Geoff Horsfield

Football player infobox
playername = Geoff Horsfield


fullname = Geoffrey Malcolm Horsfield
dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1973|11|1
cityofbirth = Barnsley
countryofbirth = England
height = height|m=1.83
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Striker
youthyears = 1990–1992
youthclubs = Scarborough
years = 1992–1994
1994–1995
1995–1997
1997–1998
1998–2000
2000–2003
2003
2003–2006
2006
2006–2008
2006–2007
2007
2008
clubs = Scarborough
Halifax Town
Witton Albion
Halifax Town
Fulham
Birmingham City
Wigan Athletic
West Bromwich Albion
→ Sheffield United (loan)
Sheffield United
→ Leeds United (loan)
→ Leicester City (loan)
→ Scunthorpe United (loan)
caps(goals) = 012 0(1)
010 0(7)
0?? (??)
040 (30)
059 (22)
108 (23)
016 0(7)
067 (14)
003 0(0)
000 0(0)
014 0(2)
013 0(2)
012 0(0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 15:33, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Geoffrey Malcolm "Geoff" Horsfield (born 1 November 1973 in Barnsley) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He began his career at Scarborough, before spells at Halifax Town and Witton Albion. A second spell at Halifax saw him help the club to achieve promotion. He also achieved promotions with Fulham and Birmingham City.

After a short period at Wigan Athletic, he joined West Bromwich Albion, whom he helped to reach the Premier League. In 2006 he moved to Sheffield United, but much of his time there was spent on loan to other clubs, namely Leeds United, Leicester City and Scunthorpe United. Horsfield retired from football in 2008 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Playing career

Early career

Horsfield started his footballing career at Scarborough, joining as an apprentice in April 1990 and turning professional in July 1992.cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | date = 2005 | pages = pp115–116 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4] He moved to Halifax Town on a free transfer in March 1994, but his first stint with the club was not successful and he was released after just one season. He joined Witton Albion in May 1995 and remained with the club until he rejoined Halifax on a free transfer two years later. Horsfield helped Halifax to avoid relegation to the Unibond League when he scored on the final day of the season. The following season saw Halifax promoted from the Conference with Horsfield scoring 30 goals in 40 league games, including hat-tricks against Yeovil Town, Telford United and Hereford United.

Fulham

In October 1998 Horsfield moved to Fulham for £300,000. Although never as prolific as during his non-league days, he still found the net regularly, scoring 22 goals in the league, and nine in cup competitions, during his two seasons at the club.

Birmingham City

In July 2000 Birmingham City manager Trevor Francis, bought Horsfield for a club record fee of £2.25m.cite news
title = Blues bag £2.25m Horsfield
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2000-07-10
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/827513.stm
accessdate = 2007-09-07 ] He was Blues' top scorer in his first season at the club, finding the net on twelve occasions. Horsfield helped Birmingham in their climb to the Premier League in 2001–02. He scored the equaliser in their 1–1 draw with Norwich City in the 2002 First Division play-off final—which Blues went on to win on penalties—and was named as the club's Player of the Year.cite news
last = Fletcher
first = Paul
title = Horsfield's remarkable rise
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2002-05-14
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/1986435.stm
accessdate = 2008-10-11 ] In March 2003 he scored in Birmingham's 2–0 victory against rivals Aston Villa, and played the last few minutes of the game in goal following an injury to goalkeeper Nico Vaesen.cite news
title = Blues win fierce derby
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2003-03-03
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2790257.stm
accessdate = 2008-05-31 ]

Wigan Athletic

Horsfield played in three Premier League matches for Birmingham City at the start of the 2003–04 season. When Birmingham manager Steve Bruce was unable to guarantee him a regular place in the team however, Horsfield moved on to Wigan Athletic, signing a three-year contract in September 2003. A transfer fee of £500,000 was agreed, though this could have risen to £1million if the player had gone on to make enough appearances for Wigan. Horsfield said of the move, "I could easily have sat out the last two years of my contract at Birmingham, but that's not my style - I just want to play football."cite news
title = Wigan sign Horsfield
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2003-09-05
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3083028.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] He scored on his debut for Wigan, a 4–2 win against Wimbledon on 13 September 2003. [cite news
title = Wimbledon vs Wigan Athletic
publisher = Wigan Athletic F.C.
date = 2003-09-13
url = http://www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10429~22218,00.html
accessdate = 2008-10-11 ] He continued to live in the West Midlands even after his transfer from Birmingham City, and after just three months at Wigan moved to West Bromwich Albion for £1m.cite news
title = Horsfield joins West Brom
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2003-12-18
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/3321579.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ]

West Bromwich Albion

Quote box
quote="I actually went out on a bit of a limb by saying to the chairman that I think [Horsfield] would get us promoted... I think he just gave us that little something that was missing in getting hold of the ball, a little bit of cuteness up the front that enabled us to bring other people into the game."
source=— Albion manager Gary Megson, reflecting on his reasons for signing Horsfield in 2003 [cite video
year2 = 2004
title = Albion 03.04: We're Back Again
url = http://www.pdimedia.co.uk/
medium = DVD
publisher = Paul Doherty International
location = Manchester, England
accessdate = 2008-10-11
time = 51:19
id = Cat No. WBADVD02]
width=35%
align=rightHorsfield made his Albion debut in a 1–0 defeat away to Coventry City on 20 December 2003. [cite news
title = Coventry City vs WBA
publisher = West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date = 2003-12-20
url = http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10366~22893,00.html
accessdate = 2008-10-11 ] The following month he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–0 win against Albion's local rivals Walsall.cite news
title = West Brom 2-0 Walsall
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-01-09
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3365081.stm
accessdate = 2008-10-11 ] He scored seven goals in the season which saw them promoted to the Premiership. He also scored a vital goal on the final day of the 2004–05 season against Portsmouth, which, combined with results from elsewhere, ensured Albion's survival from relegation.cite news
title = West Brom 2-0 Portsmouth
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2005-05-15
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4525119.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] At the time, he said it was the best moment of his career.cite news
title = Boss Robson hails fantastic feat
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2005-05-16
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/4544283.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ]

Horsfield enjoyed a good start to the 2005–06 season, signing a new two year contract and scoring twice in both of Albion's first two home games.cite news
title = Horsfield signs new Albion deal
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2005-05-28
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/4180314.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] However, they proved to be the last goals he would score for the club.

heffield United and loans

Horsfield signed for Sheffield United on loan in 2006,cite news
title = Horsfield makes Sheff Utd switch
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-02-13
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/4708514.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] although he made just three appearances in the four month spell, the last of which was in March. Nonetheless, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United had already agreed that the player would move permanently to United at the end of the season, and the deal went through in May 2006 for a fee of £1.2 million.

On 3 August 2006, Horsfield signed for Leeds United on loan until Christmas with a view to a permanent move.cite news
title = Horsfield moves to Leeds on loan
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-08-03
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/5242674.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] He made his debut on the opening Championship game of the season against Norwich at Elland Road on 5 August 2006 and scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw away at Queens Park Rangers three days later. When Dennis Wise took over the managerial reigns at Elland Road, Horsfield was in and out of the Leeds side and his loan was terminated in January 2007.cite news
title = Leeds release Horsfield & Butler
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-01-02
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6225575.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ]

On 31 January 2007 Leicester City confirmed that they had taken Horsfield on loan for the rest of the season.cite news
title = Leicester make triple loan swoop
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-01-31
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/6318449.stm
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] He made his debut for the club in their 1–1 draw with Luton Town on 3 February 2007, and scored his first goals for the club in their 3–0 victory over local rivals Coventry City on 17 February 2007.

Horsfield's former West Bromwich Albion manager Bryan Robson became manager at Sheffield United at the start of the 2007–08 season, but Horsfield remained out of the side. His only appearances came in the League Cup, playing against Chesterfield in the first round and scoring against Milton Keynes Dons in the second. On 31 January 2008 he moved to Scunthorpe United on loan for the remainder of the season.cite news
title = Horsfield loaned to Scunthorpe
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-01-31
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/scunthorpe_utd/7186867.stm
accessdate = 2008-01-31] Horsfield went straight into the Scunthorpe squad and made his debut against Charlton Athletic at Glanford Park. He won the sponsors' "Man of the Match" award in a 1–0 win. [cite news
title = Scunthorpe vs Charlton
publisher = Scunthorpe United F.C.
date = 2008-02-02
url = http://www.scunthorpe-united.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10442~39072,00.html
accessdate = 2008-02-03] Having played twelve games whilst on loan he was subsequently released from his contract by Sheffield United at the end of the season.cite news
title = Just two seniors released
publisher = sufc.co.uk
date = 2008-05-09
url = http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1309055,00.html
accessdate = 2008-05-09]

Horsfield had a trial at Chesterfield during the summer of 2008, but rejected a move to Saltergate because he wanted to move to a club closer to his home in Leicester.cite news
title = Horse getting back in saddle
publisher = Evening Mail
date = 2008-10-03
url = http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/walsall-fc/walsall-fc-news/2008/10/03/horse-getting-back-in-saddle-97319-21959865/
accessdate = 2008-10-11] He then had a trial with Kettering Town and in September began training with Walsall. [cite news
title = Horsfield training with Walsall
publisher = Express & Star
date = 2008-09-18
url = http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/09/18/horsfield-training-with-walsall/
accessdate = 2008-10-05]

On 10 October 2008, Horsfield revealed that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and was advised that his playing career was finished.cite news
url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/10/09/geoff-horsfield-exclusive-striker-forced-to-retire-due-to-testicular-cancer-115875-20789268/
title=Geoff Horsfield exclusive: Striker forced to retire due to testicular cancer
publisher=Daily Mirror
first=David
last=Anderson
date=2008-10-09
accessdate=2008-10-10] He is married to Tina and has three children: Chris, Chloe and Leah.

References

External links

* [http://www.scunthorpe-united.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10442~8184,00.html Profile on official Scunthorpe United site]
* [http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10418~8184,00.html Profile on official Sheffield United site]
*soccerbase|id=11233|name=Geoff Horsfield

Persondata
NAME = Geoff Horsfield
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = footballer
DATE OF BIRTH = 1 November 1973
PLACE OF BIRTH = Barnsley, England
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =