Michael Townsend
 Townsend in July 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael John Townsend | ||
| Date of birth | 17 May 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Walsall, England | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sutton Coldfield Town | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2004 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2010 | Cheltenham Town | 134 | (7) |
| 2008–2009 | → Barnet (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Hereford United | 90 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Tamworth | 12 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | Rushall Olympic | 36 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 35 | (10) |
| 2017 | Stafford Rangers | 24 | |
| 2017 | Barwell | 10 | (1) |
| 2018 | Rushall Olympic | 6 | (2) |
| 2018 | Wolverhampton Sporting | 3 | (0) |
| 2018 | Halesowen Town | 2 | (0) |
| 2018 | Quorn | 4 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Nuneaton Borough | 7 | (2) |
| 2019 | Chasetown | 1 | (0) |
| 2019 | Hinckley | 1 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Coalville Town | 3 | (0) |
| 2020 | Walsall Wood | 1 | (0) |
| 2020 | Stratford Town | 5 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Redditch United | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:00, 8 August 2021 (UTC) | |||
Michael John Townsend (born 17 May 1986) is an English footballer who most recently played for Sutton Coldfield Town.
Playing career[edit]
Wolverhampton Wanderers[edit]
Townsend started his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers as a youth team player where he signed a three-year scholarship. He impressed in the youth teams and was quickly promoted to the reserve side where he established himself as a regular for two seasons. Having not made the breakthrough into the first team Townsend was released by manager Dave Jones at the end of the 2003–04 season.
Cheltenham Town[edit]
Townsend then joined Cheltenham Town on a free transfer in January 2005. He became a regular in the Cheltenham team the following season, he appeared 35 times in his first season in defence.
It was a successful season which saw Cheltenham promoted into League One, Townsend went on to make 70 appearances for Cheltenham at this level scoring twice.
Following a lengthy period of injury Townsend returned to regain his place in the Cheltenham side alongside Shane Duff, and helping Cheltenham to avoid relegation. As of August 2009, Townsend has made 140 appearances for Cheltenham Town.
Barnet (loan)[edit]
He joined Barnet on a months loan in October 2008, the loan was then extended after a few good performances.[1]
Townsend turned down the chance of rejoining Barnet on loan in early 2009 and vowed to fight for a place in the Cheltenham Town team. Shortly afterwards Cheltenham Town manager Martin Allen commented that some players at the club would rather sit on the bench and waste their careers than go out to another club and play football. However, through a mixture of attitude, hard work and determination, he had re-established himself as a key member of the Cheltenham Town defence by September 2009 following several man of the match performances at the end of the 2008–09 and the start of the 2009–10 seasons, including three goals.
He was released by the club along with seven other players in May 2010.[2]
Hereford United[edit]
On 15 July 2010, he signed a two-year deal with Hereford United.[3] On 25 January 2012, Townsend then signed an extension to his contract to keep him at Edgar Street after several strong performances, he scooped the 'Players Player' of the year award and made more appearances than any other player for the second consecutıve year.[4]
Townsend was released by Hereford United at the end of the 2012–13 season after making only seven league appearances due to injury.[5]
Tamworth[edit]
After rehab from injury Townsend joined Conference National side Tamworth on 9 January 2014 as Dale Belford looked to bolster his defensive options. His first game was against Rugby Town in the Birmingham Senior Cup, a match that Tamworth won 1–0.
Townsend went on to make six league appearances for Tamworth during the 2013–14 season, before fracturing a vertebra in the 2–1 defeat at home to Forest Green Rovers on 15 March 2014.[6] This injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season, a season in which Tamworth were relegated to the Conference North.
Townsend was the first player to commit to Tamworth for the 2014–15 Conference North season.[7] Shortly before the start of the Conference North season, manager Dale Belford unveiled Townsend as the club captain.
Rushall Olympic[edit]
Townsend moved to Dales Lane after deciding to leave Tamworth to link up with former coach Richard Sneekes.
Sneekes admitted to admiring Townsend after working closely with him at Hereford United in League 2 and quickly installed him in the middle of his defence and has also used him in a central midfield.
A local lad, Townsend reviled in the press that Rushall was his very first club as a boy and is enjoying his football back at 'home'.
Rushall Olympic[edit]
On 19 January 2018, Rushall Olympic manager Liam McDonald announced the return to Michael Townsend to the club.[8]
Chasetown[edit]
It was announced on 8 August 2019, that Chasetown has signed Michael.[9]
Hinckley[edit]
Townsend signed for Hinckley, and was named in the matchday squad for a Midland League Division One fixture away at Nuneaton Griff on 2 November 2019, a game in which his new side won 2–1.[10]
Michael's stay with the club was a short lived one, as his departure was announced by the club on 6 November 2019, with just the one appearance to his name.[11]
Coalville Town[edit]
On 9 November 2019, Southern League Premier Central side Coalville Town announced the signing Townsend. On the same day the club announced the departure of Charlie Jemson to divisional rivals Peterborough Sports.[12]
Stratford Town[edit]
After a short spell with Walsall Wood, Townsend returned to the Southern League Premier Central on 1 February 2020, when he joined Stratford Town.[13]
Redditch United[edit]
In June 2020, Townsend moved to Redditch United.[14]
Career statistics[edit]
- As of match played 22 May 2014.[15]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[Note 1] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cheltenham Town | 2004–05 | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | League One | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| Barnet (loan) | 2008–09 | League Two | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Cheltenham Town | 2009–10 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| Cheltenham Town total | 134 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 146 | 6 | ||
| Hereford United | 2010–11 | League Two | 43 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Conference National | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Hereford United total | 89 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 99 | 1 | ||
| Tamworth | 2013–14 | Conference National | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | Conference North | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Tamworth total | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| Career totals | 256 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 260 | 7 | ||
References[edit]
- ^ "Townsend extends loan with Barnet". BBC News. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
- ^ "Cheltenham Town release eight players". BBC Sport. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ "Hereford sign Sam Malsom and Michael Townsend". BBC Sport. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
- ^ "Hereford United sign trio for next season". BBC Sport. 25 January 2012.
- ^ "Released & Retained List". Hereford United. 22 April 2013. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013.
- ^ "Tamworth 1–2 Forest Green Rovers". BBC Sport. 15 March 2014.
- ^ "Former Wolverhampton Wanderers trainee lands new Tamworth FC deal". Tamworth Herald. 21 May 2014.
- ^ "PICS STRENGTHEN AS McDONALD BEAMS". ROFC.co.uk. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ "Chasetown lure experienced Townsend". BetVictorNorthernPremier.co.uk. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^ "Nuneaton Griff 1-2 Hinckley". HinckleyAFC.co.uk. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Trio depart". HinckleyAFC.co.uk. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- ^ "One in One Out". Pitchero.com. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "Stratford Town bring in experienced defenders". BetVictorSouthern.co.uk. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ NEW SIGNING | MICHAEL TOWNSEND COMMITS TO REDDITCH UNITED FOR 2020/21 CAMPAIGN, rufcofficial.co.uk, 24 June 2020
- ^ "Michael Townsend Stats". Soccerbase.
External links[edit]
- Michael Townsend at Soccerbase
- Michael Townsend at Soccerway
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Walsall
- English men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
- Cheltenham Town F.C. players
- Barnet F.C. players
- Hereford United F.C. players
- Tamworth F.C. players
- Rushall Olympic F.C. players
- Sutton Coldfield Town F.C. players
- Stafford Rangers F.C. players
- Barwell F.C. players
- Wolverhampton Sporting C.F.C. players
- Halesowen Town F.C. players
- Quorn F.C. players
- Nuneaton Borough F.C. players
- Chasetown F.C. players
- Hinckley A.F.C. players
- Coalville Town F.C. players
- Walsall Wood F.C. players
- Stratford Town F.C. players
- Redditch United F.C. players
- English Football League players
- National League (English football) players