Shaun Taylor (born 26 February 1963) is an English former professional footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Exeter City,[2] Swindon Town[3] and Bristol City.[4]

Shaun Taylor
Personal information
Full name Shaun Taylor[1]
Date of birth (1963-02-26) 26 February 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth Plymouth, England
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
Torquay United (Head of Academy)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
St Blazey
Bideford
1986–1991 Exeter City 200 (17)
1991–1996 Swindon Town 212 (30)
1996–2000 Bristol City 105 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

edit

Taylor was born in Plymouth. A hard-tackling no-nonsense defender, he played non-league football for clubs including Holsworthy FC, St Blazey[5] and Bideford before moving to Exeter City in December 1986 at the age of 23.[6] He captained Exeter to the Fourth Division championship in 1989–90, and played 200 league games for the club before moving to Swindon Town in July 1991 for a £200,000 fee.[6] He was an ever-present as Swindon gained promotion to the Premier League in 1992–93, a season when he scored 13 goals including one in the play-off final,[7] a high total for a defender, and played every game in their only season in the top flight. After a second relegation, he captained Swindon to the Second Division title, and became the first player to win the club's Player of the Year award three times. He played 259 games in all competitions for the club before joining Bristol City in September 1996 for £50,000.[1]

After a further 105 league games for Bristol City, helping the club to promotion to Division One in 1998,[8] Taylor retired as a player.

Coaching career

edit

He joined the club's coaching staff at Bristol City. Released in May 2005,[9] he moved to Conference National club Forest Green Rovers in June as assistant to manager Gary Owers;[10] their contracts were terminated by mutual consent after a poor start to the 2006–07 season.[11] In July 2009 Taylor rejoined Exeter City as youth coach.[6] He then became Assistant manager at Exeter City's Devon rivals Torquay United until he was dismissed in May 2013.[12]

Taylor's younger brother Craig was also a professional footballer.[13]

On 12 July 2013, Shaun was appointed Professional Development Coach with his hometown club Plymouth Argyle youth academy.[14] In January 2018 Shaun Taylor returned to Torquay United as their new Head of Academy Coaching.

Honours

edit

Individual

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Shaun Taylor". Swindon-Town-FC. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Exeter City : 1946/47–2002/03 & 2008/09". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Swindon Town : 1946/47–2008/09". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Bristol City : 1946/47–2008/09". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  5. ^ "History of St. Blazey Football Club". St Blazey A.F.C. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "City hero Taylor is back to nurture club's young talent". Express & Echo. Exeter. 8 July 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  7. ^ "My favourite game: Swindon reach the promised land – thank Hod". The Guardian. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Why Carey is Bristol City's Mr Consistent". Evening Post. Bristol. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  9. ^ "City Release Taylor Statement". Bristol City F.C. 1 June 2005. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  10. ^ "Shaun Joins Forest Green". Bristol City F.C. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Manager Owers leaves Forest Green". BBC Sport. 27 August 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  12. ^ "Taylor To Wait And See". Torquay Vital. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Bristol City vs Torquay United". Bristol City F.C. 7 August 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  14. ^ "Taylor Made". Plymouth Argyle F.C. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  15. ^ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 147.
  16. ^ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 148.
  17. ^ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1996). The 1996–97 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-85291-571-1.
  18. ^ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The 1998–99 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-85291-588-9.
edit