Jeff Bourne

Jeffrey Albert " Jeff" Bourne ( born June 19, 1948 in Linton ) is a former English footballer. The striker won in 1975 with Derby County, the English championship and later played successfully in the U.S. NASL.

Sports career

Bourne played until after his 20th birthday as an amateur for his hometown club Linton United before he moved in 1969 to the emerging Erstligaaufsteiger Derby County. Coach Brian Clough gave him the end of the 1970/71 season two first parole opportunities, but the outlook seemed for the most part accruing in the reserve team striker more than vague. This proved in the following two seasons, as Bourne in either the Master 1971/72 season yet in the following year, as the club was ranked seventh final table space, was used. After the turn of 1973/74 Bourne returned under Clough's successor Dave Mackay in the professional squad, which was mainly due to large injury problems at the club. He introduced himself with a private gate to a 1-1 draw against Birmingham City on 1 January 1974 and showed a good afterwards with eight goals in the subsequent nine games in great shape. Although it then no goal was scored more, but with these performances he had recommended for the root formation. With the commitment of Francis Lee to Bourne saw but then again relegated to the bench. He was only seven of his 17 appearances in the starting XI. On winning the English league title in 1975, he had nevertheless its share. In the next two years he played only eleven league games for Derby County and before the end of the 1976/77 season he moved in March 1977 third division side Crystal Palace.

With nine goals in the remaining 15 league games Bourne was initially largely responsible for the rise of the trained by Terry Venables team. He then, however, no longer tied to the benefits, met in 17 championship matches of the season 1977/78 only once and then moved to the U.S. NASL. There he was in 1976 already started for Dallas Tornado and with 15 goals he had left such an impression that it was decided there for a renewed commitment. Bourne developed in the United States to a service provider and its stations in Dallas (1976, 1978), at the Atlanta Chiefs (1979, 1980) and the Seattle Sounders (1980, 1981), he scored 67 goals in 132 games. In between, he played again in the third English League for Sheffield United in the season 1979/80, but his focus was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. There he was involved at the beginning of the 1980s in indoor soccer and played for the Seattle Sounders and later for the Wichita Wings. There were also appearances in the second-class American Soccer League for the Oklahoma City Slickers and the Dallas Americans.

Title / Awards

• English Championship ( 1): 1975