Stuart Lovell

Stuart Lovell
Personal information
Full name Stuart Andrew Lovell[1]
Date of birth (1972-01-09) 9 January 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth Sydney, Australia
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Striker; Midfielder
Youth career
Reading
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1998 Reading 227 (58)
1998–2001 Hibernian 88 (17)
2001–2005 Livingston 87 (6)
2005–2006 Queen of the South 38 (1)
Total 440 (82)
International career
2000 Australia 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stuart Andrew Lovell (born 9 January 1972 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian professional footballer, who played as a striker early in his career, before reverting to a midfield role later in his career.[2]

Playing career

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Lovell was born in Sydney, Australia[3] and spent his childhood in Reading, Berkshire.[4] He joined the local professional team and was part of the Reading team that narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the 1994–95 season.[2] He had a penalty kick saved in the playoff final against Bolton Wanderers when Reading were leading 2–0; they eventually lost 4–3 after extra time.[2][4]

After damaging a cruciate ligament in 1997 and almost having his career ended as a result, Lovell moved to Scottish club Hibernian in 1998, ultimately prolonging his career by nearly a decade.

Hibs were in the First Division at the time and he was part of the team who won promotion back to the Scottish Premier League by winning the First Division. He was capped twice by Australia and was a Hibs first team regular as they finished a creditable third in the SPL and reached the 2000-01 Scottish Cup Final.

In the summer of 2001, Lovell surprisingly left Hibs to sign for SPL newcomers Livingston, who he helped to finish third in their first season in the SPL. He subsequently skippered the club to their only major trophy to date, the Scottish League Cup in 2004. Livingston defeated Hibs 2–0 in the final.[5]

Lovell retired after a 15-month spell with Dumfries club Queen of the South, where he also had a spell as caretaker manager.[6]

Post-playing career

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Lovell has since done media work, appearing on Setanta Sports and Sky Sports,[7] and writing a column for the Edinburgh Evening News.[8] He also commentates for Hibs TV[9] and has served as a representative of PFA Scotland.[10]

As of 2022, Lovell is a Network Programme Manager for Street Soccer.[11][12]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[13]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Reading 1990–91 Third Division 30 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 32 2
1991–92 Third Division 24 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 30 6
1992–93 Second Division 22 8 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 26 8
1993–94 Second Division 45 20 2 0 4 2 0 0 3 0 54 22
1994–95 First Division 30 11 1 0 4 1 0 0 6 4 41 16
1995–96 First Division 35 7 2 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 40 9
1996–97 First Division 26 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 28 5
1997–98 First Division 15 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 1
Reading total 227 58 16 2 13 5 0 0 13 4 269 69
Hibernian 1998–99 Scottish First Division 31 11 2 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 36 12
1999–2000 Scottish Premier League 26 1 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 32 2
2000–01 Scottish Premier League 31 5 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 36 5
Hibernian total 88 17 10 1 6 1 0 0 0 0 104 19
Livingston 2001–02 Scottish Premier League 27 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 28 4
2002–03 Scottish Premier League 15 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 18 2
2003–04 Scottish Premier League 25 1 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 34 1
2004–05 Scottish Premier League 20 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 24 1
Livingston total 87 6 7 0 8 1 2 1 0 0 104 8
Queen of the South 2004–05 Scottish First Division 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
2005–06 Scottish First Division 26 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 30 2
QoS total 38 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 42 2
Career total 440 82 35 3 28 7 2 1 14 5 519 98

Honours

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Club

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Reading

Hibernian

Livingston

References

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  1. ^ "Stuart Lovell". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Lovell indulges in title horseplay". BBC Sport. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  3. ^ getreading (27 March 2006). "Lovell: These lads took a monkey off my back". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b "TTE Pod: Stuart Lovell Interview". The Tilehurst End. 28 March 2016.
  5. ^ Smith, Aidan (27 February 2021). "Stuart Lovell on Hibs cup heartache, Livingston Hampden glory, doing the running for Latapy and Sauzee and his new charity role". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Lovell takes over as Scott leaves". BBC Sport. 1 November 2005.
  7. ^ Fort, Hugh (14 June 2015). "Reading FC: Where are the 1995 play-off final side now?". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  8. ^ Lovell, Stuart (16 June 2008). "Euro treats all round as tournament off to a flier". Edinburgh Evening News.
  9. ^ "How To Watch: Hearts (A)". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Stirling Albion cash for trial scheme criticised". BBC Sport. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  11. ^ Clark, Alasdair (2 April 2022). "Former Hibs star Stuart Lovell gets Fifers on to the pitch in free coaching programme". The Courier. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  12. ^ Bryan, Matt (6 November 2022). "Ex pro launches free footy sessions in Lanarkshire alongside recovery group". Daily Record.
  13. ^ "Stuart Lovell". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Livingston lift CIS Cup". BBC Sport. 14 March 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  • Jeffrey, Jim (2005). The Men Who Made Hibernian F.C. since 1946. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-3091-2.
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