Gordon Phillips (footballer)

Gordon Phillips
Personal information
Full name Gordon David Phillips[1]
Date of birth (1946-11-17) 17 November 1946
Place of birth Uxbridge, England
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
Crystal Palace
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1961–1963 Hayes 9 (0)
1963–1973 Brentford 208 (0)
1973–1978 Hillingdon Borough
Teams managed
1990 Staines Town (joint-caretaker manager)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Gordon Phillips is a retired English football goalkeeper and coach who made over 200 appearances in the Football League for Brentford.

Playing career

Hayes

After a short spell with Crystal Palace,[2] Phillips began his career at Athenian League side Hayes and made his debut at the age of 15 in a victorious Middlesex Charity Cup semi-final tie in April 1962.[3] He made two further appearances towards the end of the 1961/62 season, but was robbed of the chance to play in the 1962 Middlesex Charity Cup final because of a broken thumb.[3] He made seven appearances during the 1962/63 season, before departing the club at the end of the campaign.[3] Interest from Football League clubs West Bromwich Albion, Portsmouth, Leicester City and West Ham United failed to materialise into deals.[2]

Brentford

Phillips joined Division Three side Brentford in the summer of 1963.[3] He had a difficult start to life at Griffin Park, conceding 13 goals in his first two youth and reserve matches.[2] An injury to Gerry Cakebread and poor recent performances by his deputy Fred Ryecraft saw manager Frank Blunstone hand Phillips made his first team debut in an FA Cup first round match against Margate at Griffin Park on 16 November 1963.[4][5][6] Phillips conceded two goals in the eventual 2-2 draw and it turned out to be his only appearance of the 1963/64 season.[7] Behind new signing Chic Brodie in the pecking order, Phillips was confined to the reserve team for his early years at Brentford.[6]

Phillips finally made his first team breakthrough in the 1966/67 season, after the club had been relegated to Division Four.[8] Phillips was a virtual ever-present during the campaign, making 42 appearances.[7] He further improved his appearance tally in the 1967/68 season, making 48 appearances.[7] Phillips' appearance-count dropped during the 1968/69 and 1969/70 seasons,[7] with Brodie forcing his way back into the team.[8] Phillips was an ever-present during the 1971/72 season, which saw Brentford promoted back to Division Three with a third-place finish.[7] The following season proved to be Phillips' last with the Bees and he departed the club in the summer of 1973, after relegation back to Division Four was confirmed.[3] Phillips made 227 appearances during his ten years at Griffin Park and was awarded a testimonial versus an Ex-Brentford XI in October 1973,[7] earning him £825.[9]

Non-league football

After his release from Brentford, Phillips dropped into non-league football and joined Southern League Premier Division side Hillingdon Borough in the summer of 1973, linking up with former Brentford teammates Tommy Higginson and Eddie Reeve.[3] A bottom-place finish saw Hillingdon relegated in Phillips' first season with the club, but promotion straight back to the Premier Division was achieved in the 1974/75 season.[8] He departed the club in 1978 and received a testimonial.[9] Phillips was offered to join a club in Pretoria, South Africa, but turned the offer down.[2]

International career

Phillips was invited to a trial for the England Youth team, but failed to win a call up into a squad.[3]

Coaching career

Phillips became goalkeeping coach at Isthmian League Premier Division side Staines Town in 1989.[3] He departed the club in 1991 to serve as goalkeeping coach at Brentford under Phil Holder, leaving in 1992 after David Webb became manager.[3]

Managerial career

Phillips had a stint as caretaker manager at Staines Town in 1990, alongside Chris Davey and former Brentford teammate Jackie Graham.[10]

Personal life

After football, Phillips worked for British Airways for over thirty years and is now retired.[2] He is married to Jackie and his two sons Kelly and Trent both became footballers for Staines Town, with Trent playing as a goalkeeper.[6] Phillips is close friends with former Brentford teammate Alan Hawley and both served as the other's best man.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Gordon Phillips". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lane, David (2005). Cult Bees & Legends: Volume Two. Hampton Hill: Legends Publishing. pp. 32–34. ASIN B00NPZL58S. ISBN 0954368282.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Hayes & Yeading United FC: The Official Website". Hyufc.com. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  4. ↑ "Brentford 1963". Margatefchistory.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-02. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  5. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. 1963-11-16. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  6. 1 2 3 Brentford F.C. Griffin Gazette versus Plymouth Argyle 17/12/94. Quay Design of Poole. 1994. p. 37.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  8. 1 2 3 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. p. 124. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  9. 1 2 Griffin Gazette: Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus Crewe Alexandra 06/04/96. Quay Design of Poole. 1996. p. 20.
  10. ↑ "Staines Town Info". Stainestownfootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
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