Tony Funnell

Tony Funnell
Personal information
Full name	Anthony Funnell
Date of birth	20 August 1957 (age 67)
Place of birth	Eastbourne, England
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Newhaven
Senior career*
Years	Team
1975–1977	Eastbourne United
1977–1979	Southampton
1977	→ Vancouver Whitecaps (loan)
1979–1980	Gillingham
1980–1981	Brentford
1981–1983	Bournemouth
	Poole Town
Managerial career
	Hamworthy United
	Wimborne Town
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Anthony Funnell (born 20 August 1957) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League.

Funnell played in the Football League for Bournemouth, Gillingham, Brentford and Southampton. After a back injury forced him to retire from League football, Funnell he had a notable spell with Poole Town in non-League football. He made over 300 appearances and was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2014. Funnell later became a manager.

Playing career

Southampton

After rising to prominence at Athenian League club Eastbourne United, Funnell joined Second Division club Southampton for a £250 fee in January 1977.^[2] Funnell played the 1977 English off-season in Canada with North American Soccer League club Vancouver Whitecaps.^[3] He scored two goals in 10 games for the club,^[3] which fell to the Seattle Sounders in the first round of the playoffs.^[4]

Funnell made an impression during the second half of the 1977–78 season, scoring 9 goals to help the Saints clinch promotion to First Division with a second-place finish.^[5]^[6] The higher level of football during the 1978–79 season meant Funnell rarely figured in the first team picture and he departed The Dell in March 1979.^[7] Funnell made 20 appearances and scored 9 goals during his time with Southampton.^[5]

Gillingham

In March 1979, Funnell transferred to Third Division club Gillingham for a then-club record fee of £50,000.^[1]^[7] He made 38 appearances and scored 10 goals during just over a year at Priestfield.^[8]

Brentford

Funnell joined Third Division club Brentford for a then-club record fee of £56,000 in March 1980.^[2] Not rated by incoming manager Fred Callaghan, he made only 23 appearances and scored six goals during his only full season at Griffin Park.^[1] Funnell departed the Bees in the summer of 1981, having made 35 appearances and scored 10 goals.^[1]

Bournemouth

Funnell signed for Fourth Division club AFC Bournemouth in September 1981 for a £5,000 fee.^[2] Under David Webb's management, he had the best season of his career in 1981–82, top-scoring 16 goals in 43 league games to help the Cherries to promotion to Division Three with a fourth-place finish.^[9] A back injury during the 1982–83 season ended Funnell's career in league football.^[2] He made 64 appearances and scored 22 goals during his time at Dean Court.^[9]

Poole Town

After two years in Sunday league football, Funnell moved into non-League football to join Southern League Premier Division club Poole Town in 1985.^[10] During a long spell with the club, Funnell scored 127 goals in 308 appearances for the Dolphins.^[1] He was recognised for his service with a testimonial versus former club Southampton in May 1991 and he was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2014.^[11]

Managerial career

Funnell had spells as manager of Dorset League club Hamworthy United and Wessex League club Wimborne Town.^[1]

Personal life

Funnell's son Gary is also a footballer, who represented non-League clubs Wimborne Town, Salisbury City and Poole Town, in addition to the England beach football team at international level.^[12]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup^[a]		League cup^[b]		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Southampton	1977–78^[5]	Second Division	15	8	1	0	2	1	18	9
	1978–79^[5]	First Division	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	Total		17	8	2	0	2	1	20	9
Vancouver Whitecaps (loan)	1977^[3]	North American Soccer League	10	2	—		—		10	2
Gillingham	1978–79^[8]	Third Division	12	7	—		—		12	7
	1979–80^[8]	Third Division	21	3	2	0	3	0	26	3
	Total		33	10	2	0	3	0	38	10
Brentford	1979–80^[13]	Third Division	9	2	—		—		9	2
	1980–81^[13]	Third Division	23	6	3	2	0	0	26	8
	Total		32	8	3	2	0	0	35	10
Career total			92	28	7	2	5	1	103	31

^ Includes FA Cup
^ Includes Football League Cup

Honours

Southampton

Football League Second Division second-place promotion: 1977–78^[5]^[6]

Bournemouth

Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1981–82^[9]

Individual

Poole Town Hall of Fame^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 61. ISBN 978-0955294914.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 294. ISBN 978-1906796709.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Tony Funnell". North American Soccer League Players. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ "The Year in American Soccer – 1977". Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Tony Funnell". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ ^a ^b Southampton F.C. at the Football Club History Database
^ ^a ^b "Southampton v Norwich City, 11 November 1978". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Tony Funnell". Gillingham FC Scrapbook. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wadley, Ian. "Funnell: Cherries have done 10 times better than Saints". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ "The Chairman Remembers Pt8 – Tony Funnell's 176 goals and Tom Killick's first!!". Poole Town FC. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Hall of Fame 2014". Poole Town FC. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ Wadley, Ian. "Wimborne Town: Funnell after more FA Cup exploits". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ ^a ^b White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 393–398. ISBN 0951526200.

[13] Includes FA Cup

[14] Includes Football League Cup

[Timeless-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 61. ISBN 978-0955294914.

[BBB70s-2] Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 294. ISBN 978-1906796709.

[NASL-3] "Tony Funnell". North American Soccer League Players. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[4] "The Year in American Soccer – 1977". Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2023.

[11v11-5] "Tony Funnell". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[FCHDsouthampton-6] Southampton F.C. at the Football Club History Database

[11v11match-7] "Southampton v Norwich City, 11 November 1978". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[gillinghamfcresults-8] "Tony Funnell". Gillingham FC Scrapbook. Retrieved 26 May 2017.

[Wadley-9] Wadley, Ian. "Funnell: Cherries have done 10 times better than Saints". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[10] "The Chairman Remembers Pt8 – Tony Funnell's 176 goals and Tom Killick's first!!". Poole Town FC. Retrieved 6 September 2023.

[poole-11] "Hall of Fame 2014". Poole Town FC. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[12] Wadley, Ian. "Wimborne Town: Funnell after more FA Cup exploits". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[White-15] White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 393–398. ISBN 0951526200.

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