Phil Purnell
Phil Purnell (born 16 September 1964) is a former professional association footballer who spent the majority of his career with Bristol Rovers. Before turning professional in 1985, Purnell played for West Country non-league sides Forest Green Rovers, Frome Town and Mangotsfield United, until signing for Bristol Rovers in September 1985. He went on to make 153 league appearances for The Pirates in a 7 1⁄2-year spell at the club, scoring twenty-two goals. He was loaned to Swansea City for a month in December 1991, where he played five league games and scored once.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Phillip Purnell | ||
| Date of birth | 16 September 1964 | ||
| Place of birth | Bristol, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Forest Green Rovers | |||
| Frome Town | |||
| ????–1985 | Mangotsfield United | ||
| 1985–1993 | Bristol Rovers | 153 | (22) |
| 1991–1992 | → Swansea City (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Purnell's playing career ended when he suffered a broken leg in April 1993. He was awarded a testimonial match in the summer of 1994, when Bristol Rovers faced a Queens Park Rangers side managed by former Rovers manager Gerry Francis, and featuring a number of former Bristol Rovers players.
After retiring from playing, he worked in insurance, and also continued in football on a part-time basis as assistant manager of Yate Town, where his former Rovers teammate Ian Alexander was manager, and also at Winterbourne United.
Sources
- "Past Players". swanseacity.net. Swansea City Football Club. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
- Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club - The Definitive History 1883-2003. Stroud: Tempus. p. 504. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2.