Stuart Balmer

Stuart Murray Balmer (born 20 September 1969 in Falkirk) is a Scottish professional footballer, who played as a defender.

Stuart Balmer
Personal information
Full name Stuart Murray Balmer[1]
Date of birth (1969-09-20) 20 September 1969
Place of birth Falkirk, Scotland
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Position(s)

Defender

Grahamston
Youth career
000?–1987 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1990 Celtic 0 (0)
1990–1998 Charlton Athletic 227 (8)
1998–2001 Wigan Athletic 101 (3)
2001–2003 Oldham Athletic 36 (6)
2002 → Scunthorpe United (loan) 6 (0)
2002–2004 Boston United 47 (3)
2004–2005 Clyde 13 (0)
2005–2006 Hamilton Academical 15 (1)
2006–2008 St Mirren 0 (0)
Total 445 (21)
Managerial career
2017 Forfar Athletic (interim manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Balmer was a young player at Celtic, having progressed from the Celtic Boys Club, in the late 1980s.[2] Having never made a competitive first team appearance at Parkhead, he was sold to Charlton Athletic in August 1990 for a fee of £120,000.[3] He has the distinction of being the first outfield player in the English league to be allocated the squad number 1; Charlton in the early 1990s allocated their squad numbers alphabetically, hence Balmer (and not a goalkeeper as is typical) wore the number 1 shirt for the season.[4][5]

After eight years at Charlton, Balmer moved to Wigan in September 1998 for £200,000.[3] In three seasons there, Balmer made over 100 appearances before going on to play for several lower league English sides.[3] Whilst at Wigan he also played in the final as they won the 1998–99 Football League Trophy.[6]

In July 2004, Balmer returned to Scotland as player/assistant-manager to Billy Reid at Clyde[7] and then followed him when he moved to Hamilton Academical a year later.[8] Balmer scored one goal for Hamilton, ironically in a game against former club Clyde.[9]

Coaching career

In January 2011, Balmer joined the coaching staff at Ross County as assistant to manager Willie McStay.[10] McStay was sacked as manager a month later, but Balmer remained on the coaching staff under Jimmy Calderwood who was appointed to manage the side until the end of the season.[10] Ross County only narrowly avoided relegation and Calderwood left at the end of the season.[10] Balmer was re-appointed assistant manager by Derek Adams on his appointment as manager in June 2011,[10] and that following season the management team helped Ross County win the Scottish First Division championship and promotion to the Scottish Premier League.[11] In a further readjustment of the coaching staff at Victoria Park in November 2012, Balmer took on the duties of coaching the Under-20 side.,[12] before leaving the club completely in May 2013.[13]

Balmer joined Airdrie in November 2013 as assistant to their recently appointed manager, Gary Bollan[14] and subsequently followed Gary, as his assistant, to Forfar in December 2015.[15] After Bollan was sacked by Forfar in September 2017, Balmer took charge of the side on an interim basis.[16]

References
  1. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2003). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004. Queen Anne Press. p. 33. ISBN 1-85291-651-6.
  2. Traynor, James (12 April 1990). "Desperate times as Celtic find themselves short at the back". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  3. "Stuart Balmer | Football Stats | No Club | Age 52 | 1989-2007 | Soccer Base".
  4. "Which maverick outfield footballers have worn the No 1 shirt?". The Guardian. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  5. "Letters, WSC 274". When Saturday Comes. December 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. "Auto Windscreens Shield Final - Sunday 18th April 1999". cockneylatic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  7. "Reid takes charge at Clyde". BBC Sport. 9 January 2004.
  8. "Jones becomes Accies' assistant". BBC Sport. 5 October 2006.
  9. "Clyde 2-2 Hamilton Academical". BBC. 28 January 2006. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  10. "Stuart Balmer to assist Derek Adams at Ross County". BBC Sport. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  11. "Ross County celebrate promotion to SPL". BBC Sport. BBC. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  12. "Neale Cooper returns to Ross County as assistant manager". BBC Sport. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  13. Ross County Fans [@TheStaggies] (20 May 2013). "Ross County Football Club can confirm that Under 20s Coach Stuart Balmer has left the Club with immediate effect..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. Paterson, Colin (7 November 2013). "Gary Bollan appoints Stuart Balmer as Airdrieonians assistant". Daily Record. Glasgow. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  15. "News - Forfar Athletic Football Club - News - Official Website of the Loons". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  16. "Gary Bollan: Forfar Athletic sack manager after run of defeats". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
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