Ross Gardner Explained

Ross Gardner
Fullname:Ross Gardner
Birth Date:15 February 1985
Birth Place:South Shields, England
Height:[1]
Position:Midfielder
Youthclubs1:Nissan
Youthclubs2:Whitburn & Cleadon
Youthclubs3:Stella Maris
Youthyears4:2002–2003
Youthclubs4:Newcastle United
Years1:2003–2006
Clubs1:Nottingham Forest
Caps1:28
Goals1:0
Years2:2006–2007
Clubs2:Port Vale (loan)
Caps2:7
Goals2:1
Years3:2007
Clubs3:Port Vale
Caps3:9
Goals3:1
Years4:2007–2008
Clubs4:Ilkeston Town
Caps4:46
Goals4:12
Years5:2008–2010
Clubs5:Eastwood Town
Caps5:29
Goals5:4
Years6:2010–2011
Clubs6:Shildon
Caps6:5
Goals6:0
Years7:2011–2012
Clubs7:Eastwood Town
Totalcaps:124
Totalgoals:18
Nationalyears1:2000–2005
Nationalteam1:England Youth
Nationalcaps1:43
Nationalgoals1:1

Ross Gardner (born 15 February 1985) is an English footballer. He spent four years in the Football League, playing for Nottingham Forest and Port Vale. He later moved into Non-League football with Ilkeston Town, Eastwood Town, and Shildon. He was also named in the England squad for the 2002 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

Career

Gardner started his career with Newcastle United as a youth team player. He made the switch to Nottingham Forest with Newcastle youth teammate James Beaumont after a bust-up with academy coach Peter Beardsley.[2] The pair accused Beardsley of bullying, however, an FA inquiry later cleared him of any wrongdoing.[3]

He made his debut for Forest under Paul Hart in the 2003–04 campaign, replacing Andy Reid 78 minutes into a 6–0 win over Wimbledon at the City Ground. He played one further game in the First Division under new manager Joe Kinnear before he made his mark on the first team during the late stages of the 2004–05 season, as an 18-year-old, playing 14 Championship games during Forest's relegation season. He featured 15 times in 2005–06 under new boss Gary Megson, starting six League One games. He did not feature in new manager Colin Calderwood's first-team plans in the 2006–07 campaign, and in November 2006, he joined Port Vale on loan, before the deal that was made permanent two months later.[4]

He played twenty games for Martin Foyle's "Valiants" in the 2006–07 season and scored two League One goals: the first came in a 2–0 win over Gillingham at Vale Park on 5 December, and the second came in a 2–1 defeat to Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road on 3 February. Vale released Gardner in May 2007.[5]

Gardner joined Ilkeston Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the summer of 2007. He joined Eastwood Town in June 2008 despite being offered a new one-year deal at Ilkeston. A highly influential player for Eastwood,[6] they won the Northern Premier Division in 2008–09 and were promoted into the Conference North. However, after the 2009–10 season, he was released in May 2010.[7] In 2010, he signed a contract to Northern League Division One side Shildon.[8] He played just five games for the club.[9] He returned to Eastwood Town in December 2011.[10] The "Badgers" finished bottom of the Conference North in 2011–12, winning just four games all season. He injured his hernia in February 2012.[11]

Career statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nottingham Forest2003–04First Division20000020
2004–05Championship1400000140
2005–06League One1202020160
Total2802020320
Port Vale2006–07League One1612020201

Honours

Eastwood Town

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FootballSquads – Port Vale – 2006/07 . footballsquads.co.uk . 24 June 2019.
  2. Web site: Toon academy in bullying row. 9 April 2003. BBC News. 21 May 2009.
  3. Web site: Beardsley cleared of bullying. 3 June 2003. BBC News. 21 May 2009.
  4. Web site: Port Vale sign Forest's Gardner . 8 November 2006. BBC Sport. 21 May 2009.
  5. Web site: Vale boss Foyle clears the decks . 9 May 2007. BBC Sport. 21 May 2009.
  6. Web site: Profile. eastwoodtownfc.co.uk. 29 December 2010.
  7. Web site: Stevenson, Hawes sign for Eastwood as retained list is revealed. 25 May 2010. Nottingham Post. 29 December 2010.
  8. Web site: Ross Gardner. clubwebsite.co.uk. 29 December 2010.
  9. News: Ross Gardner . clubwebsite.co.uk. 25 June 2011.
  10. News: Gardner Makes Badgers Return. 6 April 2012. nonleague.pitchero.com. 20 December 2011.
  11. News: Ramshaw waits on Eastwood future. 29 April 2014. Nottingham Post. 17 February 2012.