Brian Abrey

Brian Anthony Abrey (born 25 April 1939) is an English former footballer who played as a wing half in the Football League for Colchester United. Having begun his career at Chelsea, Abrey spent one full season at Colchester before having to retire through injury.

Brian Abrey
Personal information
Full name Brian Anthony Abrey[1]
Date of birth (1939-04-25) 25 April 1939[1]
Place of birth Hendon, London, England[1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Wing half
Youth career
1955–1961 Chelsea
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1963 Colchester United 38 (1)
Total 38 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Born in Hendon, London, Abrey was invited to join Chelsea in 1955 by manager Ted Drake, but never managed to break into the first-team during his five-year stay. After representing a New York team in the inaugural International Soccer League in the summer of 1960, Abrey joined Colchester United,[2] where he would make his Football League debut on 19 August 1961 in a 3–0 win over Stockport County.[3] He scored his first professional goal in a 2–2 draw with Millwall on 28 October 1961,[4] and scored his second and final goal for the U's in the following match on 4 November 1961 in a 3–3 FA Cup draw with Peterborough United at London Road.[5] He helped Colchester gain promotion to the Third Division as the U's finished the season as Fourth Division runners-up.[6]

Abrey could only manage one appearance in the 1962–63 season, a 2–0 defeat to Northampton Town in the second round of the League Cup on 26 September 1962[7] as he was forced to retire from playing following a recurring knee injury in April 1963,[2] having made 38 league appearances and scoring one goal.[8]

Later life

Following his retirement from playing, Abrey returned to his native Hendon where he worked at a school, before becoming a drayman and later a postman in the area.[2]

Career statistics
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Colchester United 1961–62[2] Fourth Division 3813110422
1962–63[2] Third Division 00001010
Career total 3813120432

References
  1. "Colchester United – Player profile". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  2. Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
  3. "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 3–0 Stockport County". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  4. "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 2–2 Millwall". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  5. "Colchester United – Match details – Peterborough United 3–3 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  6. "League Two (Tier Four) Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  7. "Colchester United – Match details – Northampton Town 2–0 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  8. "COLCHESTER UNITED:1950/51–1989/90 & 1992/93–2011/12". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
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