Kingsley Black

Football player infobox2
playername = Kingsley Black
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1968|6|22|df=y
height =
cityofbirth = Luton
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Retired
years = 1987-91
1991-95
1994
1995 1996-00 2000
2001-02
clubs = Luton Town
Nottingham Forest
→ Sheffield United (loan)
→ Millwall (loan)
Grimsby Town
→ Lincoln City (loan)
Lincoln City
caps(goals) = 127 (26)
98 (14)
11 (2)
3 (1)
141 (8)
5 (0)
32 (5)

position = Midfield
nationalyears = 1988-94
1994
nationalteam = Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland B
nationalcaps(goals) = 30 (1)
1 (0)
pcupdate = 14:48, 26 June 2006 (UTC)
ntupdate = 14:48, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

Kingsley Black (born 22 June 1968) is a retired professional footballer who started playing football for Luton Town and was then signed for £1.5 Million by Brian Clough for Nottingham Forest. While with Forest, he was loaned out twice, making appearances for Sheffield United and Millwall, he also played International football for Northern Ireland making 30 appearances and scoring once goal.

Black managed over 100 appearances before his departure to Grimsby Town for £25,000. Where he slotted into the Mariners midfield but was unable to stop the club losing their First Division status. Despite the relegation Black committed himself to the Mariners, even though the club strugged early in the 1997/1998 season, Town went on to finish 3rd in the league. Promotion was achieved via the play offs after the club beat Fulham and Northampton Town. The Mariners also saw success in the Auto Windscreen Shield in which they defeated Bournemouth at Wembley Stadium. Bournemouth led in the game before Black made the tie all square to send the game into extra time. Wayne Burnett scored the golden goal to send Grimsby home with the trophy.

Kingsley went on to feature for Grimsby in the first division for the next three seasons. When manager Alan Buckley was sacked in September 2000, he was replaced by Lennie Lawrence who in turn brought in midfielders Menno Willems, Knut Anders Fostervold , Neil Murray and most notably Leicester City youngster Stuart Campbell. With this Kingsley found it hard to get a look in with the club, but avoided the chop unlike unfavoured utility man Adam Buckley. Black was instead put up for loan, and joined Lincoln City for the majority of the season, The Imps would later appoint former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley as their new manager.

Black returned to Blundell Park towards the end of the season and was deemed surplus to requirements by Lennie Lawrence. Despite being held in high regard by the clubs supporters, Black was released from the club and joined other former Grimsby players Adam Buckley, Ian Hamilton and Andy Smith by joining Lincoln City.

Black's spell at Lincoln was marred by the clubs overall poor performance ,and the financial turmoil it was in, which would later see the club enter into administration towards the end of the season. Alan Buckley left the club by mutual consent, and in came another former Grimsby Town player Keith Alexander as the new manager. Financially, Lincoln were saved, and they escaped relegation to the Football Conference. Lincoln decided not to renew his contract at the end of the season, as Alexander cleared out the majority of Buckley's squad, including all of his former Grimsby signings. Kingsley decided to retire from the game despite having contract offerings from non league clubs.

He returned to Grimsby to play in John McDermott's testimonial against Hull City in 2005 in which he was joined by the majority of his former team mates from the 1997/1998 season.

After retiring from the game, Black moved away from England and now lives in Bellresguard in Puerto Pollensa, Majorca.

Honours

Luton Town

*League Cup Winner: 1988
*League Cup Runner Up: 1989

Nottingham Forest

*League Cup Runner Up: 1992

Grimsby Town

*Auto Windscreens Shield winner: 1998
*Second Division playoff winner: 1998

References

* [http://www.grimsbytown-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=ED93&id=207188 Kingsley Black] at www.grimsbytown-mad.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=710|name=Kingsley Black
* [http://grimsbytown.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=909&stid=8265950&p=2 Kingsley Black] at electronicfishcake.com
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nil-intres.html Northern Ireland] at rsssf.com