Andy_Drury

Andy Drury

Andy Drury

English footballer

Andrew Mark Drury (born 28 November 1983) is an English footballer and football manager, who is currently player-manager of Folkestone Invicta.

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He started his career in non-League football for Sittingbourne in 2001, moving to Gravesend & Northfleet in 2003. He remained with the club for three seasons before signing for Conference South side Lewes in 2006. In 2008, Drury moved up a division to the Conference Premier, signing for Stevenage Borough. In 2009, Drury won the FA Trophy with the club and, the next season, won promotion to The Football League. He opted against signing a new contract, instead joining Conference Premier side Luton Town. He remained at Luton for half a season before his strong performances attracted the interest of Championship club Ipswich Town. In January 2011 he moved to Portman Road in a transfer worth £150,000. He played in 64 games for Ipswich, alongside a loan spell at Crawley Town in League Two, before leaving in 2013 to sign for Crawley on a two-year contract. In June 2014, Drury signed for his former club Luton Town, now newly promoted to League Two, for a £100,000 fee. His second spell at the club ended by mutual consent a year early. Drury then went to play for Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet United, Havant & Waterlooville, Cray Wanderers and Folkestone Invicta before becoming the manager of Isthmian League club Whitstable Town.

Playing career

Early career

He started his club career at Sittingbourne, making 107 appearances before moving onto Gravesend and Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United).[4] He then went on to play for Lewes before a move up a division to Stevenage. At Stevenage, he won both the 2008-09 FA Trophy and the Conference Premier title, before making a short move to Luton Town.[5] His performance in Luton's 2–2 FA Cup draw with Charlton Athletic, in which he scored two goals, brought him to the attention of clubs higher up the football pyramid, including Ipswich Town.[6]

Ipswich Town

On 31 January 2011, Drury signed for Ipswich Town in a £150,000 move, signing a 2+1⁄2-year deal.[7] He made his league debut coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute, replacing Lee Martin in a 6–0 away win against Doncaster Rovers.[8] He made his home debut the following weekend against Hull City, his first start for the club.[9] After the game, Drury said:

"It is a bit more intense. You have to concentrate all the time because there's always somebody running off you. But it's about how I play really and I felt comfortable in myself

— Andy Drury, .[10]

He was not offered a new contract and left Ipswich in the summer of 2013, having made 64 appearances for the club.

Crawley Town

Drury joined Crawley Town as a 93-day emergency loanee on 15 September 2011.[11] He scored on his debut for the club two days later in a 3–1 victory over Bradford City.[12] He returned to Ipswich when his loan spell expired, and was immediately selected for the New Year match against Nottingham Forest.

Crawley Town boss Steve Evans said after the loan, "The reality is despite how much I wanted him, the clubs could not agree on a transfer fee. I also think maybe his wages could have been a problem because it should not be forgotten they were heavily subsidised by Ipswich when he was on loan with us."[13]

On 17 June 2013, Drury signed a new two-year contract with Crawley after being released by Ipswich Town[14]

Luton Town (second spell)

Drury rejoined Luton Town for a £100,000 fee on 30 June 2014 after two previous bids had been rebuffed by Crawley.[15] He made his debut on the opening game of the season, starting in a 1–0 win away to Carlisle United. Drury's second spell at the club never reached the heights of the first, and in July 2015 his contract was cancelled a year early by mutual consent.[16]

Non-League

On 14 July 2015, Drury signed for National League club Eastleigh.[16]

Drury joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Cray Wanderers as player-assistant manager in May 2021[17] before departing the club following the departure of manager Danny Kedwell in December 2021.[18]

In January 2022, Drury signed for Isthmian League Premier Division side Folkestone Invicta.[19] Following spells as manager at Whitstable Town and Margate, he resumed his playing career by signing for Isthmian League South East Division club Chatham Town in January 2023.[20]

Managerial career

On 22 March 2022, Isthmian League South East Division side Whitstable Town announced the appointment of Drury as club manager.[21]

Following the departure of Jay Saunders, Drury was appointed manager of Isthmian League Premier Division club Margate.[22]

He was dismissed on 26 December 2022 with Margate 16th in the table.[23]

In November 2023, Drury was named player-manager of Folkestone Invicta having previously held the role of player-coach.[24]

Honours

Lewes

Stevenage Borough

References

  1. [1]
    "Professional retain lists & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. May 2013. p. 79. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  2. [2]
    "Andy Drury". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 4 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  3. [3]
    "Andrew Drury – ESPN". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  4. [4]
    "Wonder goal puts former Brickies ace Andy Drury in the spotlight". Canterbury Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  5. [5]
    "Luton Town sign Stevenage winger Andy Drury". BBC Sport. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  6. [6]
    "Charlton 2-2 Luton". BBC Sport. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  7. [7]
    "Ipswich Town swoop for Luton Town winger Andy Drury". BBC Sport. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  8. [8]
    "Doncaster 0–6 Ipswich". BBC Sport. 15 February 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  9. [9]
    "Ipswich 1–1 Hull". BBC Sport. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  10. [10]
    "Andy Drury excited by step up to Championship". BBC Sport. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  11. [11]
    "Ipswich midfielder Andy Drury joins Crawley on loan". BBC Sport. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  12. [12]
    "Crawley Town 3–1 Bradford". BBC Sport. 17 September 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  13. [13]
    "Crawley give up on Drury". Luton Today. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  14. [14]
    "LOOK WHO'S BACK!". Crawley Town F.C. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  15. [15]
    "Official: Andy Drury signs for Luton Town". Luton Town F.C. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  16. [16]
    "Eastleigh: Midfielder Andy Drury joins from Luton Town". BBC Sport. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  17. [17]
    Andy Drury - Welcome to the Wands Cray Wanderers FC. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  18. [18]
    "Cray Wanderers announce Grant Basey as Interim First Team Manager". www.cray-wanderers.com. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  19. [19]
    "Welcome to Andy Drury". Folkestone Invicta FC. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  20. [20]
    "Drury in at Chatham". www.isthmian.co.uk. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  21. [21]
    "New Manager Appointed". Whitstable Town FC. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  22. [22]
    "Blues Appoint Andy Drury As New First Team Manager". www.margate-fc.co.uk. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  23. [23]
    "CLUB NEWS | Margate Part Ways with Andy Drury".
  24. [24]
    "Welcome: Andrew Drury". folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
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