Gifton Noel-Williams
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gifton Ruben Elisha Noel-Williams[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 January 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Islington, London, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2003 | Watford | 169 | (33) |
| 2003–2005 | Stoke City | 88 | (23) |
| 2005–2007 | Burnley | 51 | (7) |
| 2006 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2007 | Real Murcia | 10 | (4) |
| 2007–2008 | Elche | 21 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | Millwall | 1 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2009 | Austin Aztex | 16 | (3) |
| 2010 | DFW Tornados | 9 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 8, 2010. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Gifton Ruben Elisha Noel-Williams (born January 21, 1980) is an English footballer.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] England
Born in Islington, Noel-Williams started his professional career at Watford where he spent a seven year spell playing 127 games and scoring 43 goals. Aged 19, he was Watford's top goalscorer in the 1998–99 season, at the end of which they were promoted to the Premier League. However, his season ended in February 1999, when he was seriously injured by a challenge from Sunderland defender, Paul Butler.[2]
Noel-Williams joined Stoke City on a free transfer on 2 June 2003, playing 83 games and scoring 23 goals in two years. He was Stoke's top goalscorer in the 2004–05 season, scoring 11 goals.
On the 14 June 2005 Noel-Williams joined Burnley on a free transfer. He spent the latter part of the 2005–06 season on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion before returning to Burnley at the end of the season. He remained a Burnley player, despite being made available for a transfer throughout the close season, and, after an improvement in form was taken off the transfer list on 22 September 2006.
On 12 September 2006 Noel-Williams scored his first ever professional hat-trick in Burnley's 4–2 victory over Barnsley. He played 56 times for the Clarets scoring 7 goals, the last against Leeds United in November 2006.
On 31 January 2007 Noel-Williams joined Real Murcia for a fee of around £500,000, signing an 18-month deal and becoming only the second English player to represent the Spanish side, after Tom Thompson, who was player-coach in the 1920s. Upon Real Murcia's promotion to La Liga, Noel-Williams was transferred to Elche CF who finished 18 points behind Murcia in the Segunda División.
In 2008 Noel-Williams returned to England, signing a short-term contract with League One side Millwall. He was subsequently loaned to another club in the division, Yeovil Town
[edit] United States
In January 2009 Noel-Williams moved to the United States to join American team Austin Aztex FC, signing a two year contract.[3] The club has a co-operation agreement with Noel-Williams' former club, Stoke City.
He was released by the Aztex at the end of the 2009 season, having made 16 appearances and scored three goals for the Texas club.[4] He signed with the amateur DFW Tornados of the USL Premier Development League in 2010.[5]
[edit] Playing statistics
| Year | Division | Club | Games | Goals | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1997 |  Second Division |
Watford | 25 | 2 | 0.08 |
| 1997–1998 | Second Division |
Watford | 40 | 7 | 0.17 |
| 1998–1999 | First Division |
Watford | 26 | 10 | 0.38 |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League |
Watford | 3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2000–2001 | First Division |
Watford | 32 | 8 | 0.25 |
| 2001–2002 | First Division |
Watford | 29 | 6 | 0.20 |
| 2002–2003 | First Division |
Watford | 16 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2003–2004 | First Division |
Stoke City | 42 | 10 | 0.24 |
| 2004–2005 | Championship |
Stoke City | 46 | 13 | 0.28 |
| 2005–2006 | Championship |
Burnley | 29 | 2 | 0.07 |
| 2005–2006 | League One |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 7 | 2 | 0.28 |
| 2006–2007 | Championship |
Burnley | 23 | 5 | 0.22 |
| 2006–2007 |  Segunda Division |
Real Murcia | 10 | 4 | 0.40 |
| 2007–2008 | Segunda Division |
Elche | 21 | 5 | 0.24 |
| 2008–2009 | League One |
Millwall | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2008–2009 | League One |
Yeovil Town | 8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2008–2009 |  USL First Division |
Austin Aztex | 16 | 3 | 0.19 |
| Total | - | - | 374 | 78 |
[edit] References
- ^ Hugman, Barry J., ed (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. p. 308. ISBN 9781845964740.
- ^ http://www.watfordfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Academy/0,,10400~1132074,00.html
- ^ Austin Aztex FC Announce A Major Signing
- ^ Austin Announces Release Of 14 Players From The 2009 Squad
- ^ http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/934453.html#ROSTER
[edit] External links
- 1980 births
- People from Islington
- Living people
- Austin Aztex FC players
- Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
- Burnley F.C. players
- DFW Tornados players
- English footballers
- English expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Association football forwards
- Millwall F.C. players
- Premier League players
- Real Murcia footballers
- Stoke City F.C. players
- The Football League players
- USL First Division players
- USL Premier Development League players
- Yeovil Town F.C. players
- Watford F.C. players
- Sportspeople from London
- Black English sportspeople
