John Delve

John Delve
Personal information
Full name John Frederick Delve[1]
Date of birth (1953-09-27) 27 September 1953 (age 71)[1]
Place of birth Ealing,[1] England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1974 Queens Park Rangers 15 (0)
1974–1978 Plymouth Argyle 132 (6)
1978–1983 Exeter City 215 (20)
1983–1987 Hereford United 118 (11)
1987–1988 Gloucester City 14 (1)
1988 Exeter City 13 (1)
– Elmore
– Minehead
– Taunton Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Frederick Delve (born 27 September 1953) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 493 appearances in the Football League for Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City and Hereford United.

Delve began his career with Queens Park Rangers and made 15 league appearances before a £30,000 transfer to Plymouth Argyle in 1974.[3] He played regularly in the team that won promotion to the Second Division in the 1974–75 season and continued to feature often in the next two campaigns.[3][4] Delve eventually lost his place in the side to Gary Megson and, after scoring six goals in 151 league and cup games, moved to Exeter City in 1978.[3][4] In five years with the club, Delve scored 20 times in 215 appearances and helped Exeter reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup during the 1980–81 season.[5]

He was transferred to Hereford United in 1983, where he again made more than a century of league appearances.[5] Having spent four years there, Delve played non-league football for Gloucester City in 1987–88 and returned to Exeter to make the last of his Football League appearances.[5][6] He went on to play non-league football for Elmore, Minehead and Taunton Town.[3][5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "John Delve". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  2. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. ^ a b c d Knight, Brian (1989). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record 1903–1989. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 128. ISBN 0-907969-40-2.
  4. ^ a b "John Delve". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d "John Delve". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  6. ^ a b "John Delve". Tiger Roar. Retrieved 5 July 2013.