Nathan Elder

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Nathan Elder
Elder playing for Tonbridge Angels in 2015
Personal information
Full name Nathan John Elder[1]
Date of birth (1985-04-05) 5 April 1985 (age 39)[2]
Place of birth Hornchurch, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Hythe Town (assistant)
Youth career
Barns Sports
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Hornchurch
Barking & East Ham United
2003–2004 Aveley
2004–2007 Billericay Town 26 (36)
2007–2008 Brighton & Hove Albion 22 (2)
2008–2009 Brentford 44 (10)
2009–2011 Shrewsbury Town 19 (2)
2010AFC Wimbledon (loan) 18 (3)
2011–2012 Hayes & Yeading United 6 (0)
2011–2012Hereford United (loan) 14 (2)
2012 Hereford United 12 (1)
2012–2013 Ebbsfleet United 42 (15)
2013–2015 Dover Athletic 50 (9)
2014–2015Hayes & Yeading United (loan) 5 (1)
2015Maidstone United (loan)
2015Tonbridge Angels (loan) 8 (3)
2015–2019 Tonbridge Angels 154 (62)
2018–2019 Sittingbourne 8 (0)
Managerial career
2019 Sittingbourne (player-assistant)
2019– Hythe Town (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nathan John Elder (born 5 April 1985) is an English former professional footballer who is assistant manager of Hythe Town. He played in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford, Shrewsbury Town and Hereford United.

Career[edit]

Early years[edit]

Elder was born in Hornchurch. He first played football while attending Langtons Infant School in his hometown Hornchurch, starting out as a defender.[3] His first club was Sunday league side Barns Sports, before moving up to Isthmian League Division Three side Hornchurch.[3] Moves up through the echelons of the Isthmian League to Barking & East Ham United, Aveley and Billericay Town followed.[3] While he appeared sparingly for Billericay Town between 2004 and 2007, he scored prolifically, scoring 36 goals in 26 league appearances for the club.[4]

Brighton & Hove Albion[edit]

Elder joined Brighton & Hove Albion on 1 January 2007, after the "Seagulls" paid his former club Billericay Town £10,000 after being impressed with his talent during a match for Isthmian League Billericay against non-League rivals Worthing.[3]

At Brighton, Elder found first-team opportunities under Dean Wilkins very difficult.[5] During his time there he only started three games, two in League One and one in the Football League Trophy, scoring just twice for the club in total.[6]

Brentford[edit]

On 31 January 2008, Elder joined Brentford for £35,000.[5] He scored an own goal on his debut for Brentford against Mansfield Town after just 15 minutes (though the goal was later credited to Mansfield player Michael Boulding), but scored the winner as Brentford eventually won 3–2.[5] Elder won a 2008–09 League Two championship medal with the Bees,[5] but his season was ended early after suffering a double fracture of the cheekbone, a fractured eye socket, severe trauma to the eyeball and extensive bleeding in and around the eye in a "horror clash" with Rotherham United's Pablo Mills in a match on 7 March 2009.[7] In the days following the incident, Elder had no sight in his left eye and Brentford manager Andy Scott called for justice to be done.[7] On 12 March, it was reported that the FA would be unable to take disciplinary action against Mills.[8] Elder recovered sufficiently to be included in the squad for the final match of the season against Luton Town, but he remained an unused substitute and would not play again for the club.[5] He revealed in April 2009 that the vision in his left eye would never be 100% again.[3]

Shrewsbury Town[edit]

On 3 August 2009 he signed for Shrewsbury Town on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. However Elder was then transfer listed on 9 November 2009, with manager Paul Simpson unhappy with a performance in the 1–0 FA Cup loss at home to non-League club Staines Town.[9]

Return to non-League football[edit]

On 15 January 2010, Elder joined Conference Premier club AFC Wimbledon on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season.[10] The day after he signed, Elder scored his debut goal in AFC Wimbledon's 2–0 home win against Mansfield Town[11] and picked up the man of the match award. He made a total of 18 appearances for the Dons and scored three goals. Shortly before he was due to return to Shrewsbury, Elder picked up an injury in a game at Tamworth. It was later discovered that he had suffered a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament and would be out for at least six months.[12] It was announced on 24 June 2011 that he was to be released.

After being released by Shrewsbury, Elder was signed by Conference Premier side Hayes & Yeading United.

On 30 September, Elder signed on a monthlong loan deal with League Two side Hereford United before permanently signing on 6 January 2012. His first goal for the club was a glancing header in the 66th minute against Barnet, this would effectively be the winner as Hereford won the match 1–0.

On 6 July 2012, he was signed by Ebbsfleet United.[13]

On 17 June 2013, Elder was signed by Dover Athletic on a free transfer. On 10 May 2014, Elder scored the only goal of the game in Dover's 1–0 playoff final win over former club Ebbsfleet United to seal Dover's return to the Conference Premier for the first time since 2002.

Having spent much of the previous season out on loan, including finishing the season with Tonbridge Angels,[14] Elder joined the club permanently following his release from Dover in May 2015.[15]

Elder joined Isthmian League South East Division club Sittingbourne as player-coach in August 2018 and was promoted into the role of assistant manager in February 2019.[16][17]

In September 2019, Elder left to Sittingbourne to link up with his former Maidstone team-mate Steve Watt, as his assistant manager at Hythe Town.[18]

Personal life[edit]

Elder attended Langtons Infant School and Emerson Park Comprehensive.[3] He stated that Andy Cole was the player he modelled himself on.[3] Prior to becoming a professional footballer, he worked as an instructor in a gym.[3] After leaving professional football, he worked in recruitment at Leadenhall Market.[5]

Career statistics[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Billericay Town 2005–06[19] Isthmian League Premier Division 34 8 0 0 5[a] 2 39 10
2006–07[20] 18 6 0 0 1[a] 0 19 6
Total 52 14 0 0 6 2 58 16
Brighton & Hove Albion 2006–07[21] League One 13 1 13 1
2007–08[22] 9 1 2 0 0 0 3[b] 0 14 1
Total 22 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 27 2
Brentford 2007–08[22] League Two 17 4 17 4
2008–09[23] 27 6 2 1 1 0 0 0 30 7
Total 44 10 2 1 1 0 0 0 47 11
Shrewsbury Town 2009–10[24] League Two 19 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 22 2
AFC Wimbledon (loan) 2009–10[24] Conference Premier 18 3 18 3
Hayes & Yeading United 2011–12[25] Conference Premier 6 0 6 0
Hereford United 2011–12[26] League Two 26 3 1 0 27 3
Ebbsfleet United 2012–13[25] Conference Premier 42 15 2 1 0 0 44 16
Dover Athletic 2013–14[25] Conference South 37 7 3 2 7[c] 2 47 11
2014–15[25] Conference Premier 10 1 0 0 0 0 10 1
Total 47 8 3 2 7 2 57 12
Hayes & Yeading United 2014–15[25] Conference South 5 1 5 1
Hayes & Yeading United total 11 1 11 1
Tonbridge Angels (loan) 2014–15[27] Isthmian League Premier Division 7 2 7 2
Tonbridge Angels 2015–16[28] Isthmian League Premier Division 40 23 1 0 5[d] 3 46 26
2016–17[29] 40 15 4 2 7[e] 1 51 18
2017–18[30] 39 11 1 0 4[f] 1 44 12
Tonbridge Angels total 126 51 6 2 16 5 148 58
Sittingbourne 2018–19[31] Isthmian League South East Division 8 0 0 0 2[g] 1 10 1
Career total 415 109 17 6 2 0 35 10 469 125
  1. ^ a b Appearances in Isthmian League Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Football League Trophy
  3. ^ Three appearances, one goal in Conference South play-offs; four appearances, one goal in FA Trophy
  4. ^ Two appearances, two goals in Isthmian League Cup; two appearances, one goal in FA Trophy; one appearance in Isthmian League Premier Division play-offs
  5. ^ Four appearances, one goal in Isthmian League Cup; three appearances in FA Trophy
  6. ^ Two appearances, one goal in Isthmian League Cup; two appearances in FA Trophy
  7. ^ Appearances in FA Trophy

Honours[edit]

Brentford

Dover Athletic

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Nathan Elder". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h BFC: Brentford FC Official Matchday Magazine versus Exeter City 11/04/09. London: shootthemoon. 2009. pp. 36–39.
  4. ^ "Brentford | Team | First Team Profiles | Nathan Elder". 17 April 2009. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "History Boys: Nathan Elder". www.brentfordfc.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  6. ^ Nathan Elder at Soccerbase Edit this at Wikidata
  7. ^ a b "Mills denies Elder intent". SkySports. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Mills in clear over Elder clash". SkySports. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Elder Signs". Shrewsbury Town F.C. 4 August 2008. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  10. ^ "Nathan joins the Dons". AFC Wimbledon. 15 January 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  11. ^ "AFC Wimbledon 2–0 Mansfield". BBC Sport. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  12. ^ "Update". Shrewsbury Town F.C. 30 April 2010. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  13. ^ "Ebbsfleet United sign Striker Nathan Elder". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Nathan Elder – Angels First Team". Tonbridge Angels F.C.
  15. ^ "Nathan Elder has left Dover Athletic to join Tonbridge Angels". Dover Express. 5 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  16. ^ "Elder to get games". Kent Online. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  17. ^ "New role for Elder". Kent Online. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  18. ^ Nathan Elder leaves Sittingbourne to link up with new Hythe manager Steve Watt, kentonline.co.uk, 10 September 2019
  19. ^ "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  20. ^ "football.mitoo". football.mitoo.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  21. ^ "Games played by Nathan Elder in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  22. ^ a b "Games played by Nathan Elder in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  23. ^ "Games played by Nathan Elder in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Games played by Nathan Elder in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Nathan Elder at Soccerway. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Games played by Nathan Elder in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  27. ^ "Nathan Elder Appearances". Tonbridge Angels FC. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  28. ^ "Nathan Elder Appearances". Tonbridge Angels FC. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Nathan Elder Appearances". Tonbridge Angels FC. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  30. ^ "Nathan Elder Appearances". Tonbridge Angels FC. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  31. ^ "Sittingbourne | Appearances | Nathan Elder". Football Web Pages.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2019.

External links[edit]