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Jamie Pollock
Personal information
Date of birth	16 February 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Stockton-on-Tees, England
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1990–1996	Middlesbrough
1996	Osasuna
1996–1998	Bolton Wanderers
1998–2000	Manchester City
2000–2002	Crystal Palace
2001	→ Birmingham City (loan)
Total
International career
1992–1993	England U19
1994–1995	England U21
Managerial career
2003–2005	Spennymoor United
2005–2007	Spennymoor Town
2018–2019	Billingham Synthonia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jamie Pollock (born 16 February 1974) is an English former football club chairman, manager and professional player. As a player he was a midfielder from 1990 to 2002. He played Premier League football for Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City. He also more than 300 appearances in the Football League also appearing for Crystal Palace and Birmingham City as well as a short spell in La Liga with CA Osasuna. From 2003 to 2007 he managed both Spennymoor United and Spennymoor Town.

Playing career

His career began at Middlesbrough where he played as a defensive midfielder. He left Middlesbrough in 1996 joining Spanish side CA Osasuna. After failing to make an impression in Spain he returned to England, signing for Bolton Wanderers. He later played for Manchester City, a team which then fell into what was then Division Two. Pollock scored an own goal in the penultimate game of the season, against Queens Park Rangers, where he flicked the ball over an opposing player before sending a looping header over his own goalkeeper. The own goal condemned Manchester City to relegation to the third tier for the first time, whilst keeping QPR in the division. As a result, a group of QPR fans thanked him by voting him the "most influential man of the past 2,000 years" in an internet poll, where "Jesus came second, apparently."^[1] Speaking to The Athletic in 2021, Pollock said "When something of that nature happens, quite often people rally around and support you. The Manchester City fans were brilliant. They have a good sense of humour. I was expecting a lot of abuse but it never came." He added that people regularly still spoke to him about his infamous own goal with Pollock also saying "It's always a good icebreaker. When I'm coaching young kids, someone will come up to me, or I'll tell them to watch it. It's funny to laugh at now. There was a time when I couldn't watch it. But it's done and dusted now."^[2]

He was transferred to Crystal Palace and later spent a spell on loan to Birmingham City. On 1 March 2002, Pollock announced his retirement from professional football. He had been without a club since he left Crystal Palace by mutual consent. He was training with Grimsby Town but opted instead to play non-League football and become a director in his family's glass-making business.

Managerial career

Pollock was the manager of non-League club Spennymoor Town until 2007,^[3] after his previous club Spennymoor United folded in 2005. His Spennymoor side won the Northern League Division 2 title in 2007. He also coaches a Polton Allstars team that plays in the Teesside Junior Alliance – North Riding League.

Pollock took over as Billingham Synthonia manager at the start of the 2018–19 season.^[4] Synthonia finished 10th at the end of season. He stepped down as manager in August 2019 to focus more on his chairman role.^[5] In 2019 he set up Billingham Synthonia Football Academy.^[6] He stepped down as chairman of the club in July 2021.^[7]

Personal life

His sons Ben and Mattie also became professional footballers.^[8]

Honours

As a player

Middlesbrough

First Division: 1994–95

Bolton Wanderers

First Division: 1996–97

Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 1994–95 First Division^[9]

As a manager

Spennymoor Town

Northern League Division Two: 2006–07

References

^ Hackett, Robin (21 July 2011). "Own goals". ESPN FC. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
^ "What it feels like to score an own goal". The Athletic. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
^ "'Moors' manager resigns". Spennynews. 9 June 2007. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
^ "New Manager at Synners | Billingham Synthonia FC". Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
^ [v]
^ [1] Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine [2]
^ Former Middlesbrough star Jamie Pollock steps down as chairman of non-league club Hartlepool Mail, 30 July 2021
^ Griffiths, Jamie (4 October 2019). "Bulls Bring in Midfielder Pollock". Hereford F.C. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
^ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 150.