A Combative and Skilful Midfield Player
Russell James Coughlin 1960-2016
Russell Coughlin was born in Swansea on 15 February 1960 and after playing junior football as a midfield player and representing the Welsh Schools side and Wales Youth he was spotted by Manchester City and signed for the club as an amateur in July 1976. It was during his time with City that he had his first flirtation with Blackpool Football Club when he played for City Youth against Blackpool Youth in an FA Youth Cup first round tie in November 1976. He turned professional with Manchester City in March 1978.
But despite his undoubted talent he was unable to break into the then strong City first team and he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £40,000 in March 1979. It was at Rovers that he had his second flirtation with Blackpool for in a pre-season Anglo-Scottish Cup tie against the Seasiders that was drawn 2-2 on 1 August 1979 he was unfortunately sent off. During his time at Ewood Park he played 22 League games and made two substitute appearances and one League Cup tie plus making one substitute appearance in that competition.
He was on the move again in October 1980 when Rovers transferred him to Carlisle United for a fee of £20,000. He was a popular player at Carlisle, where he was later to settle, and he played 114 League games, made 16 substitute appearances and scored 13 goals for the club before moving on once again.
This time he joined Plymouth Argyle for a fee of £20,000 in July 1984. He played 128 League games, made three substitute appearances and scored 18 goals for Plymouth and won Third Division promotion honours with the club in the 1985/86 season. And then came his third, and most important, connection with Blackpool when Plymouth transferred him to the club in November 1987 for a fee of £75,000 after Blackpool manager Sam Ellis had taken a distinct liking to his style of play.
He made his League debut for Blackpool against Chesterfield on 12 December 1987 when the game was drawn 1-1 and in his fourth game he scored his first Blackpool goal in a 1-1 draw with Notts County on 28 December 1987. He went on to play 24 League games, scoring two goals, and four FA Cup ties in the 1987/88 season when Blackpool finished 10th in Division Three.
He was the first name on the team sheet the following season and he only missed three League games, and those through injury, playing 42 League games plus making one substitute appearance and scoring five goals when he often played out of position, partnering Andy Garner up front. He also played three FA Cup ties and five League Cup ties, scoring one goal, in that 1988/89 season when Blackpool declined to 19th position in Division Three.
Having played the opening three games of the 1989/90 season, it seemed that his time at Bloomfield Road was perhaps coming to an end and manager Jimmy Mullen loaned him to Shrewsbury Town in September 1990 and he played four League games and made one substitute appearance for the club. But he returned to Blackpool and with Mullen restoring him back to his favoured midfield position he ended up playing 33 League games plus making one substitute appearance and scoring one goal, six FA Cup ties and four League Cup ties in a disastrous season for the Seasiders as they were relegated to Division Four.
Mullen had resigned towards the end of the 1989/90 season and the new manager did not have him in his plans so, although he remained at the club for some months he did not return to first team action and was transferred to Swansea Town in October 1990. While at Blackpool he was considered 'a solid and creative midfielder' and he had played 99 League games, plus making two substitute appearances and scoring eight goals, 13 FA Cup ties and nine League Cup ties, scoring one goal, up to the time of his transfer.
He went on to play 99 League games, make two substitute appearances and score two goals for Swansea before, in July 1993, being transferred to Exeter City where he played 64 League games and made four substitute appearances. And then his final League club was also in the west country when he joined Torquay United to whom he was transferred in October 1995. He remained only one season, playing 22 League games and making three substitute appearances. By the time of his retirement from League football he had made over 600 first team appearances for his various clubs during his illustrious career.
He later had spells with non-league clubs Dorchester Town and Gretna Green before settling in Carlisle, where he continued to play football of the five-a-side variety.
Sadly he died at the wheel of his car following an accident in Carlisle on 3 August 2016. Tributes from all his clubs were fulsome and he will be sadly missed by family, friends and supporters.
Russell Coughlin was born in Swansea on 15 February 1960 and after playing junior football as a midfield player and representing the Welsh Schools side and Wales Youth he was spotted by Manchester City and signed for the club as an amateur in July 1976. It was during his time with City that he had his first flirtation with Blackpool Football Club when he played for City Youth against Blackpool Youth in an FA Youth Cup first round tie in November 1976. He turned professional with Manchester City in March 1978.
But despite his undoubted talent he was unable to break into the then strong City first team and he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £40,000 in March 1979. It was at Rovers that he had his second flirtation with Blackpool for in a pre-season Anglo-Scottish Cup tie against the Seasiders that was drawn 2-2 on 1 August 1979 he was unfortunately sent off. During his time at Ewood Park he played 22 League games and made two substitute appearances and one League Cup tie plus making one substitute appearance in that competition.
He was on the move again in October 1980 when Rovers transferred him to Carlisle United for a fee of £20,000. He was a popular player at Carlisle, where he was later to settle, and he played 114 League games, made 16 substitute appearances and scored 13 goals for the club before moving on once again.
This time he joined Plymouth Argyle for a fee of £20,000 in July 1984. He played 128 League games, made three substitute appearances and scored 18 goals for Plymouth and won Third Division promotion honours with the club in the 1985/86 season. And then came his third, and most important, connection with Blackpool when Plymouth transferred him to the club in November 1987 for a fee of £75,000 after Blackpool manager Sam Ellis had taken a distinct liking to his style of play.
He made his League debut for Blackpool against Chesterfield on 12 December 1987 when the game was drawn 1-1 and in his fourth game he scored his first Blackpool goal in a 1-1 draw with Notts County on 28 December 1987. He went on to play 24 League games, scoring two goals, and four FA Cup ties in the 1987/88 season when Blackpool finished 10th in Division Three.
He was the first name on the team sheet the following season and he only missed three League games, and those through injury, playing 42 League games plus making one substitute appearance and scoring five goals when he often played out of position, partnering Andy Garner up front. He also played three FA Cup ties and five League Cup ties, scoring one goal, in that 1988/89 season when Blackpool declined to 19th position in Division Three.
Having played the opening three games of the 1989/90 season, it seemed that his time at Bloomfield Road was perhaps coming to an end and manager Jimmy Mullen loaned him to Shrewsbury Town in September 1990 and he played four League games and made one substitute appearance for the club. But he returned to Blackpool and with Mullen restoring him back to his favoured midfield position he ended up playing 33 League games plus making one substitute appearance and scoring one goal, six FA Cup ties and four League Cup ties in a disastrous season for the Seasiders as they were relegated to Division Four.
Mullen had resigned towards the end of the 1989/90 season and the new manager did not have him in his plans so, although he remained at the club for some months he did not return to first team action and was transferred to Swansea Town in October 1990. While at Blackpool he was considered 'a solid and creative midfielder' and he had played 99 League games, plus making two substitute appearances and scoring eight goals, 13 FA Cup ties and nine League Cup ties, scoring one goal, up to the time of his transfer.
He went on to play 99 League games, make two substitute appearances and score two goals for Swansea before, in July 1993, being transferred to Exeter City where he played 64 League games and made four substitute appearances. And then his final League club was also in the west country when he joined Torquay United to whom he was transferred in October 1995. He remained only one season, playing 22 League games and making three substitute appearances. By the time of his retirement from League football he had made over 600 first team appearances for his various clubs during his illustrious career.
He later had spells with non-league clubs Dorchester Town and Gretna Green before settling in Carlisle, where he continued to play football of the five-a-side variety.
Sadly he died at the wheel of his car following an accident in Carlisle on 3 August 2016. Tributes from all his clubs were fulsome and he will be sadly missed by family, friends and supporters.
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