{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use British English|date=November 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nicky Southall | image = NLSouthall.jpg | image_size = 150 | fullname = Leslie Nicholas Southall | caption = Southall playing for [[Grimsby Town]] in 1994 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|1|28|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Middlesbrough]], England | height = | position = [[Midfielder]] | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]] | years1 = 1991–1995 | clubs1 = [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] | caps1 = 138 | goals1 = 24 | years2 = 1995–1997 | clubs2 = [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] | caps2 = 72 | goals2 = 6 | years3 = 1997–2001 | clubs3 = [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] | caps3 = 154 | goals3 = 17 | years4 = 2001–2002 | clubs4 = [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] | caps4 = 18 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2002 | clubs5 = → [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] (loan) | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2002–2005 | clubs6 = [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] | caps6 = 92 | goals6 = 2 | years7 = 2005–2007 | clubs7 = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] | caps7 = 67 | goals7 = 13 | years8 = 2007–2009 | clubs8 = [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] | caps8 = 83 | goals8 = 4 | years9 = 2008 | clubs9 = → [[Dover Athletic F.C.|Dover Athletic]] (loan) | caps9 = 4 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2009–2010 | clubs10 = [[Dover Athletic F.C.|Dover Athletic]] | caps10 = 27 | goals10 = 4 | years11 = 2010–2012 | clubs11 = [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] | caps11 = 0 | goals11 = 0 | years12 = 2012–2014 | clubs12 = [[Whitstable Town F.C.|Whitstable Town]] | caps12 = 20 | goals12 = 5 | totalcaps = 684 | totalgoals = 76 | manageryears1 = 2012–2014 | managerclubs1 = [[Whitstable Town F.C.|Whitstable Town]] (player/manager) | manageryears2 = 2023–2024 | managerclubs2 = [[Lordswood F.C.|Lordswood]] | manageryears3 = 2024 | managerclubs3 = [[Lydd Town F.C.|Lydd Town]] }} '''Leslie Nicholas Southall''' (born 28 January 1972) is an English former professional [[association football|footballer]] and manager.
During his time in professional football Southall was a [[midfielder]] from 1991 to 2014 who competed in the top four tiers of English league football, notably in the [[Premier League]] for [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]. He has represented [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]], [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]], [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]], [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] and [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] in the [[Football League]] as well as Dover Athletic and [[Whitstable Town F.C.|Whitstable Town]] in [[non-League football]].
==Childhood and early career== A former pupil of [[Coulby Newham]] Secondary School, he has used his second given name since childhood. He started his career as a left-winger, but has played in most positions, including goalkeeper.
Southall was spotted playing Sunday football for [[Nunthorpe]] Boys and was offered a trial at [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]. After realising he'd have little chance of breaking into the Newcastle team he left and joined [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]] on schoolboy terms.
==Playing career==
===Hartlepool United=== Darlington let him go but he resumed his career with [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] where he was a regular in the first team for four seasons. Every one of his 130 appearances for Hartlepool was as a member of the starting line-up, and he scored 28 goals.
===Grimsby Town=== He was transferred to [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] for [[Pound sterling|£]]40,000 and played 55 times, scoring nine goals. On his home debut he had to play in goal after the Grimsby keeper was sent off – allegedly, the other players forced him in because he had the same surname as legendary Everton keeper [[Neville Southall]].
Grimsby manager [[Brian Laws]] signed the Italian [[Ivano Bonetti]] as Southall's replacement just months after Southall himself had arrived at Blundell Park, forcing Southall out of the first-team altogether for much of the mid-season. He often failed to even make the bench and at one point was even asked to do co-commentary for the local media stations.
[[Image:Southall-Grimsby.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Southall became a target of the boo-boys at Grimsby after his own-goal against Stoke condemned Grimsby to relegation.]]
After Bonetti had a disagreement with Laws, Southall was given a chance to re-establish himself in the first-team. After scoring an own-goal against [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] during Grimsby's relegation run-in the 96/97 season, Southall was frozen out of the first team in the 1997–98 season.
===Gillingham=== He then moved on a free transfer to [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]], where he became a popular figure. He made almost 200 appearances for the Gills and scored 29 goals, including a goal nominated for ''Goal of the Month'' against then Premiership side Sheffield Wednesday to knock them out of the FA Cup.
===Bolton Wanderers=== After this spell at Gillingham he moved to the [[FA Premier League|Premiership]] with [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]. He thereby became one of the few footballers to play in all four divisions of the Football League system. He made just over 20 appearances for them and scored once, against [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1795086.stm |title=Toon add to Bolton's woes |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2 February 2002 |access-date=28 March 2010}}</ref> He went on loan to [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] for a brief spell as he looked to secure a permanent move away from the Premiership.
===Gillingham (second spell)=== He caused a stir at Gillingham by making a welcome return there on a free transfer. He made a further 90 appearances but failed to recapture the form which had previously made him a cult hero there.
[[Image:Southall-GillsRelegated.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Southall slumps to the ground after Gillingham are relegated by Nottingham Forest]]
Gillingham were relegated to [[Football League One|League One]] at the end of the [[2004-05 in English football|2004–05]] season after being held to a draw by Nottingham Forest. He was out-of-contract and Gillingham did not retain his services.
===Nottingham Forest=== Nottingham Forest offered the 33-year-old a two-year contract shortly after. In the [[2005–06 in English football|2005–06]] season, he came second in the club Player of the Season vote, behind [[Ian Breckin]], with 18% of the votes. He finished the season with eight goals as Forest narrowly missed out on a play-off place.
===Gillingham (third spell)=== At the end of the 2006–07 season he was due to be out of contract. Forest fans were keen to see his contract renewed, however, on 31 January 2007 it was announced that he had rejoined [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] for a third spell on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Southall made his third debut for Gillingham in the 3–1 away defeat to [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] on 3 February.<ref> [http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10416~973862,00.html Gillingham F.C. official website]</ref> He joined [[Dover Athletic F.C.|Dover Athletic]] on a one-month loan deal on 9 September 2008.<ref name="Southall set for Dover loan">{{cite news | title = Southall set for Dover loan | url = http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~1388203,00.html | publisher = Gillingham F.C. | date = 9 September 2008 | accessdate = 9 September 2008}}</ref> Southall made an immediate impact on his Dover debut, setting up Shaun Welford for the opening goal of the game against [[Hendon F.C.|Hendon]].<ref>[https://www.hendonfc.net/Reports?id=92 Hendon 0–2 Dover Athletic match report from hendonfc.net]</ref> He regained a place in the Gillingham team later that season, and made his final appearance as a substitute in the playoff semi-final second leg against [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]] on 10 May 2009.
===Dover Athletic=== Southall rejoined Dover Athletic during the 2009 pre-season on trial, playing in a handful of friendlies before signing on a permanent deal.<ref>[http://doverathletic.com/index.php?p=news&id=1347 NICKY SIGNS FOR WHITES]</ref> In August 2009, Southall scored his first goal for Dover with a well struck free kick to give his side the lead in an encounter against [[Dorchester Town F.C.|Dorchester Town]]. He became player/assistant manager when [[Ian Hendon]] was appointed manager of the club in May 2010; however, within a month Hendon had been appointed as assistant manager at Gillingham by his predecessor at Dover, [[Andy Hessenthaler]].
===Gillingham (fourth spell)=== Southall signed for the Gills for a fourth time, as player-coach.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/8765346.stm Gillingham offer too good to miss – Nicky Southall]</ref> His fourth Gillingham debut came in a defeat to his previous club, Dover, in a first round FA Cup match on 6 December 2010. When he departed Gillingham in May 2012, his appearance in the FA Cup represented his only appearance in his two years with the Gills.
==Coaching career== On 26 June 2012, Southall joined [[Whitstable Town F.C.|Whitstable Town]] as a player-coach. He then took over as player manager,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/gills_favourite_nicky_southall_signs_for_whitstable_town_1_1421948 |title=Gills favourite Nicky Southall signs for Whitstable Town - Sport - Kent News |website=www.kentnews.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729213203/http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/gills_favourite_nicky_southall_signs_for_whitstable_town_1_1421948 |archive-date=2014-07-29}} </ref> but left at the end of the 2013–14 season, moving to [[Maidstone United F.C.|Maidstone United]] as assistant manager. He remained with Maidstone until October 2018 when he joined Dover Athletic as first team coach.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Nicky Southall – DOVER ATHLETIC FC|url=http://www.doverathletic.com/staff/nicky-southall/|access-date=27 June 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> Southall left the club in June 2022.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.doverathletic.com/news/southall-leaves-crabble/|title=SOUTHALL LEAVES CRABBLE|website=www.doverathletic.com|date=24 June 2022|accessdate=25 June 2022}}</ref>
In December 2023, Southall was appointed manager of [[Southern Counties East Football League|SCEFL Premier Division]] club [[Lordswood F.C.|Lordswood]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/southall-takes-over-at-lordswood-298578/|title=Former Gillingham, Bolton and Nottingham Forest player Nicky Southall takes over as manager of Southern Counties East side Lordswood|work=Kent Online|publisher=[[KM Group]]|first=Luke|last=Cawdell|date=14 December 2023|accessdate=10 January 2024}}</ref> He departed the club by mutual consent in November 2024.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/southall-departs-lordswood-after-losing-run-315407/|title=Nicky Southall leaves SCEFL Premier Division side Lordswood after 10 months as manager – Sam Wilson has temporarily been put in charge of the first team at Martyn Grove|publisher=Kent Online|last=Cawdell|first=Luke|date=4 November 2024|accessdate=4 November 2024}}</ref>
On 18 November 2024, Southall was appointed manager of SCEFL Premier Division side [[Lydd Town F.C.|Lydd Town]].<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.lyddtownfc.co.uk/news/lydd-town-make-changes-at-the-top-2886233.html|title=Lydd Town make changes at the Top!|website=www.lyddtownfc.co.uk|date=18 November 2024|accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref> Just one month later however, on 27 December, he was sacked after three defeats from three league matches which saw the side sitting bottom of the league, seven points from safety, as well as an 8-0 defeat in the league cup to lower division [[Rochester United F.C.|Rochester United]].<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.lyddtownfc.co.uk/news/lydd-town-part-ways-with-nicky-southall-2892755.html|title=Lydd Town part ways with Nicky Southall|website=www.lyddtownfc.co.uk|date=27 December 2024|accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{commons category}} {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10416~8691,00.html Nicky Southall player profile] at gillinghamfootballclub.com *{{Soccerbase}} *[http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/southall.htm Career information at ex-canaries.co.uk]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southall, Nicky}} [[Category:1972 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Darlington F.C. players]] [[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players]] [[Category:Grimsby Town F.C. players]] [[Category:Gillingham F.C. players]] [[Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players]] [[Category:Norwich City F.C. players]] [[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players]] [[Category:Dover Athletic F.C. players]] [[Category:Whitstable Town F.C. players]] [[Category:Premier League players]] [[Category:English Football League players]] [[Category:National League (English football) players]] [[Category:Isthmian League players]] [[Category:Gillingham F.C. non-playing staff]] [[Category:Lordswood F.C. managers]] [[Category:Footballers from Middlesbrough]]