appearances, before moving to Brentford where he scored 74 goals in 208 appearances.[6]

In 1998, he signed for Gillingham for a then club-record fee of £500,000.[7] Playing under manager Tony Pulis Taylor enjoyed the best goal scoring run of his career, totalling 39 goals in 70 games. This included 5 goals away in a single game, away to Burnley in February 1999.[8] Taylor played and scored in the 1999 Second Division play-off Final against Manchester City.[8]

Taylor remained with the club until November 1999 when he signed for Manchester City for £1.5 million.[9] Playing for the club as it gained promotion from the First Division, he scored 5 goals in 12 appearances.[10][11]

In 2000, he signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1.55 million on a four-year deal, commenting that City's signings of Paolo Wanchope and George Weah meant his playing time would be limited at the club.[12] He only made 12 first team appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals and suffered with then-undiagnosed circulatory problems in his legs.[4][9] Whilst at the club he was sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers, Grimsby Town and his former club Gillingham.[4]

Leaving Wolves in 2002 he then signed permanently for Grimsby, before ending his professional career with Scunthorpe United.[4]

He also went on to play for non-League club Gorleston.[9] In 2008, while Diss Town manager, he made a brief playing comeback early in the 2008–09 season.[13]

Managerial career

Taylor moved into management with Watton United, King's Lynn (as caretaker manager),[14] Dereham Town,[15] Diss Town,[16] Mundford and more recently Swaffham Town.[17]

In 2019 he returned to Watton United as manager.

Personal life

As a child Taylor supported Liverpool, citing Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush as his inspiration.[3]

In 2016 Taylor launched a football agency, TG-Inspire.[18]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leyton Orient (loan) 1990–91[4] Third Division 3 1 — — — 3 1
Brentford 1993–94[6] Second Division 52— — — 52
1994-95[6] 432321414[lower-alpha 1]05325
1995–96[6] 42 11 4 3 4 1 2[lower-alpha 2] 1 52 16
1996–97[19] 43 7 3 2 4 1 6[lower-alpha 3] 3 56 13
1997–98[20] 40 13 1 2 4 3 1[lower-alpha 2] 0 46 18
Total 1735610812613420874
Gillingham 1998–99[8] Second Division 431610106[lower-alpha 4]55121
1999-00[10] 15152221—1918
Total 58313231657039
Manchester City 1999-00[10] First Division 12 5 — — — 12 5
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2000–01[21] First Division 9 0 0 0 3 3 — 12 3
Queens Park Rangers (loan) 2001–02[22] Second Division 3 0 — — — 3 0
Gillingham (loan) 2001–02[22] First Division 11 0 — 0 0 — 11 0
Gillingham total 69 31 3 2 3 1 6 5 81 39
Grimsby Town (loan) 2001–02[22] First Division 4 1 — — — 4 1
Grimsby Town 2002–03[23] First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 0
Grimsby Town total 5 1 0 0 0 0 — 5 1
Scunthorpe United 2002–03[23] Third Division 8 0 — — — 8 0
Gorleston 2004–05[24] Eastern Counties League Premier Division 3 1 0 0 — 0 0 3 1
Diss Town 2008–09[13] Eastern Counties League First Division 3 0 0 0 — 0 0 3 0
Career total 2889513101810199338124
  1. 2 appearances in Second Division play-offs, 2 appearances in Football League Trophy.
  2. Appearances in Football League Trophy.
  3. 3 appearances and 2 goals in Second Division play-offs, 3 appearances and 1 goal in Football League Trophy.
  4. 3 appearances and 2 goals in Second Division play-offs, 3 appearances and 3 goals in Football League Trophy.

Honours

As a player

Manchester City

As a manager

Diss Town

References
  1. "Robert Taylor". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. "Brentford | News | Where Are They Now? | Where Are They Now? | WHERE ARE THEY NOW?". brentfordfc.co.uk. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  3. "BBC – Norfolk – Junior Football – Robert Taylor interview". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  4. Robert Taylor at Soccerbase
  5. "Boss ready to fill defensive hole". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  6. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 479–481. ISBN 9781906796723.
  7. Deepdale, By Ian Winrow at (17 May 1999). "Gills equal to the task". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  8. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  9. Ivery, Daniel (27 December 2012). "Where are they now? Robert Taylor". birminghammail. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  10. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  11. "Football Club History Database – Manchester City". fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  12. "TAYLOR SIGNS FOR WOLVES". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  13. "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  14. "Banana skin alert". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  15. "Dereham Part Company With Management Team – News – Soham Town Rangers FC". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  16. "Football: Taylor named Diss manager". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  17. "Thurlow Nunn League Swaffham Town appoint former Manchester City striker as their new boss". Watton and Swaffham Times. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  18. "www.tg-inspire.co.uk". TG-Inspire. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  19. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  20. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  21. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  22. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  23. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  24. "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  25. "SEASON REVIEW: Diss Town". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 3 June 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  26. "Football Club History Database – Eastern Counties League 2010–11". fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
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