Alan Knight (footballer)

Football player infobox


playername = Alan Knight
fullname = Alan Edward Knight
nickname =
height = 6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1961|6|3|df=y
cityofbirth = Balham, London
countryofbirth = England
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1978-2000
clubs = Portsmouth
caps(goals) = 683 0(0)
nationalyears = 1983
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 002 0(0)

Alan Edward Knight MBE (born 3 June 1961 in Balham, London) is a former English footballer. He holds the record for the most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper, having played 801 games (683 in the league) for Portsmouth F.C. between 1978 and 2000; this superseded Peter Bonetti's record of 600 goalkeeping appearances for Chelsea.

In addition to his goalkeeping record, Knight is the second-longest serving Portsmouth player of all time behind Jimmy Dickinson, and is also the only player to have appeared in all four divisions of the Football League for the club. He was capped at under-21 international level, but was never selected for the full England squad.

Known by the Fratton Park faithful as "The Legend", Knight spent almost all of his 25-year playing career at Portsmouth, sometimes demonstrating world-class saving and acrobatics. His 800th appearance, as a substitute in a cup tie at Blackburn, saw fans in all corners of Ewood Park rising to applaud his appearance on the pitch. A few weeks later, he played his last match for Portsmouth, at Norwich in January 2000. In 2001, his loyalty to Portsmouth received royal approval when he was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List.

In 2003-04, due to an injury crisis, Knight was called on to the substitutes' bench for Portsmouth and was listed as a squad member, but was never actually called into action. He played briefly for the local non-league side Havant & Waterlooville towards the end of his career. He also worked as goalkeeping coach at Portsmouth until he quit the job in summer 2005.

Knight was named goalkeepers' coach for the American Major League Soccer team FC Dallas in 2006. The head coach at Dallas was at the time, Knight's former Portsmouth teammate Colin Clarke.

In 2006 Knight ran football coaching clinics for [http://www.britisheuropeansoccertuition.com B.E.S.T (British European Soccer Tuition)] in the USA. The [http://www.britisheuropeansoccertuition.com B.E.S.T] patron of honour was Knight's former Portsmouth manager and World Cup winner, the late Alan Ball.

On 12 December 2006, it was announced that Alan Knight was made AFC Bournemouth Goalkeeping Coach. Knight also served as Goalkeeping Coach at Conference South Side Dorchester Town F.C., where he was also a registered player, for the 2006/07 season. Knight appeared on the bench as a substitute, but did not make an appearance on the pitch.

Knight's autobiography entitled 'Legend' was published in September 2003 by Legendary Publishing. On October 8, 2007, Knight was appointed Goalkeeping Coach at Havant & Waterlooville F.C. by new manager Shaun Gale.

References

*cite book
author=Mike Neasom, Mick Cooper & Doug Robinson
title=Pompey: The History of Portsmouth Football Club
publisher=Milestone Publications
year=1984
id=ISBN 0-903852-50-0