Wikipedia

Tony Agana

Patrick Anthony Olozinka Agana (born 2 October 1963) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.[2]

Tony Agana
Personal information
Full name Patrick Anthony Olozinka Agana[1]
Date of birth (1963-10-02) 2 October 1963 (age 60)
Place of birth Bromley, England
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983 Welling United ? (?)
1983–1987 Weymouth 137 (35)
1987–1988 Watford 15 (1)
1988–1991 Sheffield United 118 (42)
1991–1997 Notts County 145 (15)
1992 → Leeds United (loan) 2 (0)
1997–1998 Hereford United 22 (7)
1998 Cliftonville ? (?)
1998–1999 Leek Town 20 (3)
1999–2001 Guiseley 26 (8)
2001–2002 Alfreton Town ? (?)
Total 485 (111)
International career
1986 England C 1 (1)
Managerial career
1999 Leek Town
1999–2001 Guiseley
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Born in Bromley Agana started his career in non-league football, before turning fully professional with Watford. He later moved to Sheffield United where he enjoyed the most prolific spell of his career, making over 100 appearances for the Blades and playing in the top tier of English football. He subsequently moved to Notts County for whom he also played over 100 games before finishing his career playing for a number of non-league teams. He had a brief spell as manager of Leek Town before retiring from football in 2002.

Career edit

Non-league and a move to Watford edit

Agana started his football career with non-league side Welling United whilst working full-time for an insurance company.[3] When his employers moved their offices to Poole he became a part-time professional with Weymouth, signing for £4,500 in March 1984.[4] He went on to make over 100 appearances for the south coast club and represented the England national game XI during his time there.[4]

In August 1987 Agana moved into professional football with First Division club Watford,[4] making his league début at the relatively late age of 23.[3] Agana made 15 appearances the Hertfordshire side, scoring one goal, as he acclimatised to league football.

Sheffield United edit

After only six months at Vicarage Road Agana was on the move again, this time to South Yorkshire side Sheffield United.[3] Dave Bassett, the manager who had signed Agana for Watford, had been sacked in January 1988 and subsequently joined Sheffield United and within days sold Martin Kuhl to his former employers for £40,000, with Agana and Peter Hetherston moving to Bramall Lane as part of the deal.[3][4][5]

He made his debut for United on 20 February 1988, scoring in a 1–0 home win against Barnsley. Despite this promising start the team was in decline and the club was relegated at the end of the season.[3] The following season proved a different matter as Agana struck up a striking partnership with new signing Brian Deane. During the 1989–90 season he scored 24 goals in 46 appearances, which, along with a similar tally from strike partner Deane, helped United win promotion from the Second Division at the first time of asking,[3] with Agana being named fans' player of the year. The following season saw more of the same, with United promoted again to take them into Division One. That was thanks in part once more to Agana's goals, which included a brace in the 5–2 victory at Leicester City that clinched promotion.[3]

With The Blades playing top-flight football, Agana's role began to diminish as injuries and a loss of pace began to take their toll[3] and he was eventually made available for transfer. In three years with the club he scored 52 goals in 154 matches.[3]

Notts County and back to non-league edit

In November 1991 Agana signed for Notts County for a fee of £685,000 – which was a club record transfer fee at the time.[3] He was loaned to Leeds United briefly in February 1992 and contributed to their 1992 First Division title with two league appearances.[6] He went on to play 145 times for Notts County, scoring 15 goals.

After leaving County he went on to play for Hereford United, Cliftonville, Leek Town[7][8] (including a six-game spell as caretaker manager in 1999[9]) and Guiseley,[10][11] where he was player-manager.[12]

Career after football edit

Following his retirement from football he studied computer visualisation at Sheffield Hallam University, graduating in 2004. Following his graduation he worked for the University of Manchester as a distance learning technology officer, as well as working for Sheffield United's matchday hospitality team. He then began working at Wingfield Academy in Rotherham as a technology support staff where he still works today.[12]

In 2023, Agana was on a three-man independent panel which found former Crawley Town manager John Yems guilty of eleven counts of racial abuse against his own players and banned him from football for 18 months.[13]

Career statistics edit

Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Watford 1987–88[14] First Division 15 1 2 0 2 2 1[a] 0 20 3
Sheffield United 1987–88[15] Second Division 12 2 — — 1[b] 0 13 2
1988–89[16] Third Division 46 24 7 3 5 2 7[c] 2 65 31
1989–90[17] Second Division 31 10 7 2 2 0 2[d] 0 42 12
1990–91[18] First Division 16 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 18 3
1991–92[19] First Division 13 4 — 3 0 0 0 16 4
Total 118 42 14 5 12 3 10 2 154 52
Notts County 1991–92[14] First Division 13 1 2 0 — 2[a] 0 17 1
1992–93[14] Division One 29 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 31 3
1993–94[14] Division One 20 4 2 1 1 0 4[e] 1 27 6
1994–95[14] Division One 31 3 0 0 4 1 6[e] 2 41 6
1995–96[14] Division Two 29 2 1 0 3 0 7[f] 1 40 3
1996–97[14] Division Two 23 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 26 4
Total 145 15 9 2 9 2 19 4 182 23
Leeds United (loan) 1991–92[14] First Division 2 0 — — — 2 0
Hereford United 1996–97[14] Division Three 5 2 — — — 5 2
Total 285 60 25 7 23 7 30 6 363 80
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Full Members' Cup
  2. ^ Appearance(s) in Third Division play-offs
  3. ^ Three appearances one goal in Associate Members' Cup; four appearances one goal in Yorkshire & Humberside Cup
  4. ^ One appearance in Full Members' Cup; one appearance in Yorkshire & Humberside Cup
  5. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Anglo-Italian Cup
  6. ^ Four appearances one goal in Football League Trophy; three appearances in Division Two play-offs

Honours edit

Individual

References edit

Jones, Trefor (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. Surrey: T.G Jones. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.

  1. ^ "Tony Agana". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  2. ^ Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2013). Non-League Club Directory 2014. Tony Williams Publications. p. 1008. ISBN 978-1-869833-72-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
  4. ^ a b c d Jones, pp21
  5. ^ Jones, pp140
  6. ^ "Leeds United: Season 1991 – 1992: Division One". leeds-fans.org.uk. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  7. ^ "1998/99". pitchero.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  8. ^ "PlayerStats - LeekTownSE". leektown.net. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Leek Town FC Managers". Leek Town F.C. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  10. ^ "1999–00 Appearances & Goals". HOME. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  11. ^ "2000–01 Appearances & Goals". HOME. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Yesterday's Blades". BBC Sport. 15 April 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  13. ^ "John Yems: FA disagrees that ex-Crawley Town boss' racist slurs 'not conscious racism'". BBC Sport. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tony Agana at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  15. ^ Clarebrough & Kirkham (2012). Sheffield United The Complete Record. p. 465.
  16. ^ Clarebrough & Kirkham (2012). Sheffield United The Complete Record. p. 467.
  17. ^ Clarebrough & Kirkham (2012). Sheffield United The Complete Record. p. 469.
  18. ^ Clarebrough & Kirkham (2012). Sheffield United The Complete Record. p. 471.
  19. ^ Clarebrough & Kirkham (2012). Sheffield United The Complete Record. p. 473.
  20. ^ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 147.
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