Richard Huxford

Richard John Huxford (born 25 July 1969) is an English former professional footballer who made more than 200 appearances in the Football League and the Scottish Football League. His regular playing position was at right back, but he also played as a central defender or in midfield.

Richard Huxford
Huxford (left) with Hamed Diallo during his days coaching at Carolina RailHawks in April 2009
Personal information
Full name Richard John Huxford[1]
Date of birth (1969-07-25) 25 July 1969[1]
Place of birth Scunthorpe, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
– Scunthorpe United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1989 Matlock Town
1989 Burton Albion
1989–1990 Gainsborough Trinity
1990–1992 Kettering Town
1992–1993 Barnet 33 (1)
1993–1995 Millwall 32 (0)
1994 → Birmingham City (loan) 5 (0)
1994–1995 → Bradford City (loan) 14 (1)
1995–1997 Bradford City 47 (1)
1996 → Peterborough United (loan) 7 (0)
1997–1998 Burnley 13 (0)
1998 → Dunfermline Athletic (loan) 10 (0)
1998–2000 Dunfermline Athletic 27 (1)
2000–2001 Alloa Athletic 17 (0)
2001 Partick Thistle 6 (0)
2001–2002 Berwick Rangers 14 (0)
2003 Ely City 5 (0)
2006–2007 Elgin City 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Huxford was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. As a youngster he joined Scunthorpe United as an apprentice, but was released without being offered a full professional contract. He played non-league football for several years, for clubs including Matlock Town,[3] Burton Albion – whose manager met Gresley Rovers' interest in Huxford with a demand for a transfer fee, despite suggesting the player would "have to improve a great deal" to find his way into Burton's long-term plans[4] – Gainsborough Trinity,[3] and Kettering Town, for whom he played 103 games in all competitions.[5]

He moved into the Football League with Barnet in August 1992 in an exchange deal involving Dave Tomlinson.[6] After 33 league games in the 1992–93 season as Barnet won the Division Three title,[7][8] Huxford joined Division One (second tier) club Millwall on a free transfer.[3] He played 36 games in all competitions in his first season, helping the club reach the play-offs, in which they lost to Derby County in the semifinal.[9] During that season he also spent a month on loan at Birmingham City as cover for the injured Scott Hiley.[3]

The following season, his Millwall career consisted of one three-minute substitute appearance[10] before he went out on another month's loan, this time to Bradford City of Division Two. The loan was extended for a further two months, then in January 1995 Huxford signed for Bradford City on a permanent basis for a fee of £50,000.[11] He contributed to the club's promotion to Division One via the play-offs, and was involved in the build-up to both goals in the play-off final against Notts County.[12][13] His chances at Bradford were limited at the higher level, and after a brief spell on loan to Peterborough United, the club released him from his contract in January 1997 and he joined Burnley, initially on a short-term deal until the end of the season.[14] His contract was extended, and new manager Chris Waddle put him in the starting eleven,[15] but he soon fell out of favour, and was allowed to try his luck in the Scottish League, joining Dunfermline Athletic on loan.

Huxford made his Scottish Premier League debut on 15 February 1998 away at Celtic: Dunfermline lost 5–1.[16] The move was made permanent at the end of the season, and he played fairly regularly in his first permanent season with the club,[2] but in September 1999 cruciate ligament damage put an end to his Dunfermline career.[17] Released at the end of the 1999–2000 season,[18] Huxford signed a one-year contract with part-timers Alloa Athletic, newly promoted to the Scottish First Division.[19] His season with Alloa was disrupted by injury,[20] and he was one of numerous players released as the club were relegated.[21] Partick Thistle offered a three-month deal at the start of the 2000–01 season,[22] but when the club decided to go full-time, he made the switch to Berwick Rangers in order to continue his studies.[17] Albeit as a late substitute, he was part of the Berwick team which held Rangers to a goalless draw in the Scottish Cup.[23]

During the 2002–03 season, Huxford played for Cambridge City's reserve team on trial,[24] and turned out for Ely City of the Eastern Counties League,[7] while attending courses at a Christian college in Hertfordshire.[25] Huxford made a return to league football in 2006 with Elgin City of the Scottish Third Division, initially as fitness coach, later making one appearance as a player.[26]

After football

While playing as a semi-professional in Scotland, Huxford earned a degree in sports science from the University of Edinburgh.[17] In 2005, he was appointed as a Sports Science Officer for the Scottish Institute of Sport.[27] Huxford has also coached the youth teams of Manchester United and Crewe Alexandra, and the senior squad of American side Carolina RailHawks.[28]

References
  1. "Richard Huxford". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  2. "Richard Huxford". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  3. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  4. "Rovers fail in Huxford bid". Burton Mail. 6 April 1989. Retrieved 28 February 2017 – via Gresley FC Online.
  5. "Player Profile Richard Huxford". poppiesfans.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  6. "Sport in Short: Football". The Independent. London. 10 August 1992. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  7. "Richard Huxford". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  8. "Barnet". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  9. "Millwall Stats 93–94". The Millwall History Files. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  10. "Millwall Stats 94–95". The Millwall History Files. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  11. "Transfer Out". The Millwall History Files. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  12. Collings, Tim (27 May 1996). "Hamilton engineers Bradford's elevation". The Independent. London. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  13. "1996-05-26 Bradford City 2 Notts County 0". Up The Maggies. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  14. "Clarets: Boss swoops for city defender Huxford". Lancashire Telegraph. 21 January 1997. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  15. Dewhurst, Tony (18 August 1997). "Clarets: Bad-tempered battle boils!". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  16. "Clarets: Turf Moor notebook". Lancashire Telegraph. 28 February 1998. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  17. "David and Goliath task for City hero". Telegraph & Argus. Bradford. 19 January 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  18. Kane, Desmond (10 May 2000). "Crawford to stay at Pars". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  19. Collin, Iain (5 August 2000). "New team to run Stirling". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  20. "Division One preview". BBC Sport. 24 November 2000. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
    "Division One preview". BBC Sport. 2 February 2001. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
    Coates, Jonathan (1 March 2001). "Bankies on brink of extinction". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  21. "Alloa's summer ins and outs". BBC Sport. 4 August 2001. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  22. "Thistle's summer ins and outs". BBC Sport. 8 June 2001. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  23. Carrick, Charles (15 January 2002). "Tennent's Scottish Cup: Brave Berwick earn replay". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  24. "Reserves miss deserved point". Cambridge City. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
    "19-11-02". Haverhill Rovers F.C. Archived from the original on 7 September 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  25. Twiston Davies, Bess (28 December 2002). "Missionaries who are playing ball for Christianity". The Times. London. p. 49.
  26. "Huxford hopes to play part in Elgin revival". Aberdeen Press & Journal. 30 September 2006. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2009 – via NewsBank.
  27. "Richard Huxford - Sports Science Officer". Scottish Institute of Sport. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  28. "Coach Rennie Receives Assistance from Renowned Soccer Specific Sports Scientist". Carolina RailHawks. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
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