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Peter Andrew Beardsley (born 18 January 1961) is an English football coach and former footballer who played as a forward or midfielder.
In 1987, he set a record transfer fee in the English game. He represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain, taking part in two FIFA World Cups (1986 and 1990) and UEFA Euro 1988. At club level, he played for Newcastle United, Liverpool and Everton resulting in over 200 Premier League appearances. Over the course of his career, he also had spells with Carlisle United, Manchester United, Vancouver Whitecaps, Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, Fulham, Hartlepool United and the Melbourne Knights.
Between 2001 and 2018, he worked in various coaching roles at Newcastle United, varying from the first team to the youth academy. In 2010, he was briefly appointed as the caretaker manager.
Beardsley eventually began his professional career with Carlisle United in 1978. He managed 22 goals in 104 league games, helping them win promotion to the Second Division at the end of the 1981–82 season.
During 1981–83, he played three seasons in the North American Soccer League at Canadian club Vancouver Whitecaps then joined Manchester United, although his period at United was unsuccessful, making only one single appearance in a League Cup tie against AFC Bournemouth, and otherwise failing to break into the first team. Eventually in September 1983, he was signed back to Newcastle United.
In his first season in the First Division, Beardsley scored 17 goals in 38 league games as Newcastle finished in 14th position. These included a hat-trick on New Year's Day in a 3–1 home win over local rivals Sunderland, who finished the season relegated. During the following campaign, he played in all of Newcastle's 42 league matches, scoring 19 goals. In one fixture against West Ham United, Beardsley ended the game as a stand-in goalkeeper. The game ended in an 8–1 defeat for Newcastle, with Beardsley conceding the last three goals.
After returning from the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Beardsley helped a struggling Newcastle to avoid relegation in the 1986–87 season, eventually finishing 17th. He scored just five goals in 36 appearances that season, winning a further six caps for his country, before Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish made a national record £1.9 million offer to Newcastle for Beardsley's services. Manager Willie McFaul accepted the offer and Beardsley was on his way to Merseyside after four seasons on Tyneside which had brought a total of a 61 goals (all in the league), his transfer completed on 14 July 1987.
12 years later, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson revealed in his autobiography that he had made a £2 million bid for Beardsley, but McFaul had rejected the offer and told him that he wouldn't sell the player even if Ferguson offered £3 million.
Beardsley's first goal for his new club came on 29 August 1987 in the 4–1 victory over Coventry City at Highfield Road, with Beardsley scoring in the 83rd minute. He helped Liverpool to a record-equalling 29-match unbeaten start to the league as Liverpool convincingly strolled to the League title with just two defeats to their name. However, there was disappointment at the end when Wimbledon denied them the 'double' with a shock 1–0 win in the 1988 FA Cup final, a game in which Beardsley found the net, only for it to be ruled out by the referee who awarded Liverpool a free-kick for an earlier foul instead of allowing play to continue. Wimbledon scored the only goal of the game from a looping header by Lawrie Sanchez. Aldridge missed a penalty for Liverpool in the second half. Beardsley scored 15 league goals in his first season for Liverpool, level with John Barnes as the club's second highest scorer, behind Aldridge.
Rush rejoined the club in the 1988 close season and Liverpool returned to Wembley and won the FA Cup the following year, but lost their League championship with virtually the last kick of the last game of the season against Arsenal. Although Rush missed 14 games due to injury, when all three of Liverpool's strikers were fit, Dalglish played with a 4–3–3 formation that allowed Beardsley, Aldridge and Rush to play alongside each other when possible. Beardsley scored 11 league goals that season.
In April 1989, after the Hillsborough disaster claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans, Beardsley was among many Liverpool stars left distraught by the tragedy, attending several funerals and visiting the injured in hospital. He was part of the team that won the FA Cup that season with a 3–2 win over neighbours Everton at Wembley Stadium, though the league title slipped away on the final day of the season when Liverpool conceded a last minute goal to champions Arsenal at Anfield.
With the departure of Aldridge a few weeks into the 1989–90 season, Dalglish reverted to a 4–4–2 formation with Beardsley and Rush as his main strikers, with Beardsley scoring 10 goals in 29 games. Liverpool won the championship again that season, but the arrival of Israeli international striker Ronny Rosenthal saw his first-team opportunities limited in the title run-in, in which Liverpool overcame a strong challenge by Aston Villa to finish champions by a nine-point margin. Despite UEFA lifting the ban on English clubs in European competitions for the 1990–91 season, Liverpool were unable to compete in the European Cup as (being the team present at the Heysel disaster that had sparked the ban in 1985) they had to serve an extra year of the ban before being allowed to play in European competitions again.
Beardsley suffered another blow to his first team chances in January 1991 when Kenny Dalglish signed David Speedie. Dalglish stepped down the following month and was replaced a few weeks later by former Liverpool player Graeme Souness, after Ronnie Moran spent two months in charge on an interim basis. Beardsley managed 27 games that campaign and scored 11 goals – three of them in a 4–0 league win over Manchester United on 16 September 1990, and a further two in the Merseyside derby against Everton a week later.
Beardsley's final league goal for the Reds came on 17 November 1990, when he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win at Coventry City. By this relatively early stage of the season he had scored an impressive 11 times in the league, but a failure to add any more goals over the Christmas period may have played a part in Dalglish's decision to sign another striker in the new year. His final competitive goals for Liverpool came in a dramatic fifth round FA Cup first replay against Everton at Goodison Park on 20 February 1991, which ended in a 4–4 draw and was the club's last game before the sudden resignation of manager Dalglish, who by the end of the season had been succeeded by Graeme Souness.
Liverpool were top of the league at this stage, but in the new year were overhauled by Arsenal and the title went to Arsenal Stadium at the end of the season. And with the arrival of Dean Saunders for a national record fee of £2.9 million after the end of the season, Beardsley's days at Anfield were looking even more numbered, despite the sale of Speedie. During Beardsley's Anfield career he played in 175 matches and scored 59 goals, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, but it was his vision, guile and all action style of play that endeared him to the Anfield faithful, so much so he was voted in 19th position in the 2006 poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, conducted by the Liverpool Football Club web site; over 110,000 supporters worldwide voted for their 10 favourite players of all time.
While at Everton he became – along with David Johnson – one of only two players to have scored for both sides in Merseyside derbies. He finished as the club's top scorer by the end of his first season at Goodison Park and again showed his dynamic quality during his second season, but off the field Everton were suffering financial difficulties and when former club Newcastle United offered Everton £1.5 million for Beardsley, it was a sum they could not turn down for a 32-year-old player. In all competitions, Beardsley scored 32 goals in 95 appearances for Everton.
During his second spell at St James' Park, he racked up 157 appearances and scored 56 goals, bringing his overall total after two spells with the club to 321 appearances and 117 goals. This equates to a goal every 2.74 matches, a decent ratio for a player who was seen by many as a provider rather than a goalscorer, particularly in the 1996–97 season when he was switched to midfield following Alan Shearer's arrival. It is this period of his career that Beardsley regards as the time when he peaked.
He then moved to Fulham who were managed by his former manager Keegan, where he made 28 appearances in two separate loan spells, eventually signing for them permanently. He then went to Hartlepool United on a free transfer, and played 22 times in the Third Division to secure their Football League status. He finally ended his career at the age of 38 when he played twice for the National Soccer League club Melbourne Knights.
In a professional career totalling some 20 years in English football, he managed 659 league games and 210 goals, and a total of 799 games and 238 goals in all competitions. He had collected three major trophies (all of them with Liverpool) and was capped 59 times by England, scoring nine times. He had also played in two promotion winning teams earlier in his career, although he had been sold by Carlisle just before they sealed promotion in 1982.
During the 2012–13 season, Beardsley played in a friendly for Cambridge United against the Newcastle United reserve squad to celebrate Cambridge's 100th anniversary since they were founded.
On 29 January 1986, Beardsley made his debut for his country, coming on as a substitute for Lineker in the 4–0 friendly victory over Egypt in Cairo. His first goal came in his fourth appearance, on 17 May 1986 in the 3–0 friendly win over Mexico in Los Angeles, as England prepared for the forthcoming World Cup in Mexico. England scored seven goals in the tournament, of which Lineker scored six (winning the Golden Boot for doing so); the other goal came from Beardsley in a 3–0 victory over Paraguay in the second round. England had failed to score a goal in the first two matches of the finals, but in the third match – Beardsley's first start in the tournament – they beat Poland 3–0. Beardsley contributed in that match with a spectacular cross to Steve Hodge, which allowed Hodge to make England's second goal for Lineker. The next match was to be the famous Argentina vs. England match, in which Diego Maradona scored twice for the 2–1 victory that saw England eliminated from the tournament. Beardsley played the full game and was one of the five players passed by Maradona for the "Goal of the Century".
He maintained his place in the England team and featured in both Euro 88 and the 1990 World Cup. He was named as England captain on 17 February 1988 when they drew 0–0 in a friendly with Israel.
Beardsley was dropped by England manager Graham Taylor after the end of 1990, around the same time he lost his regular place in the Liverpool line-up, and, controversially, continued to be overlooked by him despite England's disappointing performance at Euro 92 as well as their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. Beardsley, meanwhile, was performing very well for his new club Everton, having signed for them in August 1991, although Everton's form as a team was far from impressive.
During his second spell at Newcastle, Beardsley was recalled to the England team by new manager Terry Venables in early 1994 after an absence of three years, and ultimately ended his international career while still at Newcastle in 1996, when he was one of the three players dropped from the provisional squad of 25 for the final squad of 22 for Euro 96, along with Dennis Wise and Jason Wilcox, after gaining 59 caps and scoring nine goals.
Beardsley once scored four goals for England against Aylesbury United. These did not count towards his international tally, however, as this was not an official international match. Aylesbury became the only non-League side to face the full England team, as they hosted the national side in a warm-up match in 1988 in preparation for the European Championships. England won the game 7–0.
Beardsley left Newcastle in 2006, when Glenn Roeder took over as permanent manager of the club. He believed Newcastle should go in a different direction. Beardsley then worked in a media role at the club. In 2007, Howard Kendall, his former boss at Everton stated he was interested in taking over as manager of Republic of Ireland national team, with Beardsley as his assistant manager. Beardsley was also linked with a return to Newcastle in January 2008, when Keegan returned as manager for a second spell.
In March 2009, Beardsley was re-appointed as an academy coach at Newcastle, working primarily with young strikers. On 27 July 2010, he was appointed as reserve team manager, with Steve Stone as his assistant manager. On 6 December, following the dismissal of Chris Hughton, Beardsley was briefly placed in charge of the team on a temporary basis before Alan Pardew was brought in as Hughton's replacement.
In January 2018, Beardsley was placed on leave by Newcastle following allegations of racism. In March 2019, Newcastle confirmed that he had left the club, and the Football Association later confirmed they were investigating him. He was subsequently charged with three counts of using racist language to players. In September 2019, he was suspended from all football-related activity for 32 weeks after being found guilty by the FA of making racist comments to players. Beardsley said he was "surprised and disappointed" at being found guilty. The FA panel said: "Even if he did not intend to do so, he plainly did cause offence." However, the panel said it did not believe Beardsley was racist, stating: "We are satisfied that Mr Beardsley is not a racist in the sense of being ill-disposed to persons on grounds of their race or ethnicity."
Beardsley has been married since 1981 to his wife Sandra. They have a son, Drew (born 1989), and a daughter, Stacey (born 1993).
England
Individual
International career
After reaching the First Division with Newcastle, Beardsley became a regular in the England side in the second half of the 1980s, and teamed up with striker Gary Lineker, who described Beardsley as "the best partner I could ever have".
Style of play
A small and skilful second striker, Beardsley was recognised more for close control, deceptive movement and combination play than for prolific goalscoring. Often used as a classic Playmaker, he connected midfield and attack with intelligent movement and passing, providing an extra presence between the lines. Beardsley has been described by the National Football Museum website as "a unique talent in English football." At Liverpool he frequently dropped deeper to supply chances for teammates such as John Aldridge and John Barnes, acting as the "creative force" in a fluid front line that won two First Division titles and an FA Cup. For England he served as an unselfish foil to Gary Lineker—Lineker later recalled that the pair "knew each other's games perfectly." He also noted that Beardsley was effectively England's first recognised number 10 at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, when manager Bobby Robson adopted the system to strengthen the midfield. Managers credited his role with making England's football "more fluid and attractive". Contemporary reports praised his work-rate off the ball, pressing and recovering possession, along with his vision to play incisive final passes. This balance of industry and imagination made him a supporter favourite across several clubs.
Coaching career
Beardsley joined the coaching staff at Newcastle United after his playing career was over. In early 1999, Beardsley also served as assistant manager to Howard Wilkinson during his first caretaker period as manager of England, between the dismissal of Glenn Hoddle and the appointment of Kevin Keegan. England faced – and lost to – world champions France in a friendly at Wembley. In 2003, Beardsley was the subject of a Premier League inquiry, after it was claimed that he had bullied two Newcastle youth players. He was cleared of the charges. Bullying allegations were again raised against Beardsley in January 2018.
Personal life
Born in Hexham, Beardsley grew up in Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Career statistics
Club
Carlisle United 1979–80 Third Division 9 1980–81 15 Vancouver Whitecaps 1981 NASL 13 Carlisle United 1981–82 Third Division 5 Vancouver Whitecaps 1982 NASL 7 Manchester United 1982–83 First Division 0 Vancouver Whitecaps 1983 NASL 8 Newcastle United 1983–84 Second Division 20 1984–85 First Division 17 1985–86 19 1986–87 5 Liverpool 1987–88 First Division 18 1988–89 14 1989–90 16 1990–91 13 Everton 1991–92 First Division 20 1992–93 Premier League 12 Newcastle United 1993–94 Premier League 24 1994–95 15 1995–96 11 1996–97 8 Bolton Wanderers 1997–98 Premier League 2 Manchester City (loan) 1997–98 First Division 0 Fulham (loan) 1997–98 Second Division 3 1998–99 4 Fulham 0 Hartlepool United 1998–99 Third Division 2 1999–2000 0 Melbourne Knights 1999–2000 NSL 0
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and year England 2 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
+ List of international goals scored by Peter Beardsley Friendly 1986 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier 4–1 1988 Rous Cup 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier 3–0 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifier Friendly
Honours
Liverpool
External links
Categories: 1961 Births, Living People, Footballers From Hexham, 1986 Fifa World Cup Players, 1990 Fifa World Cup Players, Men's Association Football Midfielders, Bolton Wanderers F.c. Players, Carlisle United F.c. Players, England Men's International Footballers, England Men's B International Footballers, English Expatriate Men's Footballers, English Expatriate Sportspeople In Australia, English Expatriate Sportspeople In Canada, English Men's Footballers, English Football Hall Of Fame Inductees, Everton F.c. Players, Expatriate Men's Soccer Players In Australia, Expatriate Men's Soccer Players In Canada, Fulham F.c. Players, Hartlepool United F.c. Players, Liverpool F.c. Players, Manchester City F.c. Players, Manchester United F.c. Players, Melbourne Knights Fc Players, Members Of The Order Of The British Empire, National Soccer League Players, North American Soccer League Players, Newcastle United F.c. Non-playing Staff, Newcastle United F.c. Players, Footballers From Newcastle Upon Tyne, Premier League Players, English Football League Players, Uefa Euro 1988 Players, Vancouver Whitecaps Players, Wallsend Boys Club Players
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