Keith Cassells Explained

Keith Cassells
Fullname:Keith Barrington Cassells
Birth Date:10 July 1957
Birth Place:Islington, England
Position:Forward, right winger
Youthyears1:–1977
Youthclubs1:Wembley
Years1:1977–1980
Clubs1:Watford
Caps1:12
Goals1:0
Years2:1980
Clubs2:Peterborough United (loan)
Caps2:8
Goals2:0
Years3:1980–1982
Clubs3:Oxford United
Caps3:45
Goals3:13
Years4:1982–1983
Clubs4:Southampton
Caps4:19
Goals4:4
Years5:1983–1985
Clubs5:Brentford
Caps5:86
Goals5:28
Years6:1985–1989
Clubs6:Mansfield Town
Caps6:163
Goals6:52
Totalcaps:333
Totalgoals:97

Keith Barrington Cassells (born 10 July 1957) is an English retired professional footballer, best remembered for his four seasons as a forward in the Football League with Mansfield Town. He also played league football for Watford, Oxford United, Brentford and briefly in the First Division for Southampton. He acquired the nickname "Rosie" during his playing career.

Career

Early years

A forward, Cassells began his career at Isthmian League club Wembley, before joining Fourth Division club Watford for a £500 fee in October 1977.[1] A double promotion from the Fourth to the Second Division hampered Cassells' chances at Vicarage Road and he made just 17 appearances before his departure in November 1980.[2]

Oxford United and Southampton

In November 1980, Cassells dropped back down to the Third Division to join Oxford United as the makeweight in the deal which saw Les Taylor join Watford for a £100,000 fee. He scored 25 goals in 60 matches,[3] before making a surprise move to First Division club Southampton for an £80,000 fee in March 1982. At the end of the 1981–82 season, he was named in the Third Division PFA Team of the Year.[4] Cassells failed to make a breakthrough at The Dell and made just 27 appearances and scored five goals before leaving the club in February 1983.[5]

Brentford

Cassells dropped back down to the Third Division to join Brentford for a £25,000 fee in February 1983.[6] Signed as a replacement for the injured Tony Mahoney, over the following seasons he proved himself to be "a powerful-running frontman" and "a consistent, if unspectacular goalscorer". A switch to the right wing during the 1984–85 season saw Cassells finish the season as the team's leading league goalscorer (12) and the team's joint-leading goalscorer (18, with Gary Roberts). He also helped the team to the 1985 Football League Trophy Final and the match proved to be his final Brentford appearance. After rejecting a new contract, Cassells departed Griffin Park in August 1985 and finished his Bees career with 102 appearances and 28 goals.

Mansfield Town

Cassells joined Fourth Division club Mansfield Town for a £17,000 fee in August 1985. He had an excellent 1985–86 season, scoring a hat-trick on his debut and helping the club secure promotion to the Third Division with a third-place finish.[7] He experienced more success in the following season, winning the 1987 Football League Trophy Final, despite missing a penalty in the deciding shootout.[8] His career was ended by injury in 1989, by which time he had made 163 league appearances and scored 52 goals for the Stags.

Personal life

Before becoming a professional footballer, Cassells worked as a postman.[9] After his retirement from football in 1989, he joined the Hertfordshire Constabulary and rose to the rank of detective sergeant.[10] He was awarded the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 2011.[11]

Career statistics

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Watford1978–79[12] Third Division30202070
1979–80[13] Second Division70000070
1980–81[14] Second Division201030
Total1202030170
Peterborough United (loan)1979–80[15] Fourth Division8080
Oxford United1980–81Third Division18320203
1981–82Third Division271067443[16] 14022
Total45138744316025
Southampton1981–82First Division620062
1982–83First Division13210512[17] 0213
Total194105120275
Brentford1982–83[18] Third Division167167
1983–84Third Division30911202[19] 03510
1984–85Third Division40124420525118
Total862855407210228
Mansfield Town1985–86Fourth Division40130000004013
1986–87Third Division46160000004616
1987–88Third Division409000000409
1988–89Third Division37140000003714
Total1635200000016352
Career total33397171216520103378117

Honours

Mansfield Town

Individual

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Player: Keith Barrington Cassells . 9 May 2024 . Watford Football Club Archive . en.
  2. Web site: Keith Cassells – Profile of the English Footballer . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130204045401/http://www.football-england.com/keith_cassells.html . 4 February 2013 . 14 December 2017.
  3. Web site: Keith Cassells . 11 January 2018 . Rage Online.
  4. Book: Lynch, Tony . The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes . Random House . 1995 . 0-09-179135-9 . 144.
  5. Web site: Keith Cassells . 15 December 2017 . 11v11.com.
  6. Book: Haynes, Graham . Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Coumbe . Frank . Yore Publications . 2006 . 978-0955294914 . Harefield . 35.
  7. News: Player Records . 15 December 2017 . en-gb.
  8. Book: Jones, Trefor . The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who . 1996 . 0-9527458-0-1 . 68.
  9. Book: Croxford, Mark . The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties . Lane . David . Waterman . Greville . Legends Publishing . 2011 . 978-1906796716 . Sunbury, Middlesex . 342.
  10. Web site: Where are they now? . 23 June 2010 . wfc.net.
  11. Web site: Officers celebrate long service awards . 16 February 2020 . St Albans & Harpenden Review . en.
  12. Web site: Season: 1978/1979 . 9 May 2024 . Watford Football Club Archive . en.
  13. Web site: Season: 1979/1980 . 9 May 2024 . Watford Football Club Archive . en.
  14. Web site: Season: 1980/1981 . 9 May 2024 . Watford Football Club Archive . en.
  15. Web site: Keith Cassells's Matches For Peterborough . 14 December 2017 . UpThePosh! The Peterborough United Database . en.
  16. Appearances in Football League Group Cup
  17. Appearances in UEFA Cup
  18. Book: 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC . 1989 . 0951526200 . White . Eric . 397–398.
  19. Appearances in Football League Trophy