Nick Townsend

Nick Townsend
Personal information
Full name Nicholas Peter Townsend[1]
Date of birth (1994-11-01) 1 November 1994[2]
Place of birth Solihull,[3] England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Barnsley
Number 13
Youth career
– Callowbrook Swifts
2003–2013 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Birmingham City 0 (0)
2013 → Oxford City (loan) 9 (0)
2014 → Lincoln City (loan) 14 (0)
2014–2015 → Lincoln City (loan) 17 (0)
2015 → Barnsley (loan) 0 (0)
2015– Barnsley 8 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:20, 4 November 2016 (UTC).


Nicholas Peter Townsend (born 1 November 1994) is an English footballer who plays for Barnsley. A goalkeeper, he began his career with Birmingham City, but never appeared for their first team. He spent time on loan with Conference North club Oxford City and Lincoln City of the Conference Premier before joining Barnsley, initially on loan, in 2015.

Early life and career

Townsend was born in Solihull, West Midlands, where he attended Alderbrook Secondary School.[3] He and his father had season tickets at Birmingham City F.C., and the seven-year-old Townsend was at the 2002 play-off final at which the club were promoted to the Premier League for the first time.[4] He joined Birmingham City's youth academy as an under-nine,[3] and took up a scholarship in July 2011.[1]

He was given a squad number in January 2013 after previous third-choice goalkeeper David Lucas left the club,[5] and, with the sale of first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland pending, he was an unused substitute as Colin Doyle started the FA Cup third round defeat against Leeds United.[6] Butland signed for Stoke City, but was loaned back until the end of the season,[7] so Townsend returned to third choice. He spent a spell on loan at Oxford City,[8] for whom he went straight into the starting eleven and played nine Conference North matches and two in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup.[9]

Professional football

At the end of the season, Townsend signed a one-year professional contract with Birmingham City, with the option of a further year.[10] A fractured hand kept him out of the 2013–14 pre-season friendlies, but he was given a squad number and a place on the bench for the League Cup second-round match at Yeovil Town in late August after Darren Randolph sustained a broken nose and gashed hand during the previous match.[11]

Lincoln City (loans)

After Lincoln City's regular goalkeeper, Paul Farman, was injured in February 2014, Townsend joined the Conference Premier club on a month's youth loan;[12] he was recommended by fellow Birmingham youngster Charlee Adams who was already on loan there.[13] He went straight into the starting eleven for the home match against Kidderminster Harriers, kept a clean sheet,[14] his performance in his second game, a 1–1 draw with Chester, earned him a spot in The Non-League Paper's Team of the Week,[3] and he kept his place for the remaining 12 matches of the season.[15]

Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Birmingham took up their option on Townsend's contract[16] and gave him squad number 30.[17] After a trial in pre-season with Mansfield Town[18] came to nothing, and no other League clubs showed any interest, Townsend reportedly told Birmingham that if he had to play at Conference level again, he would prefer to return to Lincoln City. He signed a season-long loan with that club ahead of their last pre-season fixture and according to manager Gary Simpson was being brought in as first choice.[19] He did indeed go straight into the starting eleven, and kept his place for the first 17 Conference matches of the season.[20] However, Birmingham had sacked manager Lee Clark just before Lincoln's first FA Cup tie of the season fell due, and were not prepared to let Townsend become cup-tied before a new manager was appointed. Lincoln had to recall Farman from loan at Boston United to play in the Cup,[21] and when the Conference programme resumed, Townsend found himself on the bench. By January 2015, he had made no more appearances, so Birmingham recalled him.[22]

Return to Birmingham

He played regularly for the development squad, and captained the team that won the Birmingham Senior Cup.[4][23] After long-time backup goalkeeper Colin Doyle was released at the end of the season, Townsend signed a new two-year contract, with the option of a third year, and according to the club website, was expected to take up Doyle's role.[4] When Tomasz Kuszczak and Adam Legzdins joined the club, Townsend again dropped to third choice, and in early August, he signed for League One club Barnsley on a youth loan until 1 November.[24]

Barnsley

Townsend was on the bench for Barnsley's opening league match of the season, but made his debut three days later in the League Cup visit to Scunthorpe United. The score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and after extra time, so went to a penalty shootout.[25] He signed a three-year contract with the club for an undisclosed fee on 1 September.[26] Townsend made his Football League debut on 12 September at home to Swindon Town, after Adam Davies was dropped as one of several changes made by manager Lee Johnson. Lack of communication between Townsend and his defender Swindon the lead via an own goal, but both made up for their errors later in the game as Barnsley won 4–1.

Career statistics

As of match played 29 October 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Birmingham City 2012–13[27] Championship 000000—00
2013–14[15] Championship 000000—00
2014–15[20] Championship000000—00
2015–16[28] Championship000000—00
Total 000000—00
Oxford City (loan) 2012–13[9] Conference North90——2[lower-alpha 1]0110
Lincoln City (loan) 2013–14[15] Conference Premier140———140
2014–15[20] Conference Premier170——00170
Total 310——00310
Barnsley 2015–16[28] League One8000101[lower-alpha 2]0100
2016–17[29] Championship000000—00
Total 80001010100
Career total 480001030520
  1. ↑ Appearances in Oxfordshire Senior Cup
  2. ↑ Appearance in Football League Trophy

References

  1. 1 2 "List of Players Registered as Scholars in Accordance with Rule C.3 Between 01/07/2011 and 31/07/2011" (PDF). The Football Association. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Barnsley FC Player Profiles: Nick Townsend". Barnsley F.C. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, Peter (12 March 2014). "U21s spotlight – Nick Townsend". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Nick Townsend pens new Blues contract". Birmingham City F.C. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Walker, Andy (1 January 2013). "Lucas joins Fleetwood". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  6. ↑ Tattum, Colin (19 January 2013). "Lee Clark: 'We are looking to the next few weeks for Keith Fahey to rejoin us'". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Birmingham City keeper Jack Butland moves to Stoke City". BBC Sport. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Walker, Andy (21 March 2013). "Ox trail for Nick". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 "The matches: 2012". Oxford City FC – History & Statistics. Chris Byrne. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Tattum, Colin (21 May 2013). "Chris Burke: 'I have contributed this season but I have not met my own expectations'". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Tattum, Colin (27 August 2013). "Cup clash at Yeovil now a crunch clash for Birmingham City". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Nick Townsend: Lincoln City sign Birmingham goalkeeper on loan". BBC Sport. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Lincoln City manager Gary Simpson runs the rule over Birmingham City goalkeeper". Lincolnshire Echo. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  14. ↑ Pakey, John (17 February 2014). "Nick Townsend 'buzzing' after earning a clean sheet on his debut for Lincoln City". Lincolnshire Echo. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 "Games played by Nick Townsend in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  16. ↑ Walker, Andy (30 April 2014). "Decision made on future of seven youngsters". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "2014/15 Blues squad numbers announced". Birmingham City F.C. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  18. ↑ Priest, Craig (21 July 2014). "Nick Townsend is the right choice to replace Alan Marriott". Mansfield Chad. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  19. ↑ Pakey, John (2 August 2014). "Nick Townsend will be Lincoln City's first choice goalkeeper after signing from Birmingham City on loan". Lincolnshire Echo. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 "Games played by Nick Townsend in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  21. ↑ "Lincoln City: Paul Farman recalled from loan for FA Cup tie". BBC Sport. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  22. ↑ "Townsend back from the Imps". Birmingham City F.C. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  23. ↑ Lewis, Peter (30 April 2015). "Blues win the Senior Cup". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  24. ↑ Chapman, Joseph (4 August 2015). "Birmingham City goalkeeper heads out on loan". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  25. ↑ "Scunthorpe 1–1 Barnsley". BBC Sport. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  26. ↑ "Official: Nick Townsend joins Barnsley on permanent deal". Birmingham City F.C. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Nick Townsend in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  28. 1 2 "Games played by Nick Townsend in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Nick Townsend in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
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