Andy Townsend is best known for his former career as a footballer for a number of esteemed football teams. Now known for his role as a co-commentator on BT Sports, Andy has a varied career in the sporting industry which he is able to draw upon during after-dinner speeches. Andy began his football career in 1980, playing for Welling United in the Athenian League. Whilst playing for this team Andy also held down a regular job, working as a computer operator for Greenwich Borough Council. Andy made an impressive 105 appearances whilst playing for Welling United, which captured the attention of other football teams.
In March of 1984, Andy was signed by Weymouth, for a sum of £13,500. After a short period of time playing for Weymouth Andy was sold again, this time to Southampton for £35,000. He made his professional debut for the team playing against Aston Villa. Unfortunately, in 1986 Andy was struck with injury, breaking his leg in a pre-season friendly. However, he did not let that stop him and he soon recovered and rejoined the side. Andy continued to play as a hard-tackling midfielder until he was sold to Norwich City in 1988. Andy made his debut for Norwich in a match against Middlesborough, and by the end of the season, he had made 36 league appearances for the team.
In addition, Andy also made six appearances in FA Cups, where he managed to score two goals. At the end of the season, Andy was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player Of The Year award but was unfortunately beaten by Mark Hughes. In July 1990 Andy was sold to Chelsea, where he made an impressive 138 appearances for the team before being sold to Aston Villa. Whilst playing with Aston Villa, Andy finally won his first trophy with a team, when they won the 1994 League Cup. After 134 league appearances for Aston Villa Andy transferred to Middlesborough. Andy also played for West Bromwich Albion and Boston United, before a knee injury forced him to retire in 2000.
Andy also had a brief opportunity to represent the Republic Of Ireland team, making his debut for the team in a match against France. Whilst playing for Ireland Andy had the opportunity to play in two World Cups for the team, as well as having the opportunity to captain the team in one of the World Cups. After retirement from playing football, Andy has spent time commentating for both ITV Sport and BT Sport. He had a prominent role in the ITV Sport live Champions League, FA Cup and England Internationals coverage, taking over from Ron Atkinson as the channel’s lead co-commentator. He also spent time co-hosting talkSPORT's Weekend Sports Breakfast, as well as hosting Soccer Night. After leaving ITV, Andy joined BT Sports as a co-commentator for their football coverage. With his diverse history in the sport, Andy has both the passion and knowledge to deliver inspiring after-dinner tales for a range of corporate audiences.
How to hire Andy Townsend
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Andy Townsend for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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