Chris Pile (footballer)

Christopher James Pile

Personal information
Date of birth	4 April 1967 (1967-04-04) (age 44)
Place of birth	Huyton, Liverpool, England
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1984–1987	Liverpool	0	(0)
1987	Tranmere Rovers	0	(0)
1987	Bury	0	(0)
1988–1991	Waterside Karori	?	(?)
1991–1992	Southport	9	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Christopher James "Chris" Pile (born 4 April 1967 in Huyton, Liverpool) is an English former footballer whose career was curtailed by injury.^[1]

A goalkeeper, Pile never actually made a professional appearance, and in fact only made the bench for one senior game. Uniquely, however, this game was the 1985 European Cup Final, which saw him become the youngest footballer to be involved in this fixture, generally considered to be the biggest in club football.

Pile came through the Liverpool F.C. youth system, and signed professional forms in 1984 at the age of 17. Initially fourth-choice 'keeper, injuries to Bob Wardle and then Bob Bolder elevated Pile to second place (behind Bruce Grobbelaar) and saw him facing a possible European Cup winners medal having just turned 18. Pile was indeed named on the bench for the final, but Liverpool lost to Juventus in a game overshadowed by the Heysel Disaster. Pile collected his runners-up medal but his time in the spotlight was coming to an end. Initially, Bolder's departure and Wardle's retirement saw Pile hold on to the number two spot for the next season, but there were no substitute goalkeepers in English domestic football in those days, and a ban on English clubs from European football resulting from Heysel saw Pile's chances of matchday involvement reduced to almost nothing. Pile was a regular in the reserve team, but then disaster struck in the form of an injury. Needing goalkeeping cover, Liverpool signed Mike Hooper who firmly established himself as second choice. Although Pile recovered, he was unable to dislodge Hooper, and served out his contract before leaving in 1987.

He joined Tranmere Rovers and then Bury as a non-contract player, playing reserve team football and impressed sufficiently at Bury to be offered a contract. Unfortunately though, the deal was scuppered when he broke his wrist on the day of signing. Needing regular football, he accepted an offer to move to New Zealand, a move that he initially expected to be short-term. However, he settled so well, playing for Wellington side Waterside Karori, that he was able to ignore reported interest from Scottish giants Celtic. A couple of years later, personal reasons saw him return to England, and he joined Southport, where he had some success until he suffered a broken hand, the third of his career. This caused him to quit playing, and he returned to New Zealand where he has remained to this day.

References

1. ^ [1]

Listed below is Chris Piles up to date coaching career.

Umbro Football Academy Goal keeper coach2000-2001 New Zealand U17 Goal Keeper Coach2000-2001 New Zealand U20 Goal Keeper Coach2001-2004 Central Region Goal Keeper Coach & Coach Educator for New Zealand Football2002-2004 Miramar Rangers (Winning National League twice & Chatham Cup 2004) Assistant & Goalkeeper Coach2004-2007 Team Wellington Senior & Youth Team (Winning National Youth League 2005) Goal Keeper Coach2007-2008 Wellington Phoenix Goal Keeper Coach2008-2010 Capital Football Goal Keeper Coach

External links

• Article at LFCHistory.net

Persondata
Name	Pile, Chris
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	4 April 1967
Place of birth	Huyton, Liverpool, England
Date of death
Place of death