Graham Fenton

Name: Graham Fenton

DOB: 22/5/74

POB: Whitley
Bay

Position: Midfielder/Forward

Clubs: Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City,
Walsall, Stoke City, St Mirren, Blackpool, Darlington, Blyth
Spartans, North Shields

International Caps: 0 (1 Under-21 cap for England)

Graham Fenton played for youth sides Cramlington and the
revered Wallsend Boys Club, who include Alan Shearer, Fraser Forster and
Michael Carrick as former alumni, before joining the youth ranks of Aston
Villa. Despite signing professionally for the Birmingham
club in 1992 he did not make his competitive debut until 1994; a short-loan
spell at Midland rivals West Bromwich Albion preceded his playing time at Villa Park. In his time with the Baggies his three goals
in seven games helped the team survive relegation from Division One.

Back in Birmingham
he had a successful 18 months at Aston Villa, playing against Manchester United
in the 1994 League Cup final which Villa won 3-1. His Villa spell coincided
with his solitary cap for the England Under-21s; a 1-0 defeat of Ireland.

Fenton would move to Blackburn Rovers in November 1995
seeking regular football; Blackburn were
reigning champions at the time. Despite the £1.5m outlay from the Ewood Park
club Fenton would fail to become a regular, facing extremely stiff competition
from striking powerhouses such as Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton. Yet two of his
seven league goals for Blackburn are still remembered vividly by Newcastle fans. Fenton
scored a brace for the Rovers as Newcastle
chased a Premier League win; their first trophy since an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
win in 1969. The double is renowned for ending Newcastle’s chances. And what made it even
more painful was that it was delivered by a local player and Newcastle fan.

Fenton admitted in a recent interview with Sky: Tyne and Wear that his life was hard for the first couple
of years before people realised he was just doing his job.

He moved to Leicester in
1997 for £1m, but despite scoring on his debut he could not earn a regular
starting place and began something of a journeyman career. The spell at St
Mirren, after signing a two year deal in 2000, wasn’t really memorable; St
Mirren fans certainly don’t remember anything of note with the exception of
making an arse of a chance at Celtic
Park in 2001. Fenton
ended his professional career with a spell at Blackpool
before dropping down the pyramid and joining Blyth Spartans, back in his native
North East.

Where is he now? Fenton is back in the North East managing
Northern League side North Shields who are playing on the 10 level of the
English league pyramid in the Northern League Division Two. The Robins
currently sit eight in the table, 17 points behind leaders Ryhope CW but with
three games in hand.

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