Robert Taylor (footballer, born 1971)

Robert Anthony Taylor (born 30 April 1971) is an English former professional footballer, licensed football agent and manager who is in charge of Watton United.

For other people named Robert Taylor, see Robert Taylor (disambiguation).

Robert Taylor
Personal information
Full name Robert Anthony Taylor[1]
Date of birth (1971-04-30) 30 April 1971
Place of birth Norwich, England
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Watton United (manager)
Youth career
Watton United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1991 Norwich City 0 (0)
1991 → Leyton Orient (loan) 3 (1)
1991 Birmingham City 0 (0)
1991–1994 Leyton Orient 73 (20)
1994–1998 Brentford 183 (58)
1998–1999 Gillingham 61 (33)
1999–2000 Manchester City 12 (5)
2000–2002 Wolverhampton Wanderers 9 (0)
2001 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 3 (0)
2001–2002 → Gillingham (loan) 11 (0)
2002 → Grimsby Town (loan) 4 (1)
2002–2003 Grimsby Town 1 (0)
2003 Scunthorpe United 8 (0)
2004 Gorleston 3 (1)
2008–2012 Diss Town 3 (0)
Total 374 (119)
Teams managed
2003–2004 Watton United
2004 King's Lynn (caretaker)
2004–2008 Dereham Town
2008–2012 Diss Town
2013 Mundford
2016 Swaffham Town
2017 Acle United
2019– Watton United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

As a player he was a forward and was active as a professional between 1990 and 2003. Although featuring for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City, he notably had lengthy and prolific spells with Leyton Orient, Brentford and Gillingham. He notably scored for the Gills at Wembley Stadium in the 1999 Division Two Play-off final against Manchester City, only months before he would join The Blues. Taylor also played professionally for Norwich City, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United. He retired in 2003 following a brief spell with Non-League side Gorleston, although whilst manager of Diss Town he did make three more senior appearances between 2008 and 2012. Since retiring Taylor has managed at Non-League level for Watton United, King's Lynn Town, Dereham Town, Diss Town, Mundford, Swaffham Town and Acle United.

Playing career

Born in Norwich, Taylor played for Watton United's youth team.[2] He was first spotted after playing for Watton United's first team at the age of 15 against Norwich City's reserves in a pre-season friendly.[3]

A forward, Taylor failed to make a first-team appearance for Norwich, making his professional debut in 1991 whilst on loan at Leyton Orient.[4] He spent the summer of 1990 with Norwegian side FK Mjølner gain further experience.[5]

In 1991 Taylor signed for Birmingham City where he also failed to make the first team.[4] He then signed permanently former loan club Leyton Orient where he scored 20 goals in 81 appearances, before moving to Brentford where he scored 74 goals in 208 appearances.[6]

In 1998, he signed for Gillingham for a then club-record fee of £500,000.[7] Playing under manager Tony Pulis Taylor enjoyed the best goal scoring run of his career, totalling 39 goals in 70 games. This included 5 goals away in a single game, away to Burnley in February 1999.[8] Taylor played and scored in the 1999 Second Division play-off Final against Manchester City.[8]

Taylor remained with the club until November 1999 when he signed for Manchester City for £1.5 million.[9] Playing for the club as it gained promotion from the First Division, he scored 5 goals in 12 appearances.[10][11]

In 2000, he signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1.55 million on a four-year deal, commenting that City's signings of Paolo Wanchope and George Weah meant his playing time would be limited at the club.[12] He only made 12 first team appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals and suffered with then-undiagnosed circulatory problems in his legs.[4][9] Whilst at the club he was sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers, Grimsby Town and his former club Gillingham.[4]

Leaving Wolves in 2002 he then signed permanently for Grimsby Town, before ending his professional career with Scunthorpe United.[4]

He also went on to play for non-League club Gorleston.[9] In 2008, while Diss Town manager, he made a brief playing comeback early in the 2008–09 season.[13]

Managerial career

Taylor moved into management with Watton United, King's Lynn (as caretaker manager),[14] Dereham Town,[15] Diss Town,[16] Mundford and more recently Swaffham Town.[17]

In 2019 he returned to Watton United as manager.

Personal life

As a child Taylor supported Liverpool, citing Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush as his inspiration.[3]

In 2016 Taylor launched a football agency, TG-Inspire.[18]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leyton Orient (loan) 1990–91[4] Third Division 3 1 — — — 3 1
Brentford 1993–94[6] Second Division 52— — — 52
1994-95[6] 432321414[lower-alpha 1]05325
1995–96[6] 42 11 4 3 4 1 2[lower-alpha 2] 1 52 16
1996–97[19] 43 7 3 2 4 1 6[lower-alpha 3] 3 56 13
1997–98[20] 40 13 1 2 4 3 1[lower-alpha 2] 0 46 18
Total 1735610812613420874
Gillingham 1998–99[8] Second Division 431610106[lower-alpha 4]55121
1999-00[10] 15152221—1918
Total 58313231657039
Manchester City 1999-00[10] First Division 12 5 — — — 12 5
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2000–01[21] First Division 9 0 0 0 3 3 — 12 3
Queens Park Rangers (loan) 2001–02[22] Second Division 3 0 — — — 3 0
Gillingham (loan) 2001–02[22] First Division 11 0 — 0 0 — 11 0
Gillingham total 69 31 3 2 3 1 6 5 81 39
Grimsby Town (loan) 2001–02[22] First Division 4 1 — — — 4 1
Grimsby Town 2002–03[23] First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 0
Grimsby Town total 5 1 0 0 0 0 — 5 1
Scunthorpe United 2002–03[23] Third Division 8 0 — — — 8 0
Gorleston 2004–05[24] Eastern Counties League Premier Division 3 1 0 0 — 0 0 3 1
Diss Town 2008–09[13] Eastern Counties League First Division 3 0 0 0 — 0 0 3 0
Career total 2889513101810199338124
  1. 2 appearances in Second Division play-offs, 2 appearances in Football League Trophy.
  2. Appearances in Football League Trophy.
  3. 3 appearances and 2 goals in Second Division play-offs, 3 appearances and 1 goal in Football League Trophy.
  4. 3 appearances and 2 goals in Second Division play-offs, 3 appearances and 3 goals in Football League Trophy.

Honours

As a player

Manchester City

As a manager

Diss Town

References
  1. "Robert Taylor". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. "Brentford | News | Where Are They Now? | Where Are They Now? | WHERE ARE THEY NOW?". brentfordfc.co.uk. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  3. "BBC – Norfolk – Junior Football – Robert Taylor interview". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  4. Robert Taylor at Soccerbase
  5. "Boss ready to fill defensive hole". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  6. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 479–481. ISBN 9781906796723.
  7. Deepdale, By Ian Winrow at (17 May 1999). "Gills equal to the task". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  8. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  9. Ivery, Daniel (27 December 2012). "Where are they now? Robert Taylor". birminghammail. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  10. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  11. "Football Club History Database – Manchester City". fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  12. "TAYLOR SIGNS FOR WOLVES". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  13. "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  14. "Banana skin alert". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  15. "Dereham Part Company With Management Team – News – Soham Town Rangers FC". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  16. "Football: Taylor named Diss manager". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  17. "Thurlow Nunn League Swaffham Town appoint former Manchester City striker as their new boss". Watton and Swaffham Times. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  18. "www.tg-inspire.co.uk". TG-Inspire. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  19. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  20. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  21. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  22. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  23. "Games played by Robert Taylor in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  24. "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  25. "SEASON REVIEW: Diss Town". www.dissexpress.co.uk. 3 June 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  26. "Football Club History Database – Eastern Counties League 2010–11". fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
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