Andrew Marriott (born 11 October 1970) is an English-born Welsh professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. He is a journeyman player, having represented various clubs, and has also played for the Welsh national team.

Andy Marriott
Personal information
Full name Andrew Marriott
Date of birth (1970-10-11) 11 October 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth Sutton-in-Ashfield, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1987–1988 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Arsenal 0 (0)
1989–1993 Nottingham Forest 11 (0)
1989West Bromwich Albion (loan) 3 (0)
1989Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2 (0)
1990Colchester United (loan) 10 (0)
1991Burnley (loan) 15 (0)
1993–1998 Wrexham 255 (0)
1998Sunderland (loan) 0 (0)
1998–2001 Sunderland 2 (0)
2001Wigan Athletic (loan) 0 (0)
2001Barnsley (loan) 0 (0)
2001–2003 Barnsley 54 (0)
2003 Birmingham City 1 (0)
2003–2004 S.C. Beira-Mar 24 (0)
2004 Coventry City 0 (0)
2004 Colchester United 0 (0)
2004–2005 Bury 19 (0)
2005–2006 Torquay United 57 (0)
2006–2007 Boston United 46 (0)
2007–2011 Exeter City 52 (0)
Total 551 (0)
International career
1992 England U21 1 (0)
1996–1998 Wales 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

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Marriott was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield. He began his career as a trainee with Arsenal in April 1987, turning professional in October 1988.[1] However, he never made the first team at Highbury, joining Nottingham Forest in June 1989 for a fee of £50,000. He was soon sent out on loan by Brian Clough to gain some first team experience, joining West Bromwich Albion in September 1989. He made his Football League debut with Albion in a 3–1 win at Leicester City on 9 September.[1] Later that season he had loan spells with Blackburn Rovers and Colchester United. He was also loaned out to Burnley in August 1991. Marriott played in the 1992 League Cup Final, which Forest lost 1–0 to Manchester United. After 13 first team games for Forest, he moved to Wrexham, in October 1993, for a fee of £200,000.

He was a regular over the next five years at the Racecourse Ground, playing over 250 times, and winning five Welsh international caps, before joining Sunderland for £200,000 in August 1998. He failed to establish himself at Sunderland however, and was set to join Cardiff City in September 2000. A £300,000 fee had been agreed between the two clubs, but Marriott decided to stay at Sunderland after failing to agree personal terms with Cardiff.[2] A further round of negotiations later that month failed to persuade him to move to South Wales.[3] He joined Wigan Athletic on loan in January 2001.[4] Another loan spell in 2000–01, this time at Barnsley, led to a permanent move on a free transfer at the end of the season. He acted as the club's PFA representative during his time at Oakwell.[5]

In March 2003 he joined Birmingham City for a nominal fee, as goalkeeping cover after Nico Vaesen suffered injured knee ligaments.[6] He left at the end of the season after just one Premiership appearance, a 2–1 away defeat against Tottenham Hotspur. Seven minutes into his Blues debut, Marriott collected a tame delivery into the box and dropped the ball at his feet to clear. However, he failed to see behind him Robbie Keane, who stole the ball and rolled it into the net.[7] The goal was named as the Goal of the Week on the BBC Sport website, which described it as "the cheekiest goal of the season" and "one of the goalkeeping clangers of the season".[7][8] Birmingham manager Steve Bruce said that Marriott will be "haunted forever" by the mistake.[9]

In August 2004 he joined Coventry City on a month-to-month deal, but was not kept on and in September had a trial with Oldham Athletic.[10] He moved to Colchester United on a one-month deal in October 2004, as cover for Aidan Davison.[11] The following month he signed an 18-month contract with Bury.[12] In March 2005 he joined Torquay United,[13] becoming the sixth keeper the club had used that season. He saved two spot-kicks in an FA Cup penalty shootout against Harrogate Town, before converting the winning penalty himself.[14] At the end of the 2005–06 he was offered a new contract at Torquay, but he turned it down, instead opting to sign for Boston United in June.[15] A year later, following Boston's double demotion to the Conference North, he returned to Devon, joining Exeter City.[16]

Player/Admin roles

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As well as being a registered player, Marriott currently holds the role of general manager at Exeter City.

On 7 December 2010 it was announced that Marriott would join Premier League side West Bromwich Albion in the new year to become Assistant Sporting/Technical Director.[17]

Marriott left this post in 2011 to join the Mercedes Formula One venture. There has been widespread speculation that he is in the frame to return to the Hawthorns and succeed his former mentor, Dan Ashworth, as Sporting and Technical Director at West Bromwich Albion.[18]

Honours

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Nottingham Forest
Wrexham

References

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  1. ^ a b Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books. p. 151. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
  2. ^ "Marriott rejects Bluebirds' offer". BBC Sport. 6 September 2000. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Marriott stays at Sunderland". BBC Sport. 22 September 2000. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  4. ^ "Marriott joins Wigan on loan". BBC Sport. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  5. ^ Hodkinson, Mark (3 February 2003). "Barnsley on the brink". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Marriott joins Birmingham". BBC Sport. 12 March 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Poyet strike lifts Spurs". BBC Sport. 5 April 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  8. ^ "Goal of the Week: Clever Keane". BBC Sport. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  9. ^ "Blues bemoan Marriott error". BBC Sport. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  10. ^ "Marriott on trial at Oldham". BBC Sport. 17 September 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  11. ^ "Colchester sign ex-Wrexham keeper". BBC Sport. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  12. ^ "Marriott leaves U's for Shakers". BBC Sport. 4 November 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  13. ^ "Torquay sign Marriott and Abbey". BBC Sport. 2 March 2005. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  14. ^ "Harrogate 0–0 Torquay (AET)". BBC Sport. 15 November 2005. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  15. ^ "Boston complete double signing". BBC Sport. 14 June 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  16. ^ "Exeter bring in Marriott & Taylor". BBC Sport. 12 June 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  17. ^ "City Keeper To Make Top-Flight Move". Exetercityfc.co.uk. 7 December 2010. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  18. ^ "West Brom: Hunt for new technical director stepped up as Hamburg reportedly reject approach". Birminghammail.net. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
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