Geoff Horsfield

Just watching TV, Sky Sports Premier, The Football Show. It’s some ex footballers talking about the good old days. I was amazed to hear Geoff Horsfield’s name mentioned.

Low and behold, am just watching an old B’Ham versus Villa match on the same channel,and guess who has just come on as a 70min sub…yes Geoff Horsfield!

and he has just scored B’Ham’s 3rd goal!

Was never a favourite because of alleged issues around injuries and attitude also as a footballer at our level. He didn’t particularly shine for us, amazed he went on to have a good career.

Yes, didn’t we sack him because he was turning out for a Sunday league team despite being on a good contract with us?

My memory isn’t so good these days, for what ever reason, but something is saying to me that I had a bit of a do with him. Hopefully, this is what happened:

Geoff had a lot of difficulty travelling to his first home match. I cant fully remember, but I think he was so late turning up, that he missed the kick-off. His excuse was that he had not realised how long it was going to take him to travel from his home to Wincham Park. If my memory is correct, the Chairman offered Geoff a few days loan of his own personal car, until Geoff could buy his own car. 4 weeks later, i was making up the players wages in the counting house, from the gatemoney after the game had ended. The chairman came to see me, and instructed me not to give Geoff his wage packet, as he still had not had his car returned. I then went down to the social club, and started to hand out the wage packets to the players. When I had finished, Geoff came upto me and screamed that he wanted his wage packet. He grabbed hold of my jacket lapels, and smashed my head against the social club wall, screaming “give me my wages you bastard”. Thankfully, the other players joined in by pulling Geoff off me, and telling him not to show his anger at the messenger, but to go and see the Chairman. Twenty minutes later, the Chairman came to see me and asked me to give Geoff his wages, which I did. The chairman got his car back the following Tuesday.

I seem to remember hearing something to that effect but, wasn’t aware of the detail.

I’d heard that story lol, and it ended I was told when he had money off the club directly for a knee op/scan that he never had done? How true that was I don’t know.

That rings a bell Colin.

Yes, thinking about it, I think the Sunday league story may have been the club’s excuse for getting rid of him, as that was a breach of his contract, but perhaps not the real reason.

He also had quite a few parking tickets while loaning the chairman’s car

I heard that the board wanted his sacking but the chairman didn’t hence why he took his money away from the club.

That’s close but it was Warrender who wanted him sacked (for numerous issues) not the Chairman (Doug Lloyd). I also think it was Ray Ranson the manager who did not want to sack him! Hence the fall-out and our major backer Terry Warrender, who left the club and withdrew his considerable financial support and forced us into administration eventually. It was a pity the club didn’t sack Ranson and Horsfield and keep Terry Warrender. UTA

Wasn’t Ray Ranson and Warrender related in some way.

I believe Ray Ranson was married to Terry Warrender’s daughter.