Richard Brindley

Richard Brindley

Richard Brindley with Rotherham United in July 2014
Personal information
Full name	Richard Michael Brindley[1]
Date of birth	5 May 1993[2]
Place of birth	Norwich, England
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Playing position	Right-back
Club information
Current team	Colchester United
Number	24
Youth career
2002–2012	Norwich City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2012–2013	Chelmsford City[3]	10	(0)
2013	Chesterfield	12	(0)
2013–2015	Rotherham United	18	(0)
2014–2015	→ Scunthorpe United (loan)	3	(0)
2015	→ Oxford United (loan)	3	(0)
2015	→ Colchester United (loan)	8	(0)
2015–	Colchester United	21	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:08, 19 April 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

Richard Michael Brindley (born 5 May 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Colchester United.

Brindley progressed through the academy at Norwich City, but was released in 2012 after failing to break into the first-team. He joined Chelmsford City, where his appearances attracted the attention of Chesterfield. He signed for the League Two side in January 2013, where he would make his professional debut. He was then signed by Rotherham United, but struggled to hold down a regular starting berth. He was subsequently loaned out during the 2014–15 season to Scunthorpe United, Oxford United and Colchester United. Following his release from Rotherham in the summer of 2015, he joined Colchester United on a permanent basis.

Career

Norwich City

Born in Norwich,^[2] Brindley began his career at Norwich City, where he played as either a central midfielder or as a full-back. He joined the club at the age of nine, and it was announced in October 2008 that he would be offered a scholarship that would begin in June 2009. He broke into the youth team in 2009, scoring against Aston Villa after coming on as a substitute.^[4]

In May 2012, three years since turning professional at Norwich City, it was announced that Brindley would not be offered a new contract and would be released by the club, yet to make a first-team appearance.^[5]

Chelmsford City

Brindley signed for Conference South side Chelmsford City in the summer of 2012 following his release from Carrow Road.^[4] He made his debut on 18 August in their 1–1 draw with Havant & Waterlooville at West Leigh Park.^[6]

During his time with Chelmsford, Brindley played one game for the UK Football Finder Elite Development Squad on 12 September in a match against a Leatherhead XI, with his side coming out 4–2 victors.^[7]

Brindley scored his first and only goal for Chelmsford on 10 December when they defeated Hampton & Richmond Borough 3–2 in the FA Trophy. He scored after only one minute of play.^[8] He played his final game for the club on 12 January 2013, starting in a 3–0 defeat to Halifax Town at The Shay in the FA Trophy.^[9] He made ten Conference South appearances and three FA Trophy appearances in addition to his one goal. He also featured in the FA Cup four times,^[3] including starting in the first round 3–1 win over Colchester United,^[10] and the 3–0 second round defeat to Crawley Town.^[11] He made 24 appearances in all competitions for Chelmsford, and was also awarded with three man of the match awards during his time at the club.^[12]

Chesterfield

League Two side Chesterfield signed Brindley on 17 January 2013, with the deal running until the end of the 2012–13 season.^[12][13] His first outing for the club was in the Derbyshire Senior Cup on 29 January in Chesterfield's 4–2 win against Belper Town. Coach John Dungworth was pleased with Brindley's debut, saying that he was "energetic and full of confidence".^[14] Prior to making a first-team appearance, Brindley said that his chance with the club showed "great opportunity to progress" and that he would "like to stay longer [than the end of the season]".^[15]

Brindley made his Football League and professional debut on 9 February, where he came on as a substitute for Danny Whitaker in the final minutes of a 2–0 home win over AFC Wimbledon.^[16] Though he only had limited playing time on his debut, Brindley said that he was "grateful" for the opportunity.^[17] He provided an assist for Marc Richards to score the only goal in a 1–0 win over Oxford United on 16 March.^[18]

After making nine appearances for the Spireites, Brindley was dropped from the squad ahead of a match against Barnet in April over contractual issues, where negotiations between both parties broke down concerning the extension of his deal with the club.^[19] He would eventually end the season with twelve League Two games under his belt,^[20] but his long-term future was still not resolved by the end of the campaign.^[21]

Rotherham United

Following the expiry of his contract at Chesterfield, Brindley joined League One side Rotherham United on 23 May 2013. He signed a two-year deal at the New York Stadium. His new manager Steve Evans said that Rotherham had "watched him [Brindley] at Chesterfield on four occasions and we knew then that he was a top talent".^[22] Following the move, Brindley added that he was determined to prove himself at League One level, setting himself a target of getting "first-team experience and experience in League One".^[23]

Brindley made his Rotherham debut in the opening game of the 2013–14 season, starting in a 3–3 draw with Crewe Alexandra.^[24] During the first few weeks of the season, Brindley held down the right-back spot following an injury to utility player Mark Bradley, who provided competition for the position across the season,^[25] and on-loan Newcastle United right-back James Tavernier.^[26]

Brindley fell out of favour for the early part of 2014, starting only twice between December 2013 and May 2014. A host of injuries saw Brindley recalled to the starting line-up for Rotherham's play-off first leg match at Preston North End on 10 May, but was substituted after only 23 minutes following an injury.^[27] After Rotherham reached the play-off final, Brindley started the match on the bench, but came on for Wes Thomas after 54 minutes at Wembley Stadium while Rotherham were 2–0 down to Leyton Orient. The Millers pegged the score back to 2–2, and secured promotion to the Championship as they won 4–3 after a penalty shoot-out.^[28] Despite helping his side to promotion, Brindley made just 16 League One appearances across the season, and 24 in all competitions.^[29]

Brindley made his first appearance in the Championship on 23 August 2014, when he came on as an 89th-minute substitute for Ben Pringle in Rotherham's 1–0 win over Millwall at The Den.^[30] He was to make his final appearance for the club on 3 January 2015, following his loan spell at Scunthorpe United. The game saw Brindley score his first professional goal after 10 minutes of the FA Cup third round encounter with Bournemouth, but his side were to eventually lose 5–1 at home.^[31]

Scunthorpe United loan

On 25 November 2014, Brindley made a return to League One, signing for Scunthorpe United on loan until January.^[32] He made his debut on 13 December, starting in Scunthorpe's 2–1 home win over Crewe.^[33] He returned to Rotherham due to injuries after making just three appearances for Scunthorpe.^[34]

Oxford United loan

Brindley signed on loan for one month for League Two Oxford United on 29 January 2015, with a view to a permanent move.^[35] He played his first game for Oxford on 31 January as his side beat Stevenage 2–0.^[36] After the club brought in George Baldock on loan from MK Dons, Brindley returned to Rotherham after his short-term loan expired,^[37] making just three appearances.^[38]

Colchester United loan

Colchester United signed Brindley on 26 March 2015 on loan until the end of the season, following Ipswich Town loanee Elliott Hewitt's recall.^[39] He revealed that he turned down other offers in order to join Colchester, and also revealed that his deal could later become permanent.^[40]

He made his debut on 3 April in Colchester's 2–1 over Port Vale at Vale Park.^[41] He made eight appearances for Colchester through to the end of the 2014–15 season.^[38]

Colchester United

Colchester United held talks with their former loanee Brindley in May 2015, following his release by Rotherham.^[42] He then signed a two-year contract with the Colchester on 2 June.^[43] He made his second debut on 8 August in Colchester's 2–2 home draw with Blackpool.^[44] He scored his first ever league goal on 25 March 2016 after being introduced as a second-half substitute for Elliot Lee during Colchester's win against Doncaster Rovers. His 87th-minute shot completed the scoring in a 4–1 victory.^[45]

Career statistics

As of match played 19 April 2016.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Chelmsford City	2012–13[3]	Conference South	10	0	4	0	–		3[lower-alpha 1]	0	17	0
Chesterfield	2012–13[20]	League Two	12	0	–		–		–		12	0
Rotherham United	2013–14[29]	League One	16	0	2	0	1	0	5[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]	0	24	0
	2014–15[38]	Championship	2	0	1	1	1	0	–		4	1
	Total		18	0	3	1	2	0	5	0	28	1
Scunthorpe United (loan)	2014–15[38]	League One	3	0	–		–		–		3	0
Oxford United (loan)	2014–15[38]	League Two	3	0	–		–		–		3	0
Colchester United (loan)	2014–15[38]	League One	8	0	–		–		–		8	0
Colchester United	2015–16[46]	League One	21	1	3	0	1	0	0	0	25	1
Career total			75	1	10	1	3	0	8	0	96	2

1. Appearances in FA Trophy
2. Appearances in Football League Trophy
3. Appearances in Football League play-offs

References

1. "Results for Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records". Findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
2. Richard Brindley career statistics at Soccerbase
3. "R. Brindley". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
4. "Richard Brindley". Flown From The Nest. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
5. "Norwich City release Zak Whitbread and Aaron Wilbraham". BBC Sport. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
6. "Havant & Waterlooville vs. Chelmsford City 1 – 1". Soccerway. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
7. "Match Report". UK Football Finder Football Club. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
8. "Chelmsford City vs. Hampton & Richmond 3 – 2". Soccerway. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
9. "Halifax Town vs. Chelmsford City 3 – 0". Soccerway. 12 January 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
10. Osborne, Chris (3 November 2012). "Chelmsford 3–1 Colchester". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
11. "Crawley Town 3–0 Chelmsford". BBC Sport. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
12. "Brindley Makes Proact Move". Chesterfield FC. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
13. "Chesterfield sign Chelmsford City full-back Richard Brindley". BBC Sport. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
14. "New Duo Please Coach". Chesterfield FC. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
15. "Spireites: Richard Brindley hopes to remain at Chesterfield". Derbyshire Times (Chesterfield). 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
16. "Chesterfield 2–0 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
17. "Brindley Grateful For Opportunity". Chesterfield FC. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
18. "Oxford Utd 0–1 Chesterfield". BBC Sport. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
19. "Chesterfield pair left out over contract hold up". BBC Sport. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
20. "Games played by Richard Brindley in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
21. "Spireites: Neal Trotman among seven players released by Chesterfield". Derbyshire Times (Chesterfield). 29 April 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
22. "Rotherham United sign Richard Brindley and Adam Collin". BBC Sport. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
23. "Millers new boy out to impress". Sky Sports. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
24. "Crewe 3–3 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
25. Payne, Lee (18 September 2013). "Rotherham United: Mark's big wish". The Star (Sheffield). Retrieved 3 June 2015.
26. "Ritherham United: Millers will hope to get Dicko again". The Star (Sheffield). 28 December 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
27. "Triumph over adversity: Preston 1 Rotherham United 1". The Star (Sheffield). 12 May 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
28. Maiden, Phil (25 May 2014). "Leyton Orient 2–2 Rotherham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
29. "Games played by Richard Brindley in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
30. "Millwall 0–1 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
31. "Rotherham 1–5 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
32. "Richard Brindley: Scunthorpe sign Rotherham full-back on loan". BBC Sport. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
33. "Scunthorpe 2–1 Crewe". BBC Sport. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
34. Crute, Paul (31 December 2014). "Second Scunthorpe United loanee returns to parent club". Scunthorpe Telegraph (Scunthorpe). Retrieved 3 June 2015.
35. "Richard Brindley: Rotherham defender joins Oxford on loan". BBC Sport. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
36. "Stevenage 0–2 Oxford Utd". BBC Sport. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
37. Pritchard, David (12 February 2015). "Oxford United sign George Baldock on loan from MK Dons". Oxford Mail (Oxford). Retrieved 3 June 2015.
38. "Games played by Richard Brindley in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
39. Waldron, Jonathan (26 March 2015). "U's move quickly to sign Brindley". Daily Gazette (Colchester). Retrieved 26 March 2015.
40. Waldron, Jonathan (31 March 2015). "Brindley refuses to rule out permanent U's switch". Daily Gazette (Colchester). Retrieved 3 June 2015.
41. "Port Vale 1–2 Colchester". BBC Sport. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
42. Waldron, Jonathan (8 May 2015). "U's hold talks with Brindley". Daily Gazette (Colchester). Retrieved 3 June 2015.
43. Waldron, Jonathan (2 June 2015). "Brindley agrees two-year deal with U's". Daily Gazette (Colchester). Retrieved 2 June 2015.
44. "Colchester 2–2 Blackpool". BBC Sport. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
45. "Colchester United 4–1 Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
46. "Games played by Richard Brindley in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 July 2015.