Q is for Quiver!

BRITISH FOOTBALL LEGENDS: An A-Z Guide

Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn was born in October, 1966 in Dublin but didn't start his sporting career as a football player. Instead, he first became a minor hurling star in Ireland playing in the All-Ireland Hurling Final just three months before he was signed by Arsenal in November 1983.

Niall made his League début at centre forward for the Gunners in 1985 and enjoyed one full season (1986/87) in the side, earning a Littlewoods Cup medal, before losing his place to Alan Smith. In March 1990, he was transferred to Manchester City for £800 000.
In his first full season at Maine Road, under the stewardship of Peter Reid, he became a real fans' favourite, being City's top scorer with 22 League and Cup goals. Unfortunately, in November '93, he picked up a cruciate ligament injury. He was back in City's side the following season, but never really established himself as a regular when Alan Ball took over. It was a controversial and very unpopular decision when, as one of his very last acts as City manager, Ball sold Niall to Sunderland in August 1996 for £1,300,000.

At Sunderland, Niall linked up with former City manager Peter Reid and he served the club to perfection over the next six years, becoming a real Wearside legend. On the eve of the 1996-97 season, however, he suffered another bad injury and missed most of the subsequent campaign. With typical courage, he recovered to defy those who thought his career was over by leading the club to the play-off final in 1997-98 and on into the Premiership in 1999-2000. The 'Mighty Quinn', as he was dubbed by adoring Black Cats' fans, produced a series of match-winning performances and his partnership with Kevin Phillips up front helped Sunderland secure a respectable position in their return to the Premiership.
Niall was voted Sunderland and North East Sportswriters' Player of the Year award in 1999 after scoring 21 goals in his partnership with the free-scoring Phillips but a back problem curtailed his involvement increasingly throughout 2000 to 2002. In all, Quinn played 212 games for Sunderland, scoring 69 goals. His career total was 427 games played and 135 goals scored.

He finally had a testimonial year in 2001-02 - and gave every penny away to charity. £1m went on hospital equipment in Britain and Ireland and the rest on school books for Africa and Asia. Players taking part did not receive champagne or Rolex watches. Instead they were given an envelope from a child thanking them for paying for his or her education for the next five years.
After making his debut against Iceland for Ireland in May 1986, Niall played 91 times for the Republic of Ireland scoring 21 goals and playing in two World Cups including the 2002 finals in Japan and Korea, when he played in three of his country's four games as they reached the second round. In 2002, Niall was awarded the PFA's Special Merit Award, and in 2003 he received an honorary MBE.

Jimmy Quinn
Jimmy was born in Belfast in November 1959, and signed for Oswestry in 1980 before moving to Swindon for £10,000 in 1981. It was the first of many moves over the next decade or so for this much-travelled, high-scoring forward who had spells with Blackburn Rovers, Swindon Town, Leicester City, West Ham, Bradford City, Bournemouth and Peterborough amongst others.

In 1986, at Swindon Town under Lou Macari, Jimmy helped the Robins to a play-off place in Division Two, with ten goals. The following season, he scored 31 goals in all competitions, including 21 in the league, and eight goals in six League Cup matches before agreeing terms with Leicester City, for a fee of £210,000.
In July 1992 he signed for Reading from Bournemouth for £55,000 and made his first appearance against Hartlepool the following month aged 32, scoring in a 1-1 draw. Jimmy then became an ever-present member of the Royals squad, making 216 appearances, and scoring 94 goals and playing a crucial role as manager Mark McGhee's side of 1993-94 powered to the Second Division championship.

He left Reading shortly before the end of the 1996-97 season to join Barry Fry at Peterborough United going on to score 25 goals that season and winning selection to the PFA Third Division team.
Jimmy's career total, with 13 different clubs (and three spells at Swindon), is a remarkable 600 Cup and League appearances during which he's scored almost 300 goals. With Northern Ireland, Jimmy won 46 caps and scored 12 goals.

Albert Quixall
Albert Quixall was born in Sheffield in August, 1933 and signed amateur forms for Sheffield Wednesday in 1948, turning professional in 1950. He made his debut in February 1951 as a 17-year old centre-forward and spent almost seven years with the Owls, playing almost 250 League games and scoring 66 League and Cup goals. Together they won two Division Two titles in 1952 and 1956.

His principal qualities were a superbly balanced style and a cunning body swerve, great invention, first class distribution as well as a powerful shot. He was also something a 'Golden Boy' in those pre-George Best days, with his boyish good-looks and his blonde, Teddy-boy hair-cut. He also wore the briefest pair of shorts seen on a football field since the days of Manchester United's Charlie Roberts!
In 1958, in the immediate aftermath of the Munich Air crash, Manchester United paid a record £45,000 for Albert and he spent six years at Old Trafford, winning an FA Cup winner's medal in 1963. Altogether, he scored some 50-odd goals during 165 games for the Reds but somehow failed to fulfil his potential. Denis Law having recently been signed, Albert was transferred to Oldham Athletic in September 1964 for £7,000.

He then spent a couple of years with Stockport County and Altrincham before retiring in 1968. He won five England caps between 1954 and 55 at the comparatively young age of 19. He also made England Schoolboy, England Under 23 and 'B' appearances, and earned four Football League caps.