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Kevin Finney

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Kevin Finney
Personal information
Full name Kevin Finney[1]
Date of birth (1969-10-19) 19 October 1969 (age 55)[1]
Place of birth Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1986–1987 Port Vale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1991 Port Vale 37 (1)
1991–1993 Lincoln City 37 (2)
1993–1994 Leek Town 9 (1)
1994 Stafford Rangers
1994–1998 Audley
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kevin Finney (born 19 October 1969) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Port Vale, Lincoln City, Leek Town, and Stafford Rangers.

Career

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Port Vale

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Finney came up through the Port Vale youth team after being scouted by Ray Williams at the age of 14, remaining at the club despite interest from Ipswich Town.[3] He started a two-year YTS scheme in May 1986.[4] Then he signed as a professional in May 1987.[1] He featured 22 times in the 1987–88 campaign, and scored the only goal of the game against Macclesfield Town to book the "Valiants" an FA Cup tie with First Division giants Tottenham Hotspur.[5][1] This goal was reported to have kept manager John Rudge in his job, who went on to become the club's most successful ever manager.[6] He went on to be named as the club's Young Player of the Season.[7]

However, Rudge used Finney mainly as a substitute in 17 games in the 1988–89 season.[1] He scored his first league goal on the last day of the Third Division season: a 2–1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on 13 May.[1] He appeared as a substitute for Andy Porter in the 1–0 win over Bristol Rovers at Vale Park on 3 June, in the second leg of the play-off final.[1] However, his first-team opportunities became more limited in the Second Division, and he featured just nine times in the 1989–90 season.[1] He became frustrated with the lack of playing opportunities.[8] He was found guilty of being drunk and disorderly in June 1990 and sent back from a pre-season training camp at the University of Stirling for breaking curfew in August 1990, along with John Jeffers, Paul Millar and Ronnie Jepson.[9][10] He appeared just once, in the League Cup, in the 1990–91 campaign.[1] He had a transfer request rejected in December 1989, though he was handed a free transfer to Lincoln City in May 1991.[11][1]

Lincoln City

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Lincoln won his signature ahead of interest from Preston North End and Darlington, with manager Steve Thompson having tracked him for some years.[12] The "Imps" posted a tenth-place finish in the Fourth Division in 1991–92, before finishing outside the play-offs on goal difference in 1992–93. He scored two goals in 37 league appearances during his two seasons at Sincil Bank.

Non-League

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Finney then moved into non-League football, agreeing to a two-year contract with Northern Premier League side Leek Town,[13] having rejected terms with Doncaster Rovers to return to his home in Audley as he had not enjoyed living away.[14] His spell with the club would be short as having failed to command a regular place in the team, he moved to Stafford Rangers in December 1993.[15] He was released by the Marston Road-based club at the end of the season.[16] He moved on to join his local team Audley in the Midland Football League[17] where he would remain until, at least, the end of the 1997–98 season.[18]

Career statistics

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Source:[19][20]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Port Vale 1987–88 Third Division 15 0 4 1 3 0 22 1
1988–89 Third Division 14 1 0 0 3 0 17 1
1989–90 Second Division 8 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
1990–91 Second Division 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 37 1 4 1 8 0 49 2
Lincoln City 1991–92 Fourth Division 23 2 1 0 5 0 29 2
1992–93 Third Division 14 0 0 0 4 1 18 1
Total 46 2 5 0 13 1 64 3
Leek Town 1993–94 Northern Premier League
Premier Division 		9 1 4 0 4 0 17 1

Honours

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Port Vale

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 101. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ Rollin, Jack, ed. (1990). Rothmans football yearbook, 1990-91. [Place of publication not identified] : Queen anne Press. ISBN 978-0-356-17911-7. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Home-grown target man". Staffordshire Sentinel. 7 November 1987. p. 13. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Yougn maestro joins the Vale". Staffordshire Sentinel. 29 May 1986. p. 20. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Finney times it perfectly". Staffordshire Sentinel. 11 January 1988. p. 14. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Baggaley, Mike (6 November 2016). "Port Vale COMMENT: Remie Streete goal may buy Bruno Ribeiro time". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Second trophy". Staffordshire Sentinel. 12 May 1988. p. 28. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "I'm still impatient for regular spot". Staffordshire Sentinel. 21 April 1990. p. 40. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Vale footballer fined after drink session in pub". Staffordshire Sentinel. 15 June 1990. p. 19. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "curfew trouble". Aberdeen Evening Express. 4 August 1990. p. 63. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Finney unsettled - loan may follow". Staffordshire Sentinel. 30 December 1989. p. 44. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Imps snap up midfield ace". Lincolnshire Echo. 16 July 1991. p. 35. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Finney signs on, p42". Leek Post & Times. 21 July 1993.
  14. ^ Chris Harper (24 July 1993). "Finney's back on home turf, p7". Staffordshire Sentinel - The Green'Un.
  15. ^ "Finney departs, p36". Leek Post & Times. 15 December 1993.
  16. ^ "Rushton tempting Warner, p16". Sports Argus. 4 June 1994.
  17. ^ Geoff Banwell (1 October 1994). "Audley in for ex-Vale ace Finney, p9". Staffordshire Sentinel - The Green'Un.
  18. ^ "Springbank Vending Midland, p43". Leek Post & Times. 22 April 1998.
  19. ^ Kevin Finney at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  20. ^ "PlayerStats - LeekTownSE". leektown.net. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  21. ^ Kent, Jeff (1989). Port Vale Promotion Chronicle 1988-1989: Back to Where We Once Belonged!. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-3-9.
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