Classic Arsenal Players - Part 19 - Andy Linighan
YOU'VE CRACKED IT TONE
THERE ARE JUST seconds left. Wembley's last ever FA Cup final replay looks like it will have to be decided on penalties for the first time as, after 240 minutes over two matches, there is still nothing to separate Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday.
The Gunners have one last corner. Paul Merson trudges wearily over to take it. As the ball is lifted into the penalty area, defender Andy Linighan, who had earlier had his nose broken by a stray elbow from Mark Bright, out-jumps the Wednesday man to send a header towards Chris Woods' goal.
The Wednesday goalkeeper can only push the ball up into the roof of the net and Arsenal have won the cup with Wembley's latest ever goal.
Linighan, who's Arsenal career had been a bit of an anti-climax until then, had written himself into the history books, the unlikeliest of unlikely heroes.
Andrew Linighan was born on 18 June 1962 in Hartlepool. He was from a footballing family as his father Brian and uncle Michael both played for Darlington.
His younger brother, David, made over 500 league appearances for Hartlepool United, Shrewsbury Town, Ipswich Town and Blackpool, while his twin brothers, Brian and John were both on the books at Sheffield Wednesday but they never quite made the grade and ended up playing non-league football instead.
Linighan was spotted playing for local side Smith's Dock, when he was signed by Hartlepool United in 1980, making his debut towards the end of the 1980/81 season while aged just 19.
Linighan, a 6ft 4in central defender noted for his calmness on the ball, became a regular in the Hartlepool side during the 1982/83 season.
After two impressive years in Division Four, Linighan was signed by Second Division Leeds United in the summer of 1984 for £20,000. He had made 128 appearances for the Pools, scoring 6 goals.
Linighan made his Leeds debut on the opening day of the 1984/85 season away at Notts. County and was a regular in the Elland Road side for 18 months until the sacking of manager Eddie Gray.
When his replacement, Billy Bremner, brought in his own players, Linighan was surplus to requirements and was subsequently sold to Joe Royle's Oldham Athletic in January 1986 for £55,000.
He had made 76 appearances for Leeds, scoring four times.
Linighan enjoyed two successful seasons at Boundary Park, playing 102 times and scoring eight goals, before he was given the chance to play in Division One for the first time at the age of 25.
After an initial deal with Crystal Palace had fallen through, Norwich City paid £300,000 for his services in March 1988.
In his first full season at Carrow Road, Linighan helped the Canaries to a top four finish in Division One and a place in the FA Cup semi final, although they would ultimately lose to Everton.
His good form saw him called up to the England B side for a match against Italy B at Brighton's Goldstone Ground on 14 November 1989. He played a further three times for the B side the following year but never made the full England squad.
In the summer of 1990 Linighan joined Arsenal for £1.3 million. At first he had been reluctant to leave Norwich but their chairman, Robert Chase, told him they could not turn down an offer of that magnitude and so he was on his way to Highbury.
Linighan had made 106 appearances for the Canaries, scoring eight goals.
Manager George Graham had bought Linighan initially as cover for his regular centre back pairing of Tony Adams and Steve Bould, and in his first season at the club Linighan played only 14 times as Arsenal won the league title losing just one match.
His debut came in a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on 23 December 1990, the first match after Adams had been sentenced to four months in prison for drink driving. But Linighan only qualified for a championship medal by coming on in the final match of the season at home to Coventry City after the title had already been confirmed.
The following 1991/92 season saw Linighan make his debut in the European Cup, scoring his first goal for the club in a 6-1 win over Austria Vienna, although his appearances were still fairly sporadic.
When Graham then bought back Martin Keown halfway through the 1992/93 season it appeared as though Linighan had fallen even further down the pecking order, but an injury to Bould in January 1993 gave him his chance.
Finally with a run in the team Linighan was able to recapture his best form and he scored his first Premier League goal for the club back at his old Boundary Park stomping ground in February 1993.
Linighan also scored in the League Cup semi final victory over Crystal Palace in April 1993 and played in the final alongside Adams against Sheffield Wednesday, which Arsenal won 2-1.
But it would be the FA Cup final against the same opponents which would bring Linighan his moment in the spotlight.
He was fortunate to still be on the pitch to score that dramatic late winner after earlier having his nose broken by Mark Bright's flying elbow, and it was somewhat poetic justice when it was Bright who he out-jumped to head the iconic goal in the 242nd minute of an epic encounter.
After that late drama Linighan began the 1993/94 season as the first choice partner for Adams but by Christmas he had lost his place to Keown and struggled to regain it.
Linighan would only be an unused substitute as Arsenal lifted the European Cup Winners Cup with victory over Parma in Copenhagan in 1994, although he did play in the final the following year, a 2-1 defeat to Real Zaragoza in Paris.
Although Linighan remained at the club over the next two and a half years, he was unable to hold down a regular place in the team, and following Arsene Wenger's arrival as manager in 1996 it signaled the end.
Although he started the 1996/97 season in the team in place of the injured Adams, scoring a late equaliser at Villa Park, Linighan was never going to be a Wenger-type player and he signed for Crystal Palace for £110,000 in January 1997.
His last appearance for the club was a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on 21 December 1996, almost exactly six years after his debut, having made 153 appearances for Arsenal, scoring eight goals.
Despite never totally winning over the fans he had won four trophies with the club in four different competitions.
Linighan was named captain at Selhurst Park but after they was relegated from the Premier League in 1998, Linighan was sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers to ease the Palace wage bill. However he returned to Selhurst in 1999 after just seven appearances for QPR.
Linighan remained a popular player at Palace, winning their Player of the Year award in the 1999/00 season, until a fall out with owner Simon Jordan in October 2000 led to him signing for Oxford United.
He had made 129 appearances for Palace scoring six goals.
Linighan remained at Oxford until their relegation to Division Three at the end of the 2000/01 season after which time he dropped into non-league football, briefly playing for St Albans City in the Rymans League.
After returning to Oxford United as youth coach, Linighan turned his back on football to concentrate on his plumbing business.
Having qualified with a City & Guilds in plumbing while still at Hartlepool, Linighan had set up the business while at St Albans and he still runs it to this day.
Of course I will always have great memories of Linighan's dramatic goal at Wembley and the celebrations that followed as it was the first time I had seen us win the FA Cup, but that was a rare high in what I felt was a largely disappointing Arsenal career.
I had high hopes when we signed him as he had always looked good for Norwich over the previous couple of years but he perhaps suffered from being understudy to some of the best centre backs in the league at the time.
He always appeared rather slow and cumbersome, turned far too easily, although he was very good in the air and scored a few important goals for us. Well one in particular!
His best spell came in the second half of the 1992/93 season when we saw exactly why George had paid so much for him.
With a regular run in the side he did produce far more consistent performances, although he was never going to displace either Adams or Bould at that time.
Off the pitch he always struck me as being a decent guy.
I recall a story Adams mentions in his book, Addicted, where he said Linighan was one of the first to approach him after he came out as a alcoholic saying, 'You've cracked it, Tone.'
Perhaps a typically understated response from one of the quite men of the team.
In the end it did not really work out for him at Arsenal, although I'm sure he will be delighted with the four trophies he won, especially one of them in particular.
Every young lad dreams of scoring the winner in an FA Cup final and I'm sure that even now while he is fixing a boiler or fitting a new shower, Linighan will often think back to his famous header hitting the back of the net. I know I certainly do.
Coming up next time I look back at the career of a player who often kept Linighan out of the team; Steve Bould. Watch out for that coming soon.
THERE ARE JUST seconds left. Wembley's last ever FA Cup final replay looks like it will have to be decided on penalties for the first time as, after 240 minutes over two matches, there is still nothing to separate Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday.
The Gunners have one last corner. Paul Merson trudges wearily over to take it. As the ball is lifted into the penalty area, defender Andy Linighan, who had earlier had his nose broken by a stray elbow from Mark Bright, out-jumps the Wednesday man to send a header towards Chris Woods' goal.
Linighan, who's Arsenal career had been a bit of an anti-climax until then, had written himself into the history books, the unlikeliest of unlikely heroes.
Andrew Linighan was born on 18 June 1962 in Hartlepool. He was from a footballing family as his father Brian and uncle Michael both played for Darlington.
His younger brother, David, made over 500 league appearances for Hartlepool United, Shrewsbury Town, Ipswich Town and Blackpool, while his twin brothers, Brian and John were both on the books at Sheffield Wednesday but they never quite made the grade and ended up playing non-league football instead.
Linighan was spotted playing for local side Smith's Dock, when he was signed by Hartlepool United in 1980, making his debut towards the end of the 1980/81 season while aged just 19.
Linighan, a 6ft 4in central defender noted for his calmness on the ball, became a regular in the Hartlepool side during the 1982/83 season.
After two impressive years in Division Four, Linighan was signed by Second Division Leeds United in the summer of 1984 for £20,000. He had made 128 appearances for the Pools, scoring 6 goals.
Linighan made his Leeds debut on the opening day of the 1984/85 season away at Notts. County and was a regular in the Elland Road side for 18 months until the sacking of manager Eddie Gray.
When his replacement, Billy Bremner, brought in his own players, Linighan was surplus to requirements and was subsequently sold to Joe Royle's Oldham Athletic in January 1986 for £55,000.
He had made 76 appearances for Leeds, scoring four times.
After an initial deal with Crystal Palace had fallen through, Norwich City paid £300,000 for his services in March 1988.
In his first full season at Carrow Road, Linighan helped the Canaries to a top four finish in Division One and a place in the FA Cup semi final, although they would ultimately lose to Everton.
His good form saw him called up to the England B side for a match against Italy B at Brighton's Goldstone Ground on 14 November 1989. He played a further three times for the B side the following year but never made the full England squad.
In the summer of 1990 Linighan joined Arsenal for £1.3 million. At first he had been reluctant to leave Norwich but their chairman, Robert Chase, told him they could not turn down an offer of that magnitude and so he was on his way to Highbury.
Linighan had made 106 appearances for the Canaries, scoring eight goals.
Manager George Graham had bought Linighan initially as cover for his regular centre back pairing of Tony Adams and Steve Bould, and in his first season at the club Linighan played only 14 times as Arsenal won the league title losing just one match.
His debut came in a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on 23 December 1990, the first match after Adams had been sentenced to four months in prison for drink driving. But Linighan only qualified for a championship medal by coming on in the final match of the season at home to Coventry City after the title had already been confirmed.
The following 1991/92 season saw Linighan make his debut in the European Cup, scoring his first goal for the club in a 6-1 win over Austria Vienna, although his appearances were still fairly sporadic.
When Graham then bought back Martin Keown halfway through the 1992/93 season it appeared as though Linighan had fallen even further down the pecking order, but an injury to Bould in January 1993 gave him his chance.
Linighan also scored in the League Cup semi final victory over Crystal Palace in April 1993 and played in the final alongside Adams against Sheffield Wednesday, which Arsenal won 2-1.
But it would be the FA Cup final against the same opponents which would bring Linighan his moment in the spotlight.
He was fortunate to still be on the pitch to score that dramatic late winner after earlier having his nose broken by Mark Bright's flying elbow, and it was somewhat poetic justice when it was Bright who he out-jumped to head the iconic goal in the 242nd minute of an epic encounter.
After that late drama Linighan began the 1993/94 season as the first choice partner for Adams but by Christmas he had lost his place to Keown and struggled to regain it.
Linighan would only be an unused substitute as Arsenal lifted the European Cup Winners Cup with victory over Parma in Copenhagan in 1994, although he did play in the final the following year, a 2-1 defeat to Real Zaragoza in Paris.
Although Linighan remained at the club over the next two and a half years, he was unable to hold down a regular place in the team, and following Arsene Wenger's arrival as manager in 1996 it signaled the end.
Although he started the 1996/97 season in the team in place of the injured Adams, scoring a late equaliser at Villa Park, Linighan was never going to be a Wenger-type player and he signed for Crystal Palace for £110,000 in January 1997.
His last appearance for the club was a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on 21 December 1996, almost exactly six years after his debut, having made 153 appearances for Arsenal, scoring eight goals.
Despite never totally winning over the fans he had won four trophies with the club in four different competitions.
Linighan was named captain at Selhurst Park but after they was relegated from the Premier League in 1998, Linighan was sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers to ease the Palace wage bill. However he returned to Selhurst in 1999 after just seven appearances for QPR.
Linighan remained a popular player at Palace, winning their Player of the Year award in the 1999/00 season, until a fall out with owner Simon Jordan in October 2000 led to him signing for Oxford United.
He had made 129 appearances for Palace scoring six goals.
Linighan remained at Oxford until their relegation to Division Three at the end of the 2000/01 season after which time he dropped into non-league football, briefly playing for St Albans City in the Rymans League.
After returning to Oxford United as youth coach, Linighan turned his back on football to concentrate on his plumbing business.
Having qualified with a City & Guilds in plumbing while still at Hartlepool, Linighan had set up the business while at St Albans and he still runs it to this day.
Of course I will always have great memories of Linighan's dramatic goal at Wembley and the celebrations that followed as it was the first time I had seen us win the FA Cup, but that was a rare high in what I felt was a largely disappointing Arsenal career.
I had high hopes when we signed him as he had always looked good for Norwich over the previous couple of years but he perhaps suffered from being understudy to some of the best centre backs in the league at the time.
He always appeared rather slow and cumbersome, turned far too easily, although he was very good in the air and scored a few important goals for us. Well one in particular!
His best spell came in the second half of the 1992/93 season when we saw exactly why George had paid so much for him.
With a regular run in the side he did produce far more consistent performances, although he was never going to displace either Adams or Bould at that time.
Off the pitch he always struck me as being a decent guy.
I recall a story Adams mentions in his book, Addicted, where he said Linighan was one of the first to approach him after he came out as a alcoholic saying, 'You've cracked it, Tone.'
Perhaps a typically understated response from one of the quite men of the team.
In the end it did not really work out for him at Arsenal, although I'm sure he will be delighted with the four trophies he won, especially one of them in particular.
Every young lad dreams of scoring the winner in an FA Cup final and I'm sure that even now while he is fixing a boiler or fitting a new shower, Linighan will often think back to his famous header hitting the back of the net. I know I certainly do.
Coming up next time I look back at the career of a player who often kept Linighan out of the team; Steve Bould. Watch out for that coming soon.
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