The wing wizards

Chris Taylor

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A quarter of a century on from Athletic’s League Cup final appearance, Matthew Chambers profiles the top 25 players to have worn the famous shirt since.

HAS any player had such an impact at a club after signing at the age of 36?

Perhaps it was making up for lost time that spurred the canny, skilful winger to produce the goods for Athletic time and again at such a ripe old age.

Scouser Eyres only started in the professional game at the age of 25, moving from non-league Rhyl to Blackpool. But at each of the three four league clubs he represented — Athletic, Burnley and Preston were the others — his performances saw him revered by supporters.

In 2001-02 - the season after moving to Boundary Park from Deepdale - Eyres scored 14 goals to become the club’s top scorer (as well as its most prolific creator) and a model of consistency in a campaign marked by team changes.

Mick Wadsworth left and Iain Dowie took over, but Eyres — then 38 — continued to produce. He scored 16 times the following season to fire the club into the play-offs. When the Chris Moore era crumbled away amid acrimony, fans’ favourite Eyres remained for the rebuilding job, when he took on managerial duties alongside John Sheridan.

He played for three more seasons and time was only finally called on his 18-year professional career in the summer of 2006 - his final appearance out of 241 for Athletic a 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe.

The playing bug remained and he went on to enjoy spells at Hyde, Mossley and Hednesford Town.




CHRIS TAYLOR


A PROUD former Springhead junior and lifelong Athletic fan, a combination of pace, skill and enthusiasm meant Chris Taylor was tipped for the top from the very start of his career.

Scout Ron Millward brought him to Boundary Park as an under-16s player and he continued to flourish.

Before turning down a new deal and moving to Millwall in May 2012, Taylor — a player opponents loved to hate - turned out 285 times for Athletic in seven years and scored 35 goals.

He caught the eye of Ronnie Moore with some enterprising displays in the reserves and made a first-team debut against Nottingham Forest in February, 2006.

Relishing the chance, Taylor became a regular the following season and scored for the first time in a 1-1 draw with Carlisle. He went on to play 50 times in 2006-07.

Chris played the same number of games in the following campaign — missing only five — and as his star rose he became the subject of a failed transfer bid by Blackpool.

A double-strike against Leeds then brought Taylor to the attentions of the Elland Road club, but a bid of £500,000 was rejected.

Signing a new three-year deal in 2009, a series of fitness concerns hampered his progress under Dave Penney and it wasn’t until Paul Dickov was installed that he began to find his groove again in a less restricted role.

At the end of the 2011-12 season, Taylor reluctantly waved goodbye to Oldham and he moved to the Lions on a free transfer. After helping Millwall into the FA Cup semi-finals, he remains in the Championship with Blackburn, where the man once compared to fellow ginger-top David Fairclough is currently out of contract.