 Blackmore in June 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Clayton Graham Blackmore | ||
| Date of birth | (1964-09-23)23 September 1964 (age 61) | ||
| Place of birth | Neath, Wales | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Full-back Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1978–1982 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1994 | Manchester United | 186 | (19) |
| 1994–1999 | Middlesbrough | 53 | (4) |
| 1996 | →Bristol City (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 1999 | Barnsley | 7 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Notts County | 21 | (2) |
| 2000 | Leigh RMI | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2006 | Bangor City | 176 | (11) |
| 2006–2007 | Porthmadog | 18 | (4) |
| 2007–2010 | Neath Athletic | 22 | (0) |
| Total | 489 | (41) | |
| International career | |||
| 1983 | Wales U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1985–1997 | Wales | 39 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2006 | Bangor City | ||
| 2007 | Porthmadog | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Clayton Graham Blackmore (born 23 September 1964)[1] is a Welsh formerinternationalfootballer. He was a combative player known for his attacking free kicks and autility player who excelled indefence, but could play equally well inmidfield.
Blackmore began his professional career atManchester United in 1982, having progressed through the club's youth ranks. After twelve years and 186 league appearances, he switched toMiddlesbrough on a free transfer, and made 53 league appearances in five years, whilst also having a brief loan spell atBristol City in 1996. Having left Middlesbrough in 1999, he had short spells atBarnsley,Notts County andLeigh RMI over the next couple of seasons, before a much longer stint atBangor City commenced in 2000. He left Bangor City in 2006 (after a brief stint as player-manager), having made 176 league appearances for the club, and, after spending a season withPorthmadog (where he was also player-manager), switched toNeath Athletic in 2007, where he made a further 22 league appearances before retiring in 2010. Internationally, Blackmore won 39 caps forWales between 1985 and 1997.
He joinedManchester United as an associated schoolboy at the age of 14, and was anFA Youth Cup finalist in 1982.[2]
He was given his debut for United on 16 May 1984 by managerRon Atkinson, in their 2–0 league defeat againstNottingham Forest at theCity Ground. He made a solitary league appearance the following season, although in1985–86 he scored three goals in 12 league games, but he did not get a serious run in the side until the1987–88 season, by which timeAlex Ferguson was United's manager, when he played 22 league games and scored three goals.1988–89 saw Blackmore enjoy even more first team opportunities as he played 28 times in the league.[3]
He made 35 league appearances for United in1990–91, and 33 in 1991–92.[4]
He was part of the1990 FA Cup winning side and the following year, he won aEuropean Cup Winners' Cup medal with United.[5] He was United's regular left-back in the1990–91 season, but whenPaul Parker signed in the close season, Denis Irwin was switched to left-back and Blackmore returned to his familiar pattern of alternating between different positions, although he did enjoy a good run at right-back when Parker was injured.
Blackmore collected anFA Premier League title medal in1992–93, although he was no longer a regular player at the club, often coming on as a substitute or standing in as a full-back or on the flanks on the few occasions he did start a game.[6] A succession of injuries meant that he was unable to play in the1993–94 season, and competition throughout the team was growing.
In the days of 1–11 numbering of shirts (with players not being assigned the same shirt number for every game of the season), Blackmore's versatility meant that he wore every shirt number from 2 to 11, as well as some of the shirt numbers from 12 to 16 as a substitute. He was assigned with the number 15 when squad numbers were introduced by theFA Premier League for the 1993–94 season, but did not play any first team games that season.
He joinedMiddlesbrough on a free transfer for the1994–95 season after spending more than a decade atOld Trafford. He was signed by newly appointed player-managerBryan Robson, who had just headed toTeesside from United. He helped them win promotion to thePremier League as Division One champions in his first season onTeesside, playing in 30 League games and scoring two goals.[7] He also appeared in Middlesbrough's1997 FA Cup Final defeat byChelsea.[8] Whilst at Boro he had a loan spell withBristol City.[1]
He later had brief spells withBarnsley and atNotts County. Later he moved into non-league football withLeigh RMI[1] andBangor City.[9]
On 3 September 2018, Blackmore joined the coaching staff of theDynamo Brest Academy[10] He left the club in summer 2019.[11]
He won 39 caps forWales.[1] He made his senior debut for the national side on 26 February 1985, in a 1–1 friendly draw withNorway, and his final appearance for the Welsh side came on 29 March 1997.[12]
Manchester United
Middlesbrough
Leigh RMI
Individual