Matt Healey continues the series.
Tony Elliott was born in Nuneaton the 30th November 1969. He was an England schoolboy and started his career at Birmingham City. He joined Hereford United in late 1988.
I asked him how his signing came about. “I left Birmingham and had a trial at Leeds United but that didn’t materialise, (Hereford Manager) Ian Bowyer called me, he had done some due diligence on me and expressed an interest in me joining. He invited me down to a friendly game against Westfields. I did well and he then offered me a contract till the end of the season”
Elliott would make his full Hereford debut against Bethesda in a Welsh Cup game on the 7th January 1989.
“It was a long journey up there to North Wales, I didn’t enjoy it. Kevin Rose was on a long run of appearances, so I was expecting to be reserve goalkeeper, to my surprise I was selected to play. It was basically a parks pitch, there was sheep mess on the field that I had to clear up and there was a river running through the other side, but I really enjoyed it. We won 2-0”
Elliott had broken Kevin Rose’s 326 consecutive appearances streak and he would make his league debut the following week in a 2-1 loss away at Cambridge United. He would keep the number one spot until the final game of the season where Rose made a farewell appearance in a 2-2 draw at Halifax Town.
Elliott would start the 1989/1990 season as first choice goalkeeper at Edgar Street but an early injury meant Gary Phillips was drafted in on loan for a month “Those were good times, I went from being the number one youth goalkeeper, to playing in the old 4th division, it was an opportunity to get first team football”
The 1989/1990 season is remembered for Hereford United’s fantastic run in the cup competitions. Firstly the FA Cup.
“I was young and had some indifferent games. Ian Bowyer had great faith in me. In the 1st round away at Farnborough we were up against a partisan crowd. I played well and we won 1-0”
Hereford got through to the 4th round. “When we got pulled out of the hat 1st, we were hoping for Manchester United or Liverpool, so to get Manchester United was fantastic, we prepped ourselves best we could. I remember the pitch being soaking wet, it was a fantastic day, sadly the end result wasn’t what we wanted, we were literally minutes away from a replay at Old Trafford”
A Clayton Blackmore goal in the 84th minute broke Hereford hearts.
Hereford would also reach the final of the Welsh Cup at Cardiff Arms park, on the 13th May 1990 the Bulls would face Wrexham. “Ian bought in Roger Freestone on loan, I was struggling with my form. Looking back it was the right thing for the team, but at the time I was devastated. Ian gave me another go and threw me in for the final and I had a good game, Wrexham was always a grudge match, it was a beautiful day, but even better to pick up the trophy”
Ian Bowyer would sadly leave that summer. Colin Addison came in as the new manager and signed experienced goalkeeper George Wood from Cardiff City. The former Scottish international became the number one goalkeeper and Elliott was restricted to just five league starts.
The 1991/1992 season saw Elliott share goalkeeping duties with Alan Judge. Elliott started the season as first choice and was man of the match in an opening 1-0 win at Wrexham.
He would be the October 1991 player of the month as well.
October 1991 (c) MH Archive
He would lose his place in the team after a 3-2 defeat against Maidstone on the 2nd November 1991. An injury to Judge in early 1992 against Cardiff City meant Elliott was back in the nets and he played in another FA Cup 4th round match. This time away to Nottingham Forest.
January 1992 – Tony Elliott arrives at the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest (c) Ron Parrott
“I wanted so badly to keep a clean and at worse bring them back to Edgar Street for a replay. It was a fantastic occasion though with plenty of travelling Hereford fans” Hereford would lose 2-0. The Forest scorers were England international’s Stuart Pearce and Teddy Sheringham.
Elliott would make his final Hereford appearance in a 2-0 loss at Doncaster Rovers on the 18th February 1992. He would leave at the end of the season.
Elliott would later play for Huddersfield Town, Carlisle United, Cardiff City and Scarborough. He then retired from the game to became a goalkeeping coach. He has returned plenty of times to Hereford at the RNC in his role as the coach for the England blind football team. He has gone full circle in his career as he is the current lead goalkeeping coach of the Birmingham City women’s football team.
Tony Elliott – 2020
