Don't let the boufant hair and dodgy 'tache fool you, Trevor Anderson was perhaps the first "Next George Best" - and the first of many to fail to live up to this mantle...
Club Honours: (with Portadown) Irish League Runner-Up 1971/72; Irish Cup Runner-Up 1971/72; Gold Cup Winner 1971/72; (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, Runner-Up 1980/81; Irish Cup Winner 1979/80, 1981/82, Runner-Up 1982/83, 1984/85; Gold Cup Winner 1979/80, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1984/85; Ulster Cup Winner 1979/80, 1984/85; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84; Tyler All-Ireland Cup Winner 1980/81.
Awards: Peterborough United Player of the year 1978; NI Football Writers' Player of the Year 1986.
Club Career:
Summary: 20(2)/4. Won 6, Drew 6, Lost 10.
Name:
|
Trevor Anderson
|  |
Born:
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3 March 1951, Belfast
| |
Height:
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5.09 ft
| |
Weight:
|
9.11 st
| |
Position:
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Forward / Winger
| |
Representative Honours:
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Northern Ireland: 22 Full Caps / 4 Goals (1973-78), 3 Amateur Caps / 1 Goal (1970-71); Irish League: 4 Caps / 1 Goal (1980-82).
|
Club Honours: (with Portadown) Irish League Runner-Up 1971/72; Irish Cup Runner-Up 1971/72; Gold Cup Winner 1971/72; (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, Runner-Up 1980/81; Irish Cup Winner 1979/80, 1981/82, Runner-Up 1982/83, 1984/85; Gold Cup Winner 1979/80, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1984/85; Ulster Cup Winner 1979/80, 1984/85; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84; Tyler All-Ireland Cup Winner 1980/81.
Awards: Peterborough United Player of the year 1978; NI Football Writers' Player of the Year 1986.
Club Career:
Clubs
|
Seasons
|
Signed
|
Fee
|
League
|
FA Cup
|
FL Cup
|
Europe
|
Others
|
Portadown
|
69/70-72/73
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Mar-70
|
-
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*90 (-)/40
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Manchester U.
|
72/73-74/75
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Oct-72
|
£20,000
|
13 (6)/ 2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2(1)/0
|
Swindon Town
|
74/75-77/78
|
Nov-74
|
-
|
128 (3)/34
|
19(0)/7
|
12(0)/5
|
-
|
-
|
Peterborough.U.
|
77/78-78/79
|
Dec-77
|
-
|
49 (0)/ 6
|
1(0)/1
|
8(0)/0
|
-
|
-
|
Linfield
|
79/80-86/87
|
-79
|
-
|
*300(27)/96
|
-
|
-
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9(3)/3
|
-
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* All domestic games.
Coaching Career:
Coaching Career:
Linfield
|
Youth Team Coach
| |
Manager
|
Oct-92 to Jan-97
| |
Irish League Champion 1992/93, 1993/94; Irish Cup Winner 1993/94, 1994/95; Irish League Cup Winner 1993/94; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1994/95; Floodlit Cup Winner 1993/94; Gold Cup Winner 1996/97.
| ||
Newry Town
|
Director of Football
|
Jan-97 to Sep-99
|
Irish League Division One Champion 1997/98.
| ||
Ards
|
Manager
|
Oct-99 to Dec-01
|
Director of Football
|
Dec-01 to Oct-02
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Irish League Division One Champion 2000/01.
| ||
Dundalk
|
Manager
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Oct-02 to Apr-04
|
Biography:
In October 1972 when Manchester United's manager Frank O'Farrell paid £20,000 for slender Portadown forward Trevor Anderson, he was probably lining up a future replacement for another Ulster-born forward, George Best, whose illustrious career at Old Trafford was drawing to its close. As Anderson said at the time, "There will only ever be one George Best. Nobody can match that… But then again there will only ever be one Trevor Anderson.” Anderson had been exciting Irish League crowds since his teens and, after scored in Portadown's 1972 Irish Cup Final defeat by Coleraine, it was little surprise that he got a chance in England – the surprise was that it came with United. In the event, O'Farrell was sacked within weeks of Anderson's arrival. Under new manager Tommy Docherty, Anderson's fledgling career failed to reach its full potential in a team which only narrowly avoided relegation in 1972/73, and which dropped out of Division One in 1973/74.
Anderson made his United League debut on 31st March 1973, and his International bow followed on 8th May in a 'home' match with Cyprus (played at Fulham's Craven Cottage in London due to civil unrest in Northern Ireland), against whom he scored twice. He retained his place for that season’s Home Nations Championship. In total he won six caps for Northern Ireland during his two years at Old Trafford, and his displays at international level were often better than his form in League football. Following a total of 22 League and Cup appearances for United, he was sold to Swindon Town in November 1974 and in April 1976 scored a hat trick of penalties in a 5-1 win against Walsall. In December 1977 Anderson joined Peterborough United, where he picked up the Player of the Year award in 1978. He returned to the Irish League with Linfield in 1979.
Having grown up in the shadow of Windsor Park his impressive form with Linfield earned him a recall to the International set-up for the 1981 British Championships, but he failed to add to his total of 22 caps. His final cap had come as substitute against Denmark in October 1978, a game in which he scored the winner with a header, his first Northern Ireland goal in over five years. With Linfield Anderson won every medal the local game had to offer topping the goalscoring charts in 1984 and 1986. Indeed in 1986, as a 35 year-old he won the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association Player of the Season Award.
On retiring from playing, Anderson became youth team coach at Windsor Park, rising to manage the first team in 1992. He led Linfield to seven trophies (including two Irish league Championships and two Irish Cups) before quitting in early 1997. He surprisingly took the post of Director of Football at Newry Town (1997-1999) then managed Ards (1999-2002), helping both clubs to First Division titles. In October 2002 Anderson was appointed manager of League of Ireland side Dundalk,but after a slow start to the 2004 season he resigned.
Anderson made his United League debut on 31st March 1973, and his International bow followed on 8th May in a 'home' match with Cyprus (played at Fulham's Craven Cottage in London due to civil unrest in Northern Ireland), against whom he scored twice. He retained his place for that season’s Home Nations Championship. In total he won six caps for Northern Ireland during his two years at Old Trafford, and his displays at international level were often better than his form in League football. Following a total of 22 League and Cup appearances for United, he was sold to Swindon Town in November 1974 and in April 1976 scored a hat trick of penalties in a 5-1 win against Walsall. In December 1977 Anderson joined Peterborough United, where he picked up the Player of the Year award in 1978. He returned to the Irish League with Linfield in 1979.
Having grown up in the shadow of Windsor Park his impressive form with Linfield earned him a recall to the International set-up for the 1981 British Championships, but he failed to add to his total of 22 caps. His final cap had come as substitute against Denmark in October 1978, a game in which he scored the winner with a header, his first Northern Ireland goal in over five years. With Linfield Anderson won every medal the local game had to offer topping the goalscoring charts in 1984 and 1986. Indeed in 1986, as a 35 year-old he won the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association Player of the Season Award.
On retiring from playing, Anderson became youth team coach at Windsor Park, rising to manage the first team in 1992. He led Linfield to seven trophies (including two Irish league Championships and two Irish Cups) before quitting in early 1997. He surprisingly took the post of Director of Football at Newry Town (1997-1999) then managed Ards (1999-2002), helping both clubs to First Division titles. In October 2002 Anderson was appointed manager of League of Ireland side Dundalk,but after a slow start to the 2004 season he resigned.
Linfield FC Interview (October 2009)
Northern Ireland Full Cap Details:
1
|
08-05-1973
|
Cyprus
|
H
|
W
|
3-0
|
WCQ
|
-2 goals (22 yrs, 66 days)
|
2
|
12-05-1973
|
England
|
H
|
L
|
1-2
|
BC
| |
3
|
16-05-1973
|
Scotland
|
A
|
W
|
2-1
|
BC
|
1 goal
|
4
|
19-05-1973
|
Wales
|
H
|
W
|
1-0
|
BC
| |
5
|
26-09-1973
|
Bulgaria
|
H
|
D
|
0-0
|
WCQ
| |
6
|
14-11-1973
|
Portugal
|
A
|
D
|
1-1
|
WCQ
| |
7
|
20-05-1976
|
Scotland
|
A
|
L
|
0-3
|
BC
|
sub
|
8
|
24-03-1976
|
Israel
|
A
|
D
|
1-1
|
FR
| |
9
|
13-10-1976
|
Netherlands
|
A
|
D
|
2-2
|
WCQ
| |
10
|
10-11-1976
|
Belgium
|
A
|
L
|
0-2
|
WCQ
| |
11
|
27-04-1977
|
West Germany
|
A
|
L
|
0-5
|
FR
| |
12
|
28-05-1977
|
England
|
H
|
L
|
1-2
|
BC
| |
13
|
01-06-1977
|
Scotland
|
A
|
L
|
0-2
|
BC
| |
14
|
03-06-1977
|
Wales
|
H
|
D
|
1-1
|
BC
| |
15
|
11-06-1977
|
Iceland
|
A
|
L
|
0-1
|
WCQ
| |
16
|
21-09-1977
|
Iceland
|
H
|
W
|
2-0
|
WCQ
| |
17
|
12-10-1977
|
Netherland
|
H
|
L
|
0-1
|
WCQ
| |
18
|
16-11-1977
|
Belgium
|
H
|
W
|
3-0
|
WCQ
| |
19
|
13-05-1978
|
Scotland
|
A
|
D
|
1-1
|
BC
| |
20
|
16-05-1978
|
England
|
A
|
L
|
0-1
|
BC
| |
21
|
19-05-1978
|
Wales
|
A
|
L
|
0-1
|
BC
| |
22
|
25-10-1978
|
Denmark
|
H
|
W
|
2-1
|
ECQ
|
sub 1 goal
|
Northern Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
1
|
02-10-1970
|
England
|
A
|
L
|
1-4
|
sub 1 goal
|
2
|
19-02-1971
|
Scotland
|
H
|
D
|
1-1
|
sub
|
3
|
17-04-1971
|
Wales
|
A
|
L
|
0-1
|
Summary: 1(2)/1. Won 0, Drew 1, Lost 2.
Irish League Match Details:
1
|
20-09-1980
|
Canada
|
A
|
W
|
3-1
|
1 goal
|
2
|
24-09-1980
|
Canada
|
A
|
L
|
1-2
| |
3
|
15-04-1981
|
League of Ireland
|
A
|
L
|
0-1
| |
4
|
16-02-1982
|
OFK Belgrade
|
H
|
D
|
3-1
|
Summary: 4/1. Won 1, Drew 1, Lost 2.
⚽️ Trevor Anderson
— Marshall Gillespie (@NIStats) January 18, 2022
3️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ games as a Manager, 5️⃣6️⃣% win rate
2️⃣ League Titles
1️⃣ First Division Title
2️⃣ Irish Cups
1️⃣ League Cup
1️⃣ Gold Cup
1️⃣ Budweiser Cup
1️⃣ Co Antrim Shield pic.twitter.com/zBRwmz91Y8
𝟲𝟬 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗱 🏟
— Portadown FC (@Portadownfc) May 28, 2023
𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝟵 - 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻
1970-1972 | 90 apperances 40 goals
🏆 Gold Cup 1971/72
🏆 Carlsberg Cup 1972/73 pic.twitter.com/vxA4IaVUoA
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