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Nicholas J. Weaver

[Player Picture]

 

Personalia:
Born: 2/3 1979
Birthplace: Sheffield
Nationality: England (0/0)
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 89 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
Playing Record:
   
League
FAC
LC
Season: Club: Apps Gls Apps Gls Apps Gls
1995-1997 Mansfield Town 1 0 0 0 0 0
1997-1998 Manchester City 0 0 0 0 0 0
1998-1999 Manchester City 45 0 4 0 3 0
1999-2000 Manchester City 45 0 2 0 4 0
2000-2001 Manchester City 31 0 3 0 5 0
2001-2002 Manchester City 25 0 2 0 2 0
2002-2003 Manchester City 0 0 0 0 0 0
2003-2004 Manchester City 0 0 0 0 0 0
2004-2005 Manchester City 1 0 0 0 0 0
2005-2006 Sheffield Wed. (loan) 14 0 0 0 0 0
2005-2006 Manchester City 0 0 0 0 0 0
2006-2007 Manchester City 25 0 5 0 1 0
2007- Charlton Ath.            
Total:   190 0 16 0 15 0

Nicky Weaver was signed for the future and that makes his career at City a strange and unfortunate tale. The tall Sheffield born goalkeeper did not expect to get many games during his first seasons with City. He was signed at the age of 18, and started as understudy to Northern Ireland international Tommy Wright. But for the 2nd division campaign Joe Royle decided to break in the young goalie. From that first match in 1998 Nicky remained City's number one for 3 consecutive seasons. A series of fine displays and a record breaking 22 clean sheets also earned him a place in the England U21 squad. The then England manager, Kevin Keegan, predicted that Weaver would become a full England international later in his career.

The 1998/99 season was crowned with a stunning display in the Wembley play-off final penalty shoot out, where Weaver saved two out of Gillinghams three misses. Weaver's penalty saves and subsequent celebration have since passed into City folklore, alongside Paul Dickovs extra time equaliser.

He enjoyed another good season in Citys 1st Division promotion campaign, but from then on the tale of the promising goalkeeper took an unexpected turn. A combination of injuries and a sudden drop in form resulted in him losing his place to rival Carlo Nash during his first season in the Premiership. It was especially his blunders in the games against Aston Villa, West Ham United and Everton that saw his presence in the team questioned. Injuries to both Nash and Weaver saw to it that the two goalkeepers were present in goal for approximately half of City's championship-winning campaign in the 2001-2002 season. On a brighter note, Nicky was recalled to the England under-21 squad during the campaign, which gave back some of the confidence that was lost when he was implicated in late-night incidents outside nightclubs.

But after the return to the Premiership Nicky again found himself as second or third choice, behind the likes of Peter Schmeichel, David Seaman and David James. A recurrence of the knee injury put him out for most of the 2003/04 season and he flew off to the States in January 2004 to have surgery. By then Nash had left for Middlesborough and with the prospect of having his number 2 on the sidelines for almost a year Keegan opted to bring in experienced goalkeepers like Geert de Vlieger and Ronald Waterrus to cover for David James.

Nicky may have taken the long way back to regular first team football at City, but he was rewarded with a 1 year extension to his contract during the summer 2006. Then fortune finally smiled upon Nicky as David James opted to leave for Portsmouth, and new acquisition Andreas Isaksson got injured early on in the campaign. Nicky suddenly emerged as the natural number one and took his chance feet first making an impressive run of 31 games. His impressive form meant that for a large part of the season he kept Isaksson on the bench, after the Swedish international returned from injury.

Stuart Pearce promised to hand the experienced, but still young, keeper a new contract and possibly a testimonial after the season was ended. But after the closing day of the season Pearce had to leave the club himself, and come July 2007 Weaver found himself out of contract and with no new Manager to talk to. He ultimately decided to sign for Charlton Athletic on a one year deal, but he left the club he had been with for 10 season with a sour taste in his mouth.


Provided by: Svenn A. Hanssen, svenn@hanssen.priv.no