Paul Atkinson (footballer, born 1966)

Paul Atkinson
Personal information
Full name	Paul Atkinson
Date of birth	19 January 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth	Chester-le-Street, England
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1983–1988	Sunderland
1988–1991	Port Vale
1989	→ Stafford Rangers (loan)
1990	→ Hartlepool United (loan)
	Gateshead
Total
International career
1983–1984	England Youth
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paul Atkinson (born 19 January 1966) is an English former footballer who played on the left-side of midfield. He appeared three times for England Youth in a tournament in 1983, and played another five games the following year.^[2] He began his career at Sunderland, and helped the "Black Cats" to the Third Division title in 1987–88. He joined Port Vale for a £20,000 fee in June 1988, but soon became blighted by injury. He was loaned out to Stafford Rangers and Hartlepool United to help to regain his fitness, but was forced to retire from professional football on medical advice in January 1991.

Playing career

Atkinson began his career at Sunderland, as Alan Durban's "Black Cats" posted a 13th-place finish in the First Division in 1983–84. The club suffered relegation in the 1984–85 season under the stewardship of Len Ashurst. Lawrie McMenemy then took charge at Roker Park, but failed to halt the club's decline, as Sunderland finished 18th in the Second Division in 1985–86, before suffering relation in 1986–87 after defeat to Gillingham in the play-offs. New boss Denis Smith then led the club straight back up as champions of the Third Division in 1987–88. Smith claimed Atkinson squandered his natural talents by overeating junk food.^[3]

Atkinson signed for John Rudge's Port Vale in June 1988 for a £20,000 fee.^[1] He scored a brace on his debut in a 3–1 win over Preston North End at Deepdale on 27 August.^[1] An ankle injury blighted his career however, and loans spells with Stafford Rangers (January 1989) and Cyril Knowles's Hartlepool United (March 1990) failed to revitalise his career.^[1] He played six games for the "Valiants" in 1988–89, and eleven Fourth Division games in his loan spell at Victoria Park.^[1] He was forced to retire from professional football on medical advice in January 1991.^[1]

Statistics

Sourced from Paul Atkinson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sunderland	1983–84	First Division	8	1	0	0	0	0	8	1
	1984–85	First Division	9	1	0	0	1	0	10	0
	1985–86	Second Division	13	0	3	0	2	0	15	0
	1986–87	Second Division	5	0	0	0	4	0	9	0
	1987–88	Third Division	21	3	2	2	4	0	27	5
	Total		60	5	5	2	11	0	76	7
Hartlepool United (loan)	1989–90	Fourth Division	1	1	0	0	0	0	11	1
Port Vale	1988–89	Third Division	4	3	0	0	2	0	6	3
	1989–90	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1990–91	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		4	3	0	0	2	0	6	3
Career Total			75	9	5	2	13	0	93	11

Honours

with Sunderland

Football League Third Division champion: 1987–88

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 11. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
^ Kent, Jeff (1989). Port Vale Promotion Chronicle 1988-1989: Back to Where We Once Belonged!. Witan Books. p. 13. ISBN 0-9508981-3-9.
^ Smith, Denis (2008), Just One of Seven, Know The Score Books, p. 202, ISBN 978-1-84818-504-3

[kent-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 11. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.

[p13-2] Kent, Jeff (1989). Port Vale Promotion Chronicle 1988-1989: Back to Where We Once Belonged!. Witan Books. p. 13. ISBN 0-9508981-3-9.

[3] Smith, Denis (2008), Just One of Seven, Know The Score Books, p. 202, ISBN 978-1-84818-504-3

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