Terry Long (footballer)

Terry A. Long (born 17 November 1934) is an English former professional football player and coach, who played for Crystal Palace as a defender between 1955 and 1970 making a then record number of appearances for his only club.

Terry Long
Personal information
Date of birth (1934-11-17) 17 November 1934
Place of birth Tylers Green, England
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Arsenal
Wycombe Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955–1970 Crystal Palace 442 (16)
Teams managed
1980 Millwall (caretaker)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Early and personal life

Long was born in Tylers Green, Buckinghamshire on 17 November 1934.[1]

Playing career

Long, who played as a defender, began his playing career as an amateur with Arsenal,[2] before signing for his local team Wycombe Wanderers at that time a non-league club competing in the Isthmian League. In May 1955,[1] he signed for Crystal Palace, and went on to make over 400 appearances in the Football League[3] before retiring as a player in 1970.[1]

During Long's playing career, he appeared for Palace initially in the old Third Division South and then in the fourth, third and second tiers of the League after reorganisation in 1958. In doing so, he put together a sequence of 214 consecutive appearances[2] and was a part of the 1961[4] and 1964[5] promotion sides. However, he made only two appearances in the 1968–69[6] season which saw Palace reach the top flight for the first time but although he remained a player until the 1970 close season,[1] did not make an appearance in the old First Division during the 1969–70 season.[7] He thus played for Crystal Palace in four different divisions of the League, but not in the top flight.

Coaching career

After retirement, Long remained at Palace as a coach,[8] and in 1972, was appointed assistant manager to Bert Head.[9] However, when Head was replaced by Malcolm Allison in 1973, Long also left Crystal Palace.

He later had a spell as caretaker manager of Millwall, reverting to assistant manager until he was sacked during the 1982–83 season.[10]

References
  1. Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 332. ISBN 0907969542.
  2. Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 80. ISBN 0907969542.
  3. "Profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  4. Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 215. ISBN 0907969542.
  5. Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 221. ISBN 0907969542.
  6. Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 231. ISBN 0907969542.
  7. Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 233. ISBN 0907969542.
  8. "Terry Long". Crystal Palace F.C. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  9. King, Ian. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–2011. The Derby Books Publishing Company. p. 158. ISBN 9781780910468.
  10. "Millwall 1982-83 Season Review". The Millwall History Files. Retrieved 19 August 2014.


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