Andy Tillson

Andy Tillson

Born 30 June 1966 (Age 35 at debut)

Position: Defender

(Diamonds player #162)

Total appearances 23

(22 League, 1 League Trophy)

Debut:

9 February 2002 (Away Hull City)

Final game:

26 October 2002 (Away Hull City)

Born in Huntingdon, Andy started his footballing career with Kettering Town. In 1988, he was snapped up by Grimsby Town and went on to make over 100 appearances for them. Don Howe took the central defender to QPR in 1990, but after losing his place, he went back to Grimsby Town on loan before being transferred to Bristol Rovers in August 1992 for a £370,000 fee. He went on to play over 250 games before moving to Walsall in 2000. Andy was signed from Walsall on 8 February 2002 as the club began their push towards the Division 3 playoffs. He was recruited as cover for the injured Barry Hunter, and quickly became an “ever-present” alongside Mark Peters during the spring of 2002 helping Diamonds to reach the playoffs and the Final at the Millennium Stadium.

He could only manage two short spells in the first team the following season due to a recurring back injury, and announced his retirement from the game on 4 December 2002. He subsequently became first team coach at Team Bath, taking them into the Blue Square South – a position he still held at the end of the 2008-09 season when they withdrew from that league. He was originally due to become assistant manager at Weymouth for the 2009 / 2010 season, but shortly before starting that role he accepted a position as a first team coach with League One side Exeter City under manager Paul Tisdale. He stayed there until the summer of 2018, when Tisdale also departed.

Appearances

2001/2002 – squad number 36

2002/2003 – squad number 6