Gary Innes (footballer)

English footballer (born 1977)

Gary InnesPersonal information

Full name|  Gary John Innes[1]
Date of birth|  (1977-10-07)7 October 1977[1]
Place of birth|  Shotley Bridge, England
Height|  5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s)|  Forward
Team information

Current team

|  Tow Law Town (joint manager)
Youth career
Years|  Team
1994–1995|  Sheffield United
|  Darlington|  15|  (0)
1997|  → Waterford United (loan)|  |
1997–1998|  Gateshead|  35|  (5)
1998–0000|  West Auckland Town|  |
0000–2000|  Seaham Red Star|  |
2000–2002|  Blyth Spartans|  |
2002|  Tow Law Town|  |
2002–2003|  Whitley Bay|  |
2003|  Blyth Spartans|  |
2003–2004|  Tow Law Town|  |
2004–2007|  Whickham|  |
2008|  Annfield Plain|  |
Managerial career
2015|  Bedlington Terriers
2015–2016|  Willington
2021–2022|  Durham United
2023–|  Tow Law Town (joint manager)

Gary John Innes (born 7 October 1977) is an English former footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Darlington. He began his career with Sheffield United, though never played for their first team, spent a short spell with League of Ireland club Waterford United, and played non-league football for numerous clubs in the north-east of England. He represented England at youth level.[1]

## Life and career[edit]

Innes was born in Shotley Bridge, County Durham.[3] He was diagnosed diabetic at the age of nine.[4] He attended St Bede's Catholic School in Lanchester, which he left in 1994 to take up an apprenticeship at First Division club Sheffield United, where his older brother Lee was already on the books.[5] He left after a year to resume his education at Derwentside College, where he studied leisure and tourism.[6] He also played for County Durham schools at under-19 level, and made four appearances for the English Schools' under-18 team in 1996.[7] He also represented England at youth level.[7][8]

He signed for Darlington ahead of the 1996–97 season,[1] and made his Football League debut on 17 August 1996, as a late substitute in a 3–2 defeat away to Hull City in the Third Division.[9] Described as "a nippy, twisting and turning former English under-18 striker with good close control",[8] Innes spent time on loan with League of Ireland club Waterford United in early 1997,[10] playing and scoring in the League of Ireland.[11] He played three times for Darlington on his return, and was released in March 1997 to join Conference club Gateshead.[9]

Innes played the last eight games of the 1996–97 Football Conference season, scored the only goal of the game away to Dover Athletic,[12] and scored a further four times from 27 Conference appearances in 1997–98.[13] He continued in non-league football, mainly in the Northern League, for West Auckland Town,[14] Seaham Red Star,[15] Northern Premier League club Blyth Spartans,[16][17] and Tow Law Town,[18] where he had little first-team football so submitted a transfer request.[19] He left for Whitley Bay,[20] but a few months later rejoined Blyth Spartans.[21] By September 2003 Innes had returned to Tow Law,[22] and in March 2004, he signed for Whickham.[23] In early 2005, a large benign tumour was removed from behind his eye; he was playing for Whickham within weeks of the operation,[4] and was still with the club two years later.[24] He appeared for Annfield Plain in 2008.[25]

From 2010, he was assistant manager of two of his former clubs, Tow Law Town[26] and then Whickham, before spending the last few months of the 2014–15 season as manager of Northern League Bedlington Terriers.[27][28] He took over as manager of Northern League Second Division club Willington in October 2015,[29] and left the following September.[30] In the 2021–22 season, Innes managed Wearside League club Durham United.[31] He and Dion Raitt were appointed joint managers of Northern League Division One club Tow Law Town in October 2023.[32][33]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 280\. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
2. ^ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (1997). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1997–98. London: Headline. p. 446\. ISBN 978-0-7472-7738-5.
3. ^ "Player search: Innes, GJ (Gary)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
4. ^ a b "A match of the day for Uncle Billy". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
5. ^ Gibson, John (31 March 1994). "Sheffield steal". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. p. 38 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ Stern, John (21 February 1996). "Innes hopes to rekindle career". Daily Telegraph. London. p. 35 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ a b "Past Players (IJK)". Durham County Schools' Football Association. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
8. ^ a b Thornley, Gerry (8 February 1997). "Waterford strike first to frustrate Rovers". Irish Times. p. A5.
9. ^ a b "Games played by Gary Innes in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
10. ^ "Two from the archives". Waterford United. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
11. ^ "Soccer round-up". Irish Times. 15 February 1997. p. A5.
12. ^ "Gateshead F.C. Season 1996/97". Gateshead FC Stats 1977–2014. Alan Percival. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
13. ^ Harman, John, ed. (2005). Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years. Tony Williams. pp. 292, 296. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
14. ^ Parkes, Ian (24 November 1998). "Meadow no golden field for Murphy". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
15. ^ "Rowntree double sinks Harrogate". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 18 September 2000. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
16. ^ "The UniBond league". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 27 October 2000. Retrieved 27 December 2014 - via NewsBank.
17. ^ "Still no win for Shoulder". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 4 February 2002. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
18. ^ "Thornaby in dire need of a Star turn". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 23 March 2002. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
19. ^ "The Albany Northern League Today: Eppleton on a survival mission". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 22 November 2002. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
20. ^ "Bay battle for badly needed three points". News Guardian. Whitley Bay. 4 December 2002. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
21. ^ "Altrincham Football Club News Archive 2 to 11 February, 2003: Blyth signing". Altrincham F.C. 8 February 2003. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2022 - via The Alty Files.
22. ^ "The Albany Northern League Today". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
23. ^ "The Albany Northern League: Title talk played down". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 6 March 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
24. ^ Simpson, Ray (10 March 2007). "Arngrove Northern League". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 28 December 2014 - via NewsBank.
25. ^ Pratt, Malcolm (5 January 2008). "Football: Wearside League". The Journal. Newcastle upon Tyne. p. 90. Retrieved 26 November 2022 - via Gale OneFile: News.
26. ^ "Northern Leaguers ring the changes". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
27. ^ "Innes appointed as new manager at Bedlington Terriers". News Post Leader. Whitley Bay. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2022 - via Gale OneFile: News.
28. ^ McDonnell, Andrew; Cunningham, Paul (25 May 2015). "Former Newcastle United trainee Andy Ferrell appointed Bedlington Terriers manager". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
29. ^ Simpson, Ray (8 October 2015). "Innes appointed as Willington boss". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
30. ^ Simpson, Ray (23 September 2016). "Aycliffe looking for revenge against Marske". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
31. ^ Stevenson, Matt (12 December 2021). "New manager appointment". Durham United F.C. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
32. ^ Tow Law Town AFC #Lawyers [@Towlawtown] (23 October 2023). "Club statement. Monday 22nd October" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 November 2023 - via Twitter.
33. ^ "Team". Tow Law Town AFC. Retrieved 17 November 2023.