Lee Hughes
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lee Hughes | ||
| Date of birth | 22 May 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Smethwick, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Apps (Gls)2 | |
| 1995–1997 | Kidderminster Harriers | 108 (51) | |
| 1997–2001 | West Bromwich Albion | 155 (79) | |
| 2001–2002 | Coventry City | 42 (15) | |
| 2002–2004 | West Bromwich Albion | 55 (11) | |
| 2007–2009 | Oldham Athletic | 55 (25) | |
| 2009 | → Blackpool (loan) | 3 (1) | |
| National team3 | |||
| 1996 | England Semi-Pro | 1 (0) | |
| 1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:55, 18 April 2009 (UTC). 2 Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Lee Hughes (born 22 May 1976) is an English footballer currently without a club. He plays as a striker.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
[edit] Non-league and West Bromwich Albion
On leaving Bristnall Hall High School, Oldbury in 1992 Hughes started playing semi-professionally in non-league football with Kidderminster Harriers and played for them in the GM Vauxhall Conference, as well as having a part-time job as a roofer. He scored 35 goals in the 1996-97 season. However, they were beaten to promotion to the Football League by Macclesfield Town.
At this early point in his career Hughes was regarded as one of England's finest semi-professionals and was called up to the England C national football team.[1] He was then sold to West Bromwich Albion for £200,000, a record fee paid for a non-league player. He described it as a dream come true, being a lifelong supporter of the club.[citation needed] He made his debut as a substitute against Tranmere Rovers on the opening day of the 1997–98 season.[2]
Hughes was a key player in the Albion side of the late 1990s and the turn of the 21st century, scoring 31 First Division goals in the 1998–99 season - more than any other player in the Football League or the Premier League.
[edit] Coventry City
Hughes was unable to get Albion into the Premier League and in the summer of 2001 was sold to Coventry City for a club record transfer fee of £5million.[3][4] He had a clause in his contract allowing him to talk to clubs offering Albion more than £5m and Coventry offered £5,000,001. City had just been relegated from the Premier league after 34 years of top flight football and Hughes was seen as the player to help fire the club back into the Premier League. However, they just missed out on the playoffs, while Albion were promoted in second place.[5][6]
[edit] Return to West Bromwich Albion
Hughes soon returned to Albion for £2.5million - half the fee Albion had received for him a year earlier.[7] Despite being a regular in the first team, Hughes was unable to score a single Premier League goal in 2002-03 and Albion were relegated in 19th place with just six wins and 26 points from 38 matches.
[edit] Imprisonment
During the 2003–04 season, Hughes was involved in a car crash in which his Mercedes CL500 collided with a Renault Scenic near the Warwickshire village of Meriden. A passenger in the Renault, Douglas Graham, was killed in the incident and the driver Albert Frisby was severely injured.[8] Hughes and his passenger fled the scene to avoid a breathalyser test (Hughes had been drinking beforehand), prior to turning themselves in to the police the following day. Hughes was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and released on police bail, allowing him to complete Albion's First Division campaign and gain promotion to the Premier League with Hughes being the club's leading league goalscorer on 13 goals.
On 9 August 2004, Hughes was found guilty of causing the death by dangerous driving of Douglas Graham, and of leaving the scene of an accident. Although defended by Nick Freeman, the judge nevertheless criticised Hughes for having a "callous disregard" for the four occupants of the Renault and sentenced him to six years imprisonment. Hughes was also banned from driving for ten years. His contract with West Bromwich Albion was terminated.[9] In January 2005, his appeal for the sentence to be reduced was refused.[10] He was held at Ashwell Prison in Rutland and Featherstone Prison in Staffordshire. While in prison he converted to Islam,[11][12]. He played in the Staffordshire County Senior League for Featherstone F.C., the prison football team.
Upon his release Hughes made a public apology and confirmed that during his time in prison he met the daughter of Douglas Graham. Hughes stated, "In going some way to facing my responsibilities, I have met with a relative of the man who died, and what was said will always remain a private and personal matter. For different reasons I think we were both glad that the meeting occurred. I made dreadful mistakes and decisions that will live with me for the rest of my life. It also greatly affected my immediate family, including my wife and children, and I will never forgive myself for this."
Hughes also insisted he was determined to carry out community work to help others avoid the mistakes he made saying "Whilst it is not part of my contract it has always been my intention to do some community work centred on the mistakes I have made, in the hope that it can go some way to preventing another tragedy occurring."[13]
[edit] Oldham Athletic
In June 2007 before his proposed release date, media reports surfaced that Hughes had entered into discussions over a move to join league One club Oldham Athletic. He signed a two-year deal at the club.[14] He was released from prison on 20 August, leaving him free to join Oldham Athletic.[15] His reported salary of £1,800-a-week at Boundary Park being less than a tenth of what he earned at the peak of his career with West Bromwich Albion.[16]
Hughes made his debut for Oldham in a 4-1 defeat at Hartlepool United on 1 September 2007.[17] He registered his first goals for Oldham in a 3–0 away win against Bournemouth on 25 November, scoring twice,[18] a performance which earned him a place in the "League One Team of the Week".[19] He scored his first hat-trick for the club against Millwall in a 3-2 victory at the New Den on 15 December 2007, again making the "League One Team of the Week".[20]
By the end of the season Hughes had scored eight goals, making him the club's second highest goalscorer. However, Oldham finished eighth and just missed out on a playoff place.
In the 2008-09 season, he scored 18 goals from 36 league starts and one goal in the Football League Trophy.
[edit] Loan move to Blackpool
On 26 March 2009 Hughes joined Championship club Blackpool on loan until the end of the season.[21] He made his debut in a 1-0 home defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Bloomfield Road on 4 April. His first goal for the Seasiders came on 18 April against Charlton Athletic at the Valley, when after coming on as an 89th minute substitute, and with Blackpool 2-1 down, he scored four minutes later to make the score 2-2.
[edit] Career statistics
- Correct as of match played 18 April 2009
| Seasons | Club | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1995–97 | Kidderminster Harriers | 108 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 51 |
| 1997–2001 | West Bromwich Albion | 155 | 79 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 174 | 85 |
| 2001–02 | Coventry City | 42 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 15 |
| 2002–04 | West Bromwich Albion | 55 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 60 | 13 |
| 2007– | Oldham Athletic | 53 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 60 | 26 |
| 2009 | Blackpool (loan) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 418 | 182 | 9 | 3 | 22 | 6 | 446 | 191 | |
[edit] Personal life
Hughes is married to Croatian Anna Kuzmanic and the couple, who lived in a £750,000 mock-Tudor mansion in Meriden before his conviction, have two daughters, Mia and Alana.[22]
[edit] Charitable work
While in prison Hughes helped to organise a charity football match which raised £5,000 for a children's hospice. A fellow prisoner told a newspaper that Hughes had set up the match to give something back to the community saying, "He's trying desperately hard to redeem himself. He is heartbroken."[23]
[edit] References
- ^ "England's finest semi-professionals". The Football Association. 16 May 2002. http://www.thefa.com/England/NationalGameXI/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2002/05/11630.htm. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books. p. 119. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
- ^ "Coventry seal Hughes deal". BBC Sport. 8 August 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/1478115.stm. Retrieved on 26 April 2007.
- ^ "Albion's timeline". West Bromwich Albion F.C.. 19 July 2007. http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10366~1018329,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-30.
- ^ "Coventry sack Nilsson and Smith". bbc.co.uk. 16 April 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/1933074.stm. Retrieved on 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Baggies back in big time". bbc.co.uk. 21 April 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1935828.stm. Retrieved on 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Baggies clinch Hughes deal". BBC Sport. 29 August 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/2212007.stm. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
- ^ "Footballer jailed for death crash". BBC News. 9 August 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/3548840.stm. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
- ^ "Hughes contract cancelled". BBC Sport. 9 August 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/3549540.stm. Retrieved on 2007-05-04.
- ^ "Hughes fails in appeal move". Coventry Telegraph. 24 January 2005. http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15110193&method=full&siteid=50003&headline=hughes-fails-in-appeal-move-name_page.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
- ^ "Lee Hughes continues to make up for lost time". The Daily Telegraph. 14 December 2007. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2329317/Lee-Hughes-continues-to-make-up-for-lost-time.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Praise as Lee swaps lads' mags for Koran". Newsquest. 7 May 2005. http://archive.thisisworcestershire.co.uk/2005/5/7/14091.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Lee Hughes makes public apology". Birmingham Post. 28 Auust 2007. http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/tm_headline=lee-hughes-makes-public-apology&method=full&objectid=19699556&siteid=50002-name_page.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
- ^ "Imprisoned Hughes set for Oldham". BBC Sport. 30 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/o/oldham_athletic/6703663.stm. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ "Ex-Albion star's jail release date". Express & Star. 27 Juy 2007. http://www.expressandstar.co.uk/2007/07/27/ex-albion-stars-jail-release-date/. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
- ^ Kay, Oliver (29 August 2007). "Striker who killed driver pleads for the chance to 'just get on with my life'". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article2343738.ece. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Hartlepool 4-1 Oldham". bbc.co.uk. 1 September 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/6963611.stm. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ "Bournemouth 0-3 Oldham". bbc.co.uk. 24 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7099976.stm. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ "Coca-Cola League 1 Team Of The Week. (25/11/2007)" (PDF). The Football League. 25 November 2007. http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/3/bc/0,,10794~113667,00.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Coca-Cola League 1 Team Of The Week. (17/12/2007)" (PDF). The Football League. 17 December 2007. http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/5a/c8/0,,10794~116826,00.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
- ^ "Hughes Swaps Oldham For Blackpool". Blackpool F.C.. 26 March 2009. http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1603965,00.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
- ^ 30 May 2007. "Latics set for Hughes deal". Manchester Evening News. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/oldham_athletic/s/1008/1008010_latics_set_for_hughes_deal.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Jailed Hughes raises £5,000 for charity". Coventry Telegraph. 5 September 2005. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/tm_objectid=15933961&method=full&siteid=50003&headline=jailed-hughes-raises--5-000-for-charity-name_page.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
[edit] External links
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