Kevin Lloyd (footballer, born 1958)

Kevin John James Lloyd (born 12 June 1958) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He played in the Football League for Cardiff City and Gillingham.

Kevin Lloyd
Personal information
Full name Kevin John James Lloyd[1]
Date of birth (1958-06-12) 12 June 1958 (age 65)[1]
Place of birth Wolverhampton, England
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Worcester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1979 Darlaston
1979–1980 Cardiff City 1 (0)
1980–1981 Gillingham 1 (0)
1981–1982 Worcester City 35 (3)
1982 Albion Rovers SC
1983-1984 Brunswick United Juventus
1985 Green Gully
1986 St Albans Dinamo
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career edit

Lloyd was born in 1958 in Wolverhampton.[1] After playing football for Worcester City's youth and reserve teams, he moved into Sunday league football in Wolverhampton, from where he joined West Midlands (Regional) League club Darlaston in September 1978.[2] He had no contract with Darlaston, preferring a non-contractual arrangement that let him continue playing Sunday football.[3] He was out for a time through injury, before starting to attract attention early the following year.[2] In March, Worcester City tried to re-sign him but he turned them down. Lloyd was then offered a trial with Football League club Cardiff City.[4] Injury, for which he received daily treatment at nearby Walsall F.C., prevented him taking up the offer immediately, but it remained open,[3] and he signed for Cardiff in May 1979.[1] Because Darlaston had no contract with Lloyd, they were not entitled to a transfer fee.[3]

He was selected as the substitute for the visit to Notts County on the opening day of the 1979–80 Second Division season, and came on in place of Ray Bishop during a 4–1 defeat.[5] The Sports Argus newspaper reported that "even the Darlaston officials [were] surprised by the speed of Lloyd's promotion."[3] That proved to be his only appearance for Cardiff's first team.[5]

He moved to Gillingham in July 1980, where he was top scorer for the reserve team during the 1980–81 season, but found it hard to break into the first team, playing only in one Football League game and an FA Cup game in which Gillingham suffered a shock defeat to non-League Maidstone United.[6] He left Gillingham at the end of that season to return to Worcester City, for which he scored three goals from 35 appearances in the 1981–82 Alliance Premier League season.[7]

The following year he emigrated to Australia, where he played for Albion Rovers SC of the Victorian State League[6] and for National Soccer League teams Brunswick Juventus, helping them reach the 1984 Southern Conference Finals, Green Gully and St Albans Dinamo.[8][9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Kevin Lloyd". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Paddy now a manager". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 10 March 1979. p. 10.
  3. ^ a b c d "Lloyd snapped up by Cardiff". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 25 August 1979. p. 9.
  4. ^ "Strikers on move!". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 17 March 1979. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 119. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
  6. ^ a b Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing. p. 202. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  7. ^ Harman, John, ed. (2005). Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 765–766. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
  8. ^ "Player search". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  9. ^ Punshon, John. "1984 Season Playoff Series Matches". OzFootball. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
    Howe, Andrew; Punshon, John. "1985 Season Round 03 Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 27 March 2019.